Columbia University M.S. in Sustainability Management Program

At the beginning of 2027, Columbia’s M.S. in Sustainability Management program will take students inside the clean energy economy with a new field course in China. ✈️

In our new Sustainability Management field course, ""Green Industrial Policy in Zhejiang, China,"" students will explore the future of green industrial policy through a combination of on-campus learning and a nine-day field tour to government agencies and companies driving clean energy innovation. 🔋🇨🇳🔌

Learn more about the course here ➡️ https://sps.columbia.edu/news/new-sustainability-management-field-course-green-industrial-policy-zhejiang-china

Understanding trends in sustainability means understanding the politics shaping them. 💡👀

M.S. in Sustainability Management program director Steve Cohen was recently featured in a Los Angeles Times article: "Trump's 'weird war' on wind power will jeopardize our energy future and cost Americans billions." In this piece, Cohen dissects how the Trump administration’s seemingly baseless attack on wind power generation has affected the future of renewable energy in the United States. 💨💨💨

Read the full article here ➡️ https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-05-14/trumps-weird-war-on-wind-power-will-cost-americans-billions-of-dollars

What happens when a brand built on sustainable fashion is sold to a fast-fashion giant? 👗👔👠

In her recent Atlantic article, “Everlane, Shein, and the Limits of the Ethical Consumer,” M.S. in Sustainability Management faculty member Elizabeth Cline examines what the Everlane–Shein deal reveals about the future of ethical fashion, the pressures facing sustainability-minded brands, and how fast fashion continues to reshape consumer behavior.

Read the full article here ➡️ https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/05/everlane-shein-sale-sustainable-fashion/687218/

Judging by projections made earlier this decade, we should, in 2026, be well on our way to a massive scale-up in corporate fleet electrification. In 2020, McKinsey projected 8 million fleet EVs in the US by 2030. But the reality on the ground looks very different.

So, what happened? ⁉️

In a recent article for Sustainability Decoded, Sustainability Management faculty member Scott Fisher examines the evolving road to fleet decarbonization, exploring the role of pricing, charging infrastructure, market dynamics, and global trends in shaping corporate electrification progress. 🛣️⚡🚗

Check it out ➡️ https://sustainabilitydecoded.beehiiv.com/p/corporate-sustainability-and-fleet-electrification

New York is moving ahead in clean energy, and Columbia’s Sustainability Management faculty are leading the charge.

Three of our faulty members have been listed in City & State NY’s “Who’s Who in Energy” — a list of key stakeholders who are building New York’s Energy Future.

🏗️ Susanne DesRoches, Senior Vice President, Clean and Resilient Buildings at New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is translating climate policy into real infrastructure and building upgrades.

🔌 Rory Christian, Chair and CEO, State Public Service Commission, regulates New York’s electric, gas, water and telecommunications, and challenges industry leaders to rethink what’s possible.

🏙️ Laura Popa, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Sustainability at the New York City Department of Buildings, is turning policy into advancements inside the mechanical rooms and boiler rooms across New York and drove the implementation of the landmark Local Law 97.

Congratulations to our faculty! You can read more here: https://www.cityandstateny.com/power-lists/2026/04/2026-whos-who-energy/412857/

Photos from the Spring 2026 Capstone Final Briefings are now LIVE! Check out these fantastic photos showcasing the work of our students tackling real sustainability challenges: 203846530@N03/albums/72177720333652328/" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://www.flickr.com/photos/203846530@N03/albums/72177720333652328/

📸: David Dini

Scoring for sustainability! ⚽️🏈🏀⚾️

Congratulations to M.S. in Sustainability Management faculty member and our Director of External Affairs, Chandler Precht ('22SPS, Sustainability Science), for being a finalist for the 2026 Green Sports Alliance Next Generation Leader Award! This award recognizes young leaders who are driving meaningful change within their sport and sustainability communities. 🏟️🌱

Precht also spoke at the GSA Summit in Cleveland alongside Sustainability Management students to highlight the Capstone work conducted in partnership with Football for Future this semester.

For more information about Precht and the award, head to these links: https://sps.columbia.edu/person/chandler-precht & https://www.greensportsalliance.org/press/green-sports-alliance-announces-2026-winners-of-play-to-zero-awards-and-finalists-for-community-impact-and-innovation-awards

Congrats, Chandler!🏅

From New York to South Africa, our graduates and faculty are advancing sustainability in communities around the world. 🗽➡️🐘

Wendy Hapgood ('17SPS, Sustainability Management), lecturer in our M.S. in Sustainability Management program, is the COO and Co-Founder of Wild Tomorrow, a conservation nonprofit building the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve, a wildlife corridor on South Africa's Elephant Coast designed to connect two major protected areas, creating more than 880,000 acres of connected space for wildlife. She splits her time between New York and Zoom calls with rangers on the ground in South Africa — leveraging New York connections to make conservation happen thousands of miles away.

Read more about Wendy’s impressive journey and work: https://sps.columbia.edu/news/connecting-habitats-new-york-south-africa

📸: Shannon Wild & John Steward

🎓 Mark your calendars! On May 20, NYC's own iconic Empire State Building will glow Columbia Blue to celebrate our graduates. 💙🦁

This year, the Empire State Building invites all Columbia students and families to enjoy the 86th-floor observation deck for all of graduation week (May 14 - May 24) at 15% off!

Learn more: https://news.columbia.edu/news/when-and-where-capture-empire-state-building-glowing-blue-columbia-grads-2026

Congratulations to our Spring 2026 graduates! We are so proud of you 🦁🎉🧑‍🎓 Thank you for being a part of our Sustainability Management community.