Harvard Climate Action Week set to accelerate climate solutions

The impacts of climate change are all around us. Next week, the solutions will be, too.

From May 8-12, climate experts, leaders from business and government, advocates, organizers, academics, and students will convene across Harvard University and online to tackle the climate challenge.

This first-ever Harvard Climate Action Week will include more than a dozen events led by 14 Harvard Schools, centers, and institutes across the University’s Cambridge and Boston campuses. Each gathering will bring Harvard experts together with leaders from business, government, and civil society for discussions on the ongoing work of combating climate change and what more needs to be done.

“Universities have provided the insights that shape our understanding of climate change and its impacts on human and natural systems. Many of the technologies driving the transition to clean energy started in university labs,” said Jim Stock, vice provost for climate and sustainability and director of the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University. “But universities — including Harvard — must do more. Climate Action Week represents Harvard’s resolve to bring its significant expertise and convening power to bear on the climate challenge.”

Those attending the events in person or by livestream will hear leaders at the forefront of the climate crisis, many of whom have spent their careers working on solutions at the highest levels. Speakers throughout the week will include:

• John Kerry, U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, who will join Harvard University President Larry Bacow for a fireside chat during the Salata Institute’s Climate Symposium
• Vjosa Osmani Sadriu, president of the Republic of Kosovo, who will give the keynote address at the Center for International Development’s GEM23 conference
• Ari Bernstein, Caroline Buckee, and Marcia Castro, Harvard faculty who will speak about confronting the link between climate change and infectious diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Symposium on Climate, Health, and Equity

The week will also serve as a gathering for Harvard students. At the student-led and -organized Emerging Climate Leaders Summit on May 8, students from around the University will hear keynote speeches from climate leaders and join breakout discussions on topics including intergenerational representation, building community resilience, and climate diplomacy. The daylong event will provide a platform to cultivate a rising generation of climate leadership.

Several events will be livestreamed or are open to the public. For more information about events, speakers, and how to register, visit salatainstitute.harvard.edu/hcaw/.