Thomas Trebat from CGC Rio Joins Panel on "Sustainability and Environment: Preparing Cities for Climate Challenges" at Rio Innovation Week

Founding Director of Columbia Global Center Rio, Prof. Thomas Trebat, contributed to a panel focused on how to prepare cities for climate challenges. Aiming to understand how academia sees the issue through its different lenses, Mr. Trebat, who has a PhD in economics, was joined by scholars with diverse backgrounds, including Prof. Simone Feigelson, who teaches engineering in the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), and Prof. Patricia Cristina, who teaches socio-environmental ethics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). The roundtable was mediated by Alvaro Albernaz, Financial Director at FINARQ Consultoria whose work includes urban design to mitigate climate damages.

During the panel, all speakers warned that the climate crisis is not local, but global, which calls for everybody to act together now. We must collaborate to gather the knowledge needed to recover from climate risks. The effects of the warming of the planet are being felt much more frequently, with successive heat waves, floods, and landslides among other weather-related events.  

The call to action includes improvements in two primary channels: applying technologies developed by university researchers and raising citizen awareness through environmental education. Small changes can come through daily actions which children can learn at school. Meanwhile, in the macro context, urban housing planning shall be taken into consideration when talking about sustainability, since social and environmental crises reinforce each other. Last but not least, an expert technical assessment before large-scale urban infrastructure projects are undertaken can also be a helpful factor by identifying threats in their early stages and preventing or mitigating future problems through planning and knowledge.

Prof. Trebat emphasized Columbia University’s lead role in climate studies as represented by the launch of Columbia Climate School, the first of its kind in the world. He also added the importance of the Global Center and Climate Hub in Rio, since the City of Rio is one of the leading global actors in urban climate policy and plays a prominent role among C40 Group of Sustainable Cities. According to Trebat, the City of Rio is a very fertile ground for studying and addressing climate justice because it embraces Brazil’s leading role in urban climate action and while also grappling with the existent inequality which characterize Brazilian cities and Global South cities around the world.

"The solutions to the planetary crisis will not be devised only by the most developed countries with the highest per capita incomes. The crisis is global, and we are all being affected. What I aim to highlight in this important forum is the value of academic exchange, but not solely academic research published in journals—rather, academic research combined with concrete and practical climate actions. Rio de Janeiro truly serves as a classroom for those wishing to learn about climate adaptation in major cities. It is a city in the Global South with fewer resources than those available in cities in the wealthy countries of the world. The majority of humanity lives in cities with incomes equal to or lower than Rio's, that is to say, without the resources of rich nation cities. For these countries to face the damage that the climate crisis is causing, they can learn a great deal from experts here in Rio de Janeiro. Our goal at the Columbia University Climate Hub Rio here is to fill niches in the field of research", he asserted. Columbia also seeks to act in a way to spread the word globally about climate problems in Brazilian cities and also climate solutions designed here in Brazil that are replicable in other parts of the world.” 

Mr. Trebat highlighted a recent publication from Climate Hub Rio, which was created in partnership with the city's municipality. This publication outlines a holistic approach to park development in Rio de Janeiro, emphasizing the integration of sustainability, environmental, social, and economic considerations. It advocates for sustainable practices, community involvement, and collaboration among stakeholders to ensure parks are resilient, functional, and beneficial to all residents. The document also features case studies showcasing best practices in urban park management and how such parks and green spaces can be such useful tools to confront climate challenges such as heat waves and floods while improving the quality of life for citizens in poorer communities.