LEADERSHIP

LAW & POLICY

Climate change and the energy transition are driving unprecedented shifts in the economy and society. These shifts present challenges and opportunities for leaders in government, the corporate world, academia, hard-to-abate sectors, and beyond. Harvard Climate Action Week sessions will explore how different actors view leadership under climate change, and how they are grappling with the challenges presented by aggressive greenhouse gas mitigation, adaptation, energy transitions, and impacts on public health. Participants will hear from leaders in sessions exploring U.S.-China climate cooperation, tribal, city, and state leadership, Gen Z approaches to climate change, and more.

Climate change is already disrupting – in many cases severely – lives and livelihoods around the world. In the United States, elected and appointed officials tasked with navigating climate impacts and the clean energy transition must weigh competing priorities, complex logistical questions, political differences, and a host of other factors as they seek to set durable laws and policies in the face of climate change. Speakers and panelists at Harvard Climate Action Week will discuss the legal and policy tools available to leaders at all levels of government and business who are grappling with the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change and the clean energy transition. Sessions will also explore what can be expected from policymakers as the outcome of the 2024 election shapes U.S. federal leadership.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ENVIRONMENTAL & CLIMATE JUSTICE

Venture into the dynamic realm of climate technology, from managing melting permafrost to reducing food waste to geoengineering and new ideas for creating and storing energy. Embracing – and scaling up – new tools and science in the face of the climate crisis are critical as the world seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage climate risks. Hear from leading climate scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs about the solutions that could shape our future.

Climate change is a complex issue; it touches nearly every aspect of our lives and exacerbates existing inequity. Harvard Climate Action Week will explore solutions to the climate crisis that include, rather than exclude, and consider how climate policies can better advance climate justice. Participants will hear from communities at the front line of climate change, and the community members who are shaping the response.

INNOVATION

Climate change is a complex issue; it touches nearly every aspect of our lives and exacerbates existing inequity. Harvard Climate Action Week will explore solutions to the climate crisis that include, rather than exclude, and consider how climate policies can better advance climate justice. Participants will hear from communities at the front line of climate change, and the community members who are shaping the response.