The Columbia Climate School’s mission is to further knowledge and educate leaders to achieve equitable and just solutions to the changing climate and related sustainability challenges.
News Highlights
September Research Roundup: Select Papers
In this month’s edition of our research roundup, we look at the impact of suspending U.S. embassy reporting on air quality; why two extreme heatwaves had different impacts; and how to make vulnerable populations in smaller cities more visible.
Come Visit Us at Lamont Open House
Join Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, NY, on Saturday, Oct. 17, for a free, family-friendly event. Explore research facilities through lab tours, exhibits, hands-on activities and talks.
El Niño 2026: How Big Could It Get?
The current El Niño will break all sea-surface temperature records to date and will very likely deliver unprecedented weather-related impacts around the world.
Education
The Columbia Climate School educates future climate leaders to address the urgent challenges facing our planet with graduate degree programs and offers other powerful learning opportunities for students, educators, and professionals.
Science Fun and Discovery!
On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!
Research
The Columbia Climate School nurtures and supports innovative research in the science, consequences, and human dimensions of climate change, including the methods of achieving a more sustainable and just world.
The Columbia Climate School encompasses Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and more than 20 other centers and programs, supporting a continuum of research from basic discovery to societal solutions.
Our Office of Research nurtures our community of established and future environmental leaders through proposal development, programmatic engagement, and compliance support.
Impact
The Columbia Climate School turns bold ideas into real-world action, building partnerships to drive tangible change at scale.
In this Science for the Planet video, Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson shares her research on making buildings more efficient through data analytics, machine learning, and smart design. By studying thousands of buildings and analyzing their electricity use, she has been able to uncover ways to significantly cut energy consumption and emissions. Watch Engineering a Cooler Future Through Smarter Buildings.