Urgent need for climate solutions spurs Penn State to launch Climate Consortium

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has established a consortium focused on meeting the mounting challenges related to climate change. The Climate Consortium is a collective of internal and external partners who are committed to identifying, creating and implementing research-based solutions to climate change. The consortium will also provide funding and engagement opportunities to Penn State faculty. 

"While confronting the unparalleled challenges posed by climate change, we must seek creative solutions rooted in science, connected with communities and shaped by collaborative, cross-disciplinary efforts,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Climate change is an urgent concern for Pennsylvania, our nation and our world, which is why Penn State is proud to serve as a trusted ally of industry and community partners who are committed to making an impact and finding solutions. The establishment of the Penn State Climate Consortium underscores our resolute dedication to addressing the imminent threats we face.” 

At Penn State's 2023 Climate Solutions Symposium, Bendapudi highlighted Penn State's commitment to climate solutions, emphasizing the active roles of faculty, staff and students. She commended the University's substantial investments in climate research, partnerships with industry and communities and the education of students who will lead society into a sustainable future. 

Erica Smithwick is a distinguished professor of geography and director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. She will be the inaugural director of the Climate Consortium. She said the vision is for Penn State to lead Pennsylvania, the nation and the world in interdisciplinary climate research and scalable solutions. 

"The Climate Consortium aims to catalyze discovery through collaborative efforts, fostering actionable solutions for a just and thriving planet,” Smithwick said. “The Climate Consortium is about fostering community and partnerships for urgent climate solutions. It's a call-to-action for academic leadership to drive research-driven change in the face of escalating global challenges, with a keen awareness of the disproportionate impact on communities of color, rural areas and those with limited resources." 

The Climate Consortium has five goals associated with its mission. They are to amplify climate change research activities; promote excellence in climate change research; empower solutions from local to global scales; lead in national and international climate-energy transitions and climate policy; and inspire creativity and collaboration that broadens engagement and impact. 

"Penn State’s global acclaim in climate science, facilitated through interdisciplinary research teams, equips the University to address the complex challenges of climate change,” said Andrew Read, interim senior vice president for research. “With a history of deploying evidence-based solutions worldwide, our commitment to Pennsylvania and our alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals position Penn State as a leader locally and a global catalyst for change." 

According to Smithwick, research from around the world continues to indicate that the window of opportunity to minimize damage from carbon emissions is closing.  

"To elevate Penn State's climate research to new heights, it's essential to coordinate, support, and showcase the efforts of our researchers," Smithwick said. "The Climate Consortium will serve as a catalyst for these essential functions, advancing our exceptional research in diverse fields, such as energy, computational and engineering sciences, Earth and environmental sciences, social sciences and health." 

One of the challenges in organizing a consortium on an enormous topic like climate change is providing a structure that all Penn State researchers can see themselves in.  

"Climate connects to everything," Smithwick noted. "In developing the inaugural themes for the consortium, our aim has been to be as inclusive and representative of all disciplines as possible, acknowledging that many solutions cut across these diverse topics."  

The 10 initial themes of the Penn State Climate Consortium are: 

• Built Environment and Transportation   
• Change and Risk  
• Energy Transition 
• Finance and Business Innovation   
• Health and Well-being   
• Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems  
• Justice and Ethics  
• Nature-based Strategies
• Policy and Governance 
• Public Engagement, Communication and Behavioral Change  

These overarching themes and the intersections between them represent promising pathways to create tangible solutions that improve the lives of individuals and communities. 

Funding Availability 

To catalyze interdisciplinary climate projects at the University, the Climate Consortium will announce funding for a Climate Solutions Accelerator, a new program designed to foster impactful research and bring effective climate solutions to communities in Pennsylvania and around the world. This competitive call for proposals will be released in two parts, a workshop call in December and a project proposal call in summer 2024. More information will be released on the Climate Solutions Accelerator in December 2023. 

Faculty Engagement 

Penn State’s climate science expertise is complemented by distinguished faculty in related disciplines such as energy, public health, social science, economics, communications, policy and law. This breadth of knowledge enables Penn State to identify and quantify challenges and develop sustainable applied solutions. 

The Climate Consortium will be guided by a Faculty Advisory Committee consisting of Penn State faculty representatives from across the University’s colleges and campuses. Its purpose is to provide advice and feedback on the direction of the consortium. Committee membership will rotate regularly, providing opportunities for a wide range of Penn State faculty to participate. 

The consortium is also leading an effort to bring new faculty members to Penn State. A cluster hire of up to seven new tenure-line faculty positions has been proposed. The search for two positions — one in climate science and one in risk and decision making — is underway in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Additionally, two non-tenure-line positions are being proposed. 

Climate Solutions Symposium 

Another tangible effort by the Climate Consortium is the 2024 Climate Solutions Symposium. With the theme of “New Partnerships for People and the Planet,” the symposium will bring together professionals from academia, industry and governance to learn about climate research at Penn State and provide opportunities to discuss promising solutions and implementation strategies. This year’s symposium will take place on May 14–15, 2024, at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Faculty are encouraged to submit session proposals for this year’s event by Jan. 15, 2024. A call for posters and lightning talks will be announced in the spring. 

History 

The Climate Consortium, though new, has been in development for years. The original proposal was crafted by Smithwick and Tom Richard, professor emeritus and former director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment. With the proposal development came multiple climate-related efforts at the University. In 2019, Penn State hosted the Research to Action Conference with Project Drawdown and joined the International Universities Climate Alliance. In 2020, Penn State endorsed a letter urging world leaders, specifically G20 leaders, to protect humankind from climate change. In 2021, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Task Force was launched, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2035. In 2022, researchers responded to the Climate RISE Seed Grants, aligning climate projects with big data.