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China Climate Solutions: Local Innovation, Global Lessons, and Pathways to a Sustainable Future

October 16, 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Columbia University (New York) — Building TBD

As the world accelerates efforts to address climate change, solutions are increasingly emerging from diverse local contexts. China, as one of the world’s largest economies and a major force in global climate action, is advancing a wide range of approaches across renewable energy, industrial decarbonization, nature-based solutions, climate adaptation, and sustainable development. 

Join us for a conversation with experts working across China’s climate ecosystem, from climate innovation and transition finance to energy transformation, industrial sustainability, and climate adaptation. Speakers will share practical insights from their work and explore broader lessons for global climate action.

The event will include two panel discussions: Advancing the Green Energy Transition and Local Pathways to Climate Resilience. The panels will feature the 2026 Richard Rockefeller Fellows and will be moderated by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA, and Lisa Sachs, Director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment at Columbia Climate School.

This event is organized by Columbia Global and the Center on Global Energy Policy.

Panel 1: Advancing the Green Energy Transition

This panel will explore real-world experiences in advancing clean energy deployment, integrating renewable energy into existing power systems, and addressing the technological, market, and policy challenges associated with energy transformation. Panelists will share successful practices, lessons learned, and opportunities to accelerate the transition toward more sustainable, resilient energy systems.

Panel 2: Climate Leadership: Translating Innovation into Scalable Solutions

This panel will examine how regional practitioners in China and across the Asia-Pacific are translating global climate goals into local action. Bringing together perspectives from supply chains, climate finance, glacier conservation, biodiversity-focused beekeeping, and child health advocacy, the discussion will explore how policy, capital, community leadership, and innovation can work together to support more just and resilient climate outcomes.

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