ENV 979b () / 2025-2026

Climate Solutions Capstone: Sub-National Actors

Credits: 3 Spring 2026: Time and location TBA

Recent scientific reports from the IPCC and the US National Climate Assessment on the impacts of global warming provide a stark warning of the future our planet faces unless we make dramatic and meaningful greenhouse gas reductions by 2030—approximately 50 percent reductions below 2010 levels. The scale and scope of the challenge will require concerted effort from across all parts of civil society.  This client-based capstone course will explore how states, cities, companies, and/or institutions can meaningfully engage in decarbonization to address the climate crisis. Students will work in teams with clients from the government, private, non-profit, and academic sectors. Clients are updated every year, but recent representative clients have included the State of Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the City of Ithaca, the U.S. Climate Alliance, Sustainable CT, Yale University, a clean energy angel investor fund, and similar organizations. Students analyze, model, and/or implement decarbonization policies and programs in key sectors, including electricity, buildings, transportation, materials management, and/or carbon capture and sequestration. The course starts with introductory sessions on the climate crisis, as well as sessions on teamwork and consulting skills. Most classes are split between a seminar-style discussion led by one of our client/hosts on their innovative subnational decarbonization activities, and time for students to work on their projects, with opportunities for feedback and guidance from the instructor and each other. At the end of the term, the students present their findings and recommendations to their client/hosts and each other.  
Limited to 15