Climate Change

Framing ethical perspectives

Climate change refers to human-induced global warming, mostly due to greenhouse gas emissions, and large-scale impacts on weather patterns. As floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events become more common and certain regions turn inhospitable to humans, society is changing as well. Carnegie Council’s events, experts, and Impact Initiatives, such as the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G) and the Model International Mobility Convention (MIMC), analyze these changes from a socio-political perspective and search for ethical solutions to, possibly, the most pressing challenges that humanity has ever faced.

Featured Climate Changes Resources

Climate governance, climate-altering technologies, and more

MAR 28, 2024 Video

Unlocking Cooperation: The Global South and Global North

In the inaugural panel of the "Unlocking Cooperation" series, Ramu Damodaran leads a discussion on forging a path forward for Global South/North collaboration.

JAN 8, 2024 Podcast

C2GTalk: Why does the world now need to consider solar radiation modification? with Kim Stanley Robinson

Many objections to solar radiation modification have been overtaken by events, says "The Ministry of the Future" author Kim Stanley Robinson in this "C2GTalk."

Explore Our Climate Change Resources

Detail from book cover

NOV 1, 2017 Podcast

Plutopia: Nuclear Families in Atomic Cities, with Kate Brown

Chernobyl is considered the greatest nuclear disaster of all time. But over decades America's Hanford plant and Russia's Mayak plant each issued almost four times ...

OCT 23, 2017 Podcast

Miranda Massie on the Impacts of Climate Change and New York's Climate Museum

Hurricane Sandy was the catalyst that impelled Miranda Massie to quit her job as a civil rights lawyer and found the Climate Museum. "I think ...

Bob Inglis. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni

OCT 5, 2017 Podcast

Free-Enterprise Solutions to Climate Change, with Bob Inglis

Republican politician Bob Inglis used to think that climate change was nonsense; but his son--and science--changed his mind. Today he advocates letting market forces do ...

SEP 14, 2017 Podcast

From the White House to the World: Food, Health, and Climate Change, with Chef Sam Kass

Entrepreneur Sam Kass talks about his experiences as chef and senior policy nutrition advisor in the White House, including titbits about the Obamas, initiatives to ...

Brazos Wind Farm near Fluvanna, Texas. CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GreenMountainWindFarm_Fluvanna_2004.jpg">Leaflet</a>

JUL 10, 2017 Podcast

The Earth Institute's Steven Cohen Offers Hope for a Sustainable Future

"I still believe that we're heading toward a renewable resource-based economy. I think that it's inevitable," declares Steven Cohen. How will we get there? A ...

The timeless image of 'Earthrise' seen from the moon by U.S. astronauts in the 1960s and '70s. But would potentially risky geoengineering be a step too far in humanity's technical and scientific progression? CREDIT: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1249.html">NASA</a>

JUN 28, 2017 Article

Humanitarians Hope for ‘Risk Management Framework’ on Geoengineering – a Carnegie Discussion

"The potential impacts of geoengineering remain so uncertain as to be quite unknown; what seems clear is that in a geoengineered future there would be ...

Admiral James Stavridis. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni

JUN 12, 2017 Podcast

Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World's Oceans

"Oceans dominate the world," says Admiral Stavridis. After all, 70 percent of the globe is covered by water. In this masterly overview of the seven seas, ...

MAY 24, 2017 Transcript

A Briefing and Discussion on Solar Geoengineering: Science, Ethics, and Governance

In response to stakeholder requests, the Forum on Climate Engineering Assessment (FCEA) and the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2) jointly convened this webinar ...

MAY 9, 2017 Podcast

#Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media

How is today's Internet driving political fragmentation, polarization, and even extremism—and what can be done about it? Legal scholar Cass Sunstein shares the results ...

Orville Schell. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni.

MAR 21, 2017 Podcast

Orville Schell on China's Role in the World

Orville Schell has been reporting on China since 1970. In this wide-ranging and insightful conversation he looks at China and the U.S. exit from TPP; ...