As a part of Harvard Climate Action Week, the Harvard Climate Symposium was held on September 19th and 20th. This year’s theme is Pathways to Progress on Climate and Energy. This event brought together leaders, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore the most pressing challenges and opportunities in addressing the climate crisis.
Sessions emphasized the importance of research-informed solutions, transnational collaboration, and interdisciplinary approaches—from rethinking infrastructure and energy systems to reshaping markets, financial models, and climate governance. With a focus on action and impact, the symposium serves as a catalyst for developing integrated strategies that can drive equitable, scalable progress in the fight against climate change.
"Sessions:
8:45 AM ET: Welcoming remarks from Alan Garber, President of Harvard University and Jim Stock, Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability and Director of the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University.
9:00 AM ET: Scaling Climate Opportunity - Workforce Innovation as a Tool for Climate and Economic Progress. Featuring Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Tracey Palandjian, CEO of Social Finance
9:40 AM ET: Powering the Transition: A Conversation with Nat Keohane and Joe Dominguez on the Future of Carbon-Free Energy. Featuring Nat Keohane, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and Joseph Dominguez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Constellation.
10:30 AM ET: Climate Investors: Headwinds and Tailwinds. Featuring Peter Tufano, Baker Foundation Professor at Harvard Business School; Nili Gilbert, Vice Chairwoman of Carbon Direct; Carine Smith Ihenacho, Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Norges Bank Investment Management; and Chris Skidmore, Former Member of Parliament, United Kingdom.
11:15 AM ET: Innovation for a Lower-Carbon Future. Featuring Vicki Hollub, President and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental and George Serafeim, Charles M. Williams Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
3:15 PM ET: Leading the Future of Energy: Electrifying and Decarbonizing. Featuring Jim Stock and Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova.
3:55 PM ET: Pathways to Progress in Congress. Featuring Joseph Aldy, Teresa and John Heinz Professor of the Practice of Environmental Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and Scott Peters, Congressman, State of California.
4:45 PM ET: Climate Law Under Siege (And The Path Forward). Featuring Jody Freeman, Archibald Cox Professor of Law at Harvard Law School; Carrie Jenks, Executive Director of the Environmental & Energy Law Program, Environmental & Energy Law Program, Harvard Law School; Richard Lazarus, Charles Stebbins Fairchild Professor of Law at Harvard Law School; and Andy Mergen, Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School."
"Sessions:
9:00 AM ET: Forging a Climate Coalition for Ambitious Global Action
In the pursuit of more ambitious global climate action, this panel – organized by the Global Climate Policy Project – brings together leading experts to discuss the formation of an inclusive framework for climate and trade. The proposed framework would center on coordinated carbon pricing among a set of countries and the implementation of carbon border adjustments to drive down global emissions, enhance equity, and generate revenue for participating countries.
Featuring Ignacio García Bercero, Non-resident Fellow, Bruegel; Mari Pangestu, Presidential Special Envoy for International Trade and Multilateral Cooperation, Republic of Indonesia; Cristina Fróes de Borja Reis, Deputy Secretary for Sustainable Economic Development, Brazilian Ministry of Finance; Daouda Sembene, President & CEO, AfriCatalyst; and Catherine Wolfram, William Barton Rogers Professor in Energy, MIT Sloan School of Management.
9:45 AM ET Navigating Energy and Climate: A Conversation with Bob Dudley
Hear from Bob Dudley, Chair of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative and former CEO of BP, in a candid conversation on the evolving role of the energy sector in addressing climate change. Dudley will reflect on the challenges and opportunities of driving emissions reductions while meeting growing energy demand. Moderated by Meghan O’Sullivan of Harvard Kennedy School.
11:00 AM ET Rising Seas, Resilient Communities – Climate Adaptation Strategies in West Africa
A Harvard-based faculty climate research cluster has been examining the multidimensional impacts of sea-level rise, urban flooding, and coastal erosion in West Africa Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. These environmental threats intersect critically with socio-economic issues such as rapid urbanization, informal settlement growth, and the vulnerability of rain-fed agriculture—conditions that together create an urgent need for coordinated adaptation and resilience strategies. This panel will focus on solutions – developing actionable strategies, building transnational collaborations, and informing policy pathways that strengthen the resilience of coastal communities across West Africa.
Featuring Emmanuel Akyeampong, Ellen Gurney Professor of History and Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University; Nana Ama Klutse, Acting CEO, Ghana EPA; Georges Kouame Kouadio, Lecturer in Atmospheric Chemistry, École Normale Supérieure d’Abidjan, and Côte D’Ivoire Ministry of Environmental and Sustainable Development; and Tokunbo Wahab, Honourable Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, Nigeria.
11:45 AM ET : Design and Implementation of International Climate Policy
This session brings together distinguished leaders in global climate policy for a conversation on the design and implementation of international climate action. Panelists will explore both the challenges and opportunities for accelerating progress—within the formal structures of the UNFCCC as well as through complementary multilateral and bilateral efforts. With a focus on practical tools and political realities, this session invites candid exchange on how to move international climate policy from ambition to impact.
Featuring Joseph Aldy of Harvard Kennedy School; Adnan Amin, Chair-designate, World Energy Council; Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment, and Water; and Laurence Tubiana, President and CEO, European Climate Foundation.".
For more: https://salatainstitute.harvard.edu/hcaw/, last accessed on September 21, 2025.