The third annual Harvard Climate Action Week, kicking off Monday September 15^th, will bring together leaders from academia, government, business, and the non-profit sector to discuss today’s most pressing and complex climate questions. Experts will explore strategies to strengthen climate resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and globally.  

Many Harvard Climate Action Week sessions will be available via webinar or livestream – explore virtual sessions below.  

Register here to receive links and calendar reminders! 

Monday, September 15^th 

The Road to Electrification: Challenges and Opportunities for the Domestic Auto Industry 

12:00 PM ET | Virtual via Zoom: register here 

The U.S. auto industry faces big roadblocks and opportunities: forecasting consumer demand, Chinese competition and subsidized oversupply, infrastructure hurdles, supply chain vulnerabilities, and a changing policy landscape.  

In this Energy Policy Seminar, Christopher Smith will explore the policy choices the United States can make to strengthen its domestic auto industry – as well as the policies that would hobble it. 

Organized by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Tuesday, September 16^th 

Development While Decarbonizing: India’s Path to Net Zero 

11:00 AM ET | Virtual via Zoom. No pre-registration required. Join here (Webinar ID: 948 1998 9807) 

Using India as a case study, Harvard Business School Professor Vikram Gandhi will analyze how growing developing economies are balancing their growth and decarbonization agenda. Featuring Parth Jindal, Managing Director, JSW Cements and JSW Paints; and Praveer Sinha, CEO & Managing Director, The Tata Power Company Limited. 

Organized by Harvard Business School. 

Rapid Fire: Climate Innovators Unleashed 

1:00 PM ET | Virtual via Zoom: Join here 

Join Harvard Innovation Labs for a fast-paced, high-energy showcase of the next wave of climate innovation. In this dynamic session, a curated lineup of cutting-edge climate tech startup founders will each take the stage for three minutes. Walk away with a pulse on the most exciting early-stage innovations shaping a more sustainable future. 

Organized by Harvard Innovation Labs. 

Biotechnology with Climate Applications at Harvard and Beyond (You Heard it from HACE!)  

2:00 PM ET | Virtual via Zoom: register here to receive link 

Join this interactive online dialogue about how biotechnologies might contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. We’ll be joined by several past and present Harvard affiliates to hear about these technologies direct from developers, as well as policy perspectives.  

Organized by Connecting Genetics to Climate in collaboration with Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment (HACE). 

Wednesday, September 17^th 

In the Heat of this Moment: The People’s Struggle for Climate Justice, Health, and Power at Home 

12:00 PM ET | Virtual via Zoom: register here 

Join Diana Hernández, a 2025-2026 Radcliffe-Salata Climate Justice Fellow, for a timely conversation at the intersection of climate change, energy justice, and public health. Drawing on insights from her new book Powerless: The People’s Struggle for Energy (Russell Sage, 2025), Hernández will reveal how everyday households —especially in low-income, historically marginalized communities — are navigating the compounding pressures of rising energy costs, inadequate housing, and extreme weather. 

Organized by Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. 

Smart Solutions, Hidden Costs: Weighing AI’s Climate and Health Impact 

2:00 PM ET | Virtual via Zoom: register here. 

The AI boom introduces new possibilities for identifying and implementing innovative climate solutions that can protect communities and improve health. At the same time, the water and energy resources — and resulting fossil fuel emissions — needed to cool and power AI’s data centers create new and growing threats to health. In this webinar, Harvard experts will address AI’s complex relationship with both climate and health outcomes, acknowledging both the transformative potential and the real costs involved. 

Organized by the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

Thursday, September 18^th 

Sun, Wind, Biomass: India’s Path to a Sustainable Future 

10:00 AM ET | Virtual via Zoom: register here 

Join Professor Michael B. McElroy and journalist Prem Shankar Jha as they discuss their new book, Sun, Wind, and Biomass: India’s Path to a Sustainable Future. The book examines the current state of the Indian economy, tracing its trajectory towards a fossil fuel-free energy future. It posits that harnessing sun, wind, and biomass can provide a sustainable economic alternative to polluting energy sources such as domestic coal and expensive oil and gas imports. 

Sponsored by the Harvard-China Project on Energy, Economy, and Environment, based at the Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University. 

Implementing the Green Swap for Development-Optimal Climate Finance 

1:30 PM ET | Virtual via Zoom: register here 

Many renewable energy projects are not viable in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) due to the high cost of capital and scarce development resources. As a result, EMDEs continue to invest in fossil energy projects, locking in carbon-intensive infrastructure and undermining global climate efforts. The Green Swap, a new financial instrument devised by a project team spanning Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and Center for International Development, could lower financing costs for renewable energy projects in EMDEs by disentangling the rewards and risks of climate and development finance. Join to learn more. 

Organized by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School. 

Innovating for Sustainability in the Sports Industry 

6:00 PM ET | Virtual via Zoom: register here 

Join this wide-ranging discussion of the different pillars of innovation for sustainability in the sports industry. Panelists will discuss examples to reduce emissions and waste associated with the infrastructure, transportation, and equipment in the industry, as well as the management and opportunity presented at events to educate about climate innovation.  The audience will also be able to learn about a unique and sustainable approach to the experience for both athletes and fans.   

Organized by Harvard Business School. 

Friday, September 19^th 

The Harvard Climate Symposium Day 1 

Harvard Climate Action Week culminates in the two-day Harvard Climate Symposium, “Pathways to Progress on Climate and Energy,” kicking off at 8:00 AM on Friday, September 19^th. Livestream plenary sessions throughout the day on the @HarvardSalata YouTube channel. 

Governor Maura Healey in conversation: Scaling Climate Opportunity – Workforce Innovation as a Tool for Climate and Economic Progress 

9:00 AM ET 

As climate challenges intensify, leadership requires not just setting ambitious goals but also building the workforce needed to achieve them. Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts and Tracy Palandjian of Social Finance will explore how workforce development is both a climate imperative but also a practical, cross-partisan strategy for economic growth, social mobility, and community resilience. 

Powering the Transition: A Conversation with Nat Keohane and Joe Dominguez on the Future of Carbon-Free Energy 

9:40 AM ET 

Nat Keohane, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) will talk with Joe Dominguez, CEO of Constellation, the nation’s largest supplier of carbon-free energy, about the role for the electric power sector in the clean energy transition; how we can meet growing demand for electricity while also meeting climate goals; the policies needed to scale up deployment of carbon-free energy, and prospects for federal legislation in the current political landscape; the future of nuclear energy; and more. 

Climate Investors: Headwinds and Tailwinds 

10:30 AM ET 

The global imperative to finance climate action—mitigating emissions, accelerating the energy transition, and strengthening resilience—has never been more urgent. Yet today’s financial landscape is defined by a mix of accelerating momentum and mounting complexity. Investment opportunities in clean technology, decarbonization, and adaptation are expanding, bolstered by technological advances and policy innovations. At the same time, the sector faces crosscurrents: geopolitical tensions, affordability challenges, AI-driven energy demand, and shifting signals from the U.S. political landscape. This panel will explore how financial institutions, asset managers, and policy leaders are navigating the evolving risks and rewards of climate finance. 

Featuring: Peter Tufano, Harvard Business School; Nili Gilbert, Carbon Direct; Carine Smith Ihenacho, Norges Bank Investment Management; and Chris Skidmore OBE, United Kingdom. 

Innovation for a Lower-Carbon Future: A Conversation with Vicki Hollub 

11:15 AM ET 

Vicki Hollub, President and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental, will engage in an in-depth conversation on the evolving role of the oil and gas sector in the transition to low-carbon energy.  Ms. Hollub will reflect on Occidental’s net-zero strategy and carbon management initiatives, including investment in carbon capture, utilization, and storage and direct air capture technologies, as well as explore more broadly the opportunities and challenges for industrial decarbonization. Moderated by George Serafeim of Harvard Business School.  

Leading the Future of Energy: Electrifying and Decarbonizing 

3:15 PM ET 

In this session, Scott Strazik, Chief Executive Officer of GE Vernova, will engage in a dialogue on the company’s evolving role in advancing electrification at scale while pursuing a lower-carbon future through technological innovation and infrastructure-scale impact. The conversation will explore how GE Vernova pursues the dual goals of electrification and decarbonization. Moderated by James Stock, Harvard Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability. 

Climate Law Under Siege (And The Path Forward) 

4:45 PM ET 

This panel will focus on the legal questions raised by the Trump administration’s attack on climate and clean energy policy. Are the president’s executive orders and other actions to cut funding and undermine science legal? How are their directives likely to fare in the courts, especially the Supreme Court? Will Congress push back? And what does this administration’s agenda mean for the future of climate progress? Featuring Jody Freeman, Carrie Jenks, Richard Lazarus, and Andy Mergen of Harvard Law School.  

Saturday, September 20^th 

The Harvard Climate Symposium Day 2 

Forging a Climate Coalition for Ambitious Global Action 

9:00 AM ET 

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. 

Navigating Energy and Climate: A Conversation with Bob Dudley 

9:45 AM ET  

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.  

Rising Seas, Resilient Communities – Climate Adaptation Strategies in West Africa 

11:00 AM ET 

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.  

Design and Implementation of International Climate Policy 

11:45 AM ET 

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. 

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Can’t wait for Harvard Climate Action Week to get started? Watch sessions from our 2024 week of action here.