Events
Upcoming
Past
You can find links to recordings of many of these past talks and panels.
Press Conference: Net Zero Tracker – 2023 Global Stocktake report launch
Zoom
May 29-31, 202
Mark your diaries! The 3rd #NetZeroStocktake2023 launches this Monday 12th June @ 9.30am CEST, from the #BonnClimateConference.
Our third annual Stocktake this year shows how the #UN #HLEG guidelines on credible #netzero commitments that were announced at #COP27 have landed across ALL global entities. We show if the fossil fuel sector’s climate targets reflect the #fossilfuel phase-out plans that the scientific and policy consensus demands.
Plus, we provide a window on the increasing convergence across voluntary net zero standards, guidelines and accountability frameworks – which provide the crucial guidance and good practice for policymakers to put net zero on the road to regulation.
All are welcome to the press conference 09:30am CEST on Monday, plus the report, graphics and press release will be available at www.zerotracker.net from first thing Monday morning.
Details
June 12, 2023
9:30AM CEST
UNFCCC Climate Conference in Bonn, Germany
UNFCCC webcast recording: https://uncch.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=a1652fca-6bd1-4a47-9322-b01f013737df
The Economist Sustainability Week: Harnessing data and technology to optimize ESG reporting
Zoom
May 29-31, 2023
DDL Director Dr. Angel Hsu will be joining the Economist’s 3rd annual Sustainability Week US.
Economist Impact’s 3rd annual Sustainability Week US is an event that makes a difference through its focus on immediate action by governments and organizations, with the goal to help create a better, much more sustainable, adaptable and resilient world tomorrow.
Sustainability Week US brings together the public and private sectors in a hybrid format and showcases the most practical initiatives to turn sustainable plans into actions. It analyses the success of not only best practices but also investigates the answers to difficult questions, such as making sustainability a priority across the whole organization and its supply chain.
Dr. Hsu will discuss the Net Zero Tracker, a collaboration between four organizations incluidng DDL. The aim of the Net Zero Tracker is to collect data on who has pledged net-zero targets and factors that indicate the integrity of those targets to separate quality pledges from greenwashing
Details
May 30, 2023
2:40-3:10 PM ET
Zoom
Duke Masters in Interdisciplinary Data Science Commencement Ceremony
Durham, NC
May 14, 2023
DDL Director Angel Hsu spoke at the graduation celebration for Duke’s 2023 graduates in the Masters in Interdisciplinary Data Science Program.
Details
May 14th
Duke University
Durham, NC
DDL Open House
Chapel Hill, NC
April 28, 2023
DDL is hosting an open house to celebrate moving into our new office space on Franklin St.
Local climate researchers, professors, and community members are welcome to join to check out our new space, enjoy some refreshments, and chat about our data-driven climate policy research!
We hope to see you there!
Details
April 28th
4:00 – 6:00 PM ET
134 E. Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC
Monthly Seminar Series: How Social Media Influences National Park Vistitaion with Casey Wichman
Chapel Hill, NC
April 28, 2023
Casey Wichman, PhD will join DDL to present his research on the relationship between social media and national park visits.
Dr. Wichman is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
National park visitation increased dramatically throughout the 2010s, providing much needed revenue for the National Park Service (NPS) and exposing new people to the outdoors, potentially leading to an increased ethic of environmental preservation. At the same time, increases in visitation generate externalities by straining park resources, contributing to environmental degradation, and overcrowding.
In his research, Wichman estimates the relationship between visitation at NPS sites and social media exposure, measured from a novel dataset based on parks’ Twitter and Instagram accounts as well as user-generated content. Parks with the largest social media exposure see visitation increase by 11-28% relative to parks in the lower half of this distribution, which see no change in visitation. These increases in visitation translate to an additional $658–$942million in revenue from entrance fees for parks with greater media exposure.
Details
10:30 AM
Wilson Hall, Room 107
110 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC
World Economic Forum: Global Future Council on the Future of Clean Air
Dubai
April 24-26, 2023
DDL Director Dr. Angel Hsu will join the Global Future Council meeting on the Future of Clean Air, hosted by the World Economic Forum.
The World Economic Forum Global Future Council meetings bring together experts from business, government, and research to discuss challenges and solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.
Details
April 24th – 26th
Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Events Centre
Dubai, UAE
More information about the Global Future Council on the Future of Clean Air is available here.
University of Virginia: William and Carol Stevenson Conference
Charlottesville, VA
April 21, 2023
DDL Director Dr. Angel Hsu will join Panel 3 on Climate, tech infrastructure, and political influence. As the race to net zero intensifies, there are opportunities for both U.S.-China collaboration and U.S.-China competition. This panel will focus on the impact that new climate technologies will have on this relationship and other global political systems.
Angel will be joined by Joanna Lewis, Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor of Energy and Environment and Director of the Science, Technology and International Affairs Program in the School of Foreign Service at George Washington University, and Scott Moore, Director of China Programs and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania. The panel will be moderated by Michael Lenox, Taylor Murphy Professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Details
9 AM – 12:30 PM ET
April 21, 2023
The Miller Center, 2201 Old Ivy Rd
Charlottesville, VA
Virtual Option Available
More information about the conference is available here.
Smart Cities World: Climate Action Summit
Virtual
April 18-20, 2023
DDL Director Dr. Angel Hsu will join a panel with the central question, “what commitments and assistance are cities looking for from central government?” for Smart Cities World’s Climate Action Summit.
During this panel, city representatives and NGOs combine to discuss the existing financial and political support available to cities as they combat climate change and establish a wishlist of what is still needed from central governments to better join up climate action.
Other panelists include:
Aissata Camara: Deputy Commissioner for Policy & Strategic Initiatives / Chief of Staff, New York City
James Nowlan: Executive Director, Environment and Energy Division, City of Toronto
Christina Connelly: COO, City of New Bedford
Details
April 18th – 20th
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Virtual
More information about the Smart Cities World Climate Action Summit is available here.
COP27 Diplomacy Week Panel
UNC Chapel Hill
April 18, 2023
DDL Student Research Assistant Christian Chung will join as a guest on a panel on Environmental Diplomacy: Student Experiences from COP27. The panel will feature four Tar Heels who participated in the COP27 in November 2022.
Felix Dodds, adjunct professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, will moderate the panel. Lunch will be served!
This panel is part of Carolina Diplomacy Week, an annual week of events hosted by the Diplomacy Initiative of the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs (OVPGA).
Details
12:30 PM
UNC Chapel Hill
FedEx Global Education Center Room 4003, zoom option available
Sustainable Carolina Research Symposium
UNC Chapel Hill
April 17, 2023
DDL Director Dr. Angel Hsu will present a 10-minute presentation on DDL’s work at Sustainable Carolina’s Earth Week Research Symposium.
Sustainable Carolina plans to bring together researchers in various fields, including STEM, law, policy, business, and more to draw connections between research done at UNC and the university’s sustainability.
Details
April 17, 2023
2 – 4 PM ET
Wilson Library
More information about Sustainable Carolina is available here.
A recording of the event is available here.
UNC Geography Colloquium Spring 2023
UNC Chapel Hill
April 14, 2023
DDL Director Dr. Angel Hsu will join as a guest speaker at UNC Geography’s Spring 2023 Colloquium on April 14th. The topic of her presentation is “Cities on the Climate Frontlines: Evaluating Urban Climate Change and Policy Responses.”
Details
3:30-5:00 ET
220 Carolina Hall
UNC Chapel Hill
More information available here.
Wake Forest University: Catalyzing Virtuous Cycles of Climate Action
Wake Forest University
April 13, 2023
DDL Director Angel Hsu will be speaking at Wake Forest University, where she earned her Bachelors degrees, on “Catalyzing virtuous climate action: an empiricial model of polycentric governance.”
Details
4:30- 6 PM ET
ZSR Auditorium
More information available here.
UNC Science Expo
UNC Chapel Hill
April 1, 2023
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, in partnership with the students and faculty at UNC, celebrate science with our community.
This annual celebration of science features more than 100 hands-on activities and science demonstrations led by STEM students, researchers, and practitioners from UNC-Chapel Hill. The UNC Science Expo is your chance to get up close and personal with cutting edge science hands-on activities, demonstrations, games, and performances.
The UNC Science Expo is a signature event of the North Carolina Science Festival.
Details
11 AM – 4 PM ET
Morehead Planetarium
More information available here.
Duke-UNC China Leadership Summit
Durham and Chapel Hill, NC
March 24-26, 2023
In recent years, the trend of deglobalization has built up barriers between countries and among people. We witness a withdrawal from global interdependence in different ways: regional wars, border conflicts, increased tariffs, export restrictions, capital controls, anti-immigration, cultural protectionism, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic has only further exacerbated the trend of deglobalization. China and the U.S., two mutually globalizing influences, are shifting their strategies in this new world. Their interaction will not only influence the life of Chinese and American people but also the trajectory of international politics. In a less flat world, we look into the future with the hope of predicting crises, mitigating uncertainties, and redefining existing commonalities.
How do we define U.S.-China relations for the next decade? Will the two countries strengthen their economic interdependence? Will China reopen its borders? And what impacts will it bring to the world? How can a systematic study of history contribute to our predictions of future trends? How are individuals and the civil society shaping the U.S.-China relations? Dr. Angel Hsu will join as a guest speaker to explore these questions at the summit: Unwrapping Uncertainties: U.S.-China Relations in A Less Flat World.
Details
March 24-26, 2023
Durham and Chapel Hill, NC
Location varies by day.
Learn more here.
Brown China Summit
Brown University
March 19, 2023
DDL Director Angel Hsu joined Brown’s 2023 China Summit for a panel discussion on “Accelerating the Adoption of Renewable Energy, Globally and in China: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Brown brings leaders and scholars across different fields to engage in open discourse on International Politics, Finance, Sustainability, and other issues between the US and China, at their annual China Summit.
This summit creates constructive dialogues that engages and challenges young scholars at Brown and beyond.
Details
10:15 – 11:30 EST
Zoom
More information available here.
Urban Model Making: Knowledge, Technology and Society
Yale NUS, Singapore
March 2-3, 2023
DDL Director Angel Hsu will join as a guest speaker for Urban Model Making: Knowledge, Technology and Society, a workshop organized by the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS).
Dr. Hsu will give a presentation on “Modeling Inequalities in Urban Environmental Challenges” on the “Urban Models as Large-Scale Socio-Technical Systems” panel.
The objectives of this workshop are to:
1. understand and reflect on the practices of building scientific models of the built environment that manage, plan for
and simulate the future of cities in Asia;
2. compare different uses of models of environments (e.g. buildings, urban space, climate, economy, health) across
different Asian cites and inter–Asia;
3. understand the positionalities of multiple stakeholders in Singapore across academia, government agencies, and
industries;
4. begin to develop an Asian and global network of urban modelling scholars.
Details
10:30 AM SGT
AS8 Level 4, Seminar Room 04–04
More information available here.
Climate Cafe with Terrascope: Angel Hsu, self-proclaimed data geek influencing global climate policy
Singapore
March 2, 2023
DDL Director Angel Hsu will join Terrascope for a talk about how she uses data to influence global climate policy.
Terrascope is an enterprise grade, end to end, smart carbon measurement and management SaaS platform. By combining data science, machine learning and sustainability expertise, Terrascope provides the data, analytics and digital tools to help large companies to decarbonise their business operations and supply chains.
Details
4:30 – 5:30 PM
Terrascope office, Afro Asia (Level 8), 63 Robinson Road, Singapore
Understanding China’s Role in Climate Change – and Climate Solutions
Zoom
February 24, 2023
The 2nd annual Scholar of Global Distinction student and educator program will explore how the world’s most populous country, the People’s Republic of China, approaches questions of climate change. The program will feature UNC Professor Angel Hsu as the keynote speaker. Professor Hsu leads an interdisciplinary research group that innovates and applies quantitative approaches to pressing environmental issues. Scholar of Global Distinction students will have an opportunity to earn 4 hours towards the 8-hour international activity requirement of the Scholar of Global Distinction program. The program is open to Scholar of Global Distinction students and educators.
Details
Zoom
11:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
Webinar is free, but registration is required.
Learn more and register here.
Seminar with Paul O'Keefe: Why Telling Students to Follow Their Passion is Bad Advice
UNC Chapel Hill
February 21, 2023
Paul A. O’Keefe is a social psychologist, Associate Professor at Yale-NUS College, Associate Professor at the NUS Business School (by courtesy), and Director of the Mindsets & Motivation Lab. He studies motivation and goal pursuit, focusing on the roles of implicit self-theories (mindsets), interest, and passion.
Students are often told to find their passion, as though passions and interests are pre-formed and must simply be discovered. This idea, however, has hidden repercussions. The current research examined implicit theories of interest—the idea that personal interests are inherent and relatively fixed (a fixed theory of interest) or developed (a growth theory of interest). In laboratory studies, a growth (vs. fixed) theory led those with strong interests in one area to express greater interest in a new or different area, and to maintain a new-found interest when pursuing it became difficult. Similarly, a 1-year randomized controlled field experiment showed that incoming liberal arts undergraduates who learned about a growth theory (vs. control) developed more interest in their two mandatory math/science courses—areas outside of their pre-existing interests—which predicted a higher final grade in both courses. This openness and pursuit of new interests suggests that a growth theory might predispose people to see connections among disciplines and engage in more creative and innovative problem solving. Indeed, additional lab experiments showed that a growth (vs. fixed) theory leads to a stronger tendency to effectively integrate the arts and sciences. Taken together, as compared to a growth theory, a fixed theory tends to diminish the development and diversity of one’s interests, learning in new or different domains, and the ability to innovate. As the world continues to globalize, we will need creative, interdisciplinary approaches to solve new and old problems. Cultivating a growth theory of interest among students might spark that process, setting them on a trajectory for careers that will have a positive impact on the world.
Details
UNC Chapel Hill
Phillips Hall, Room 328 on East Cameron Ave.
12:30 PM ET
Monthly Seminar Series: The Local Impacts of Nigeria's 2012 Flood with Mook Bangalore
UNC Chapel Hill
February 16, 2023
Mook Bangalore, a friend of DDL and PhD Candidate in Environment and Development at the Grantham Research Institute at London School of Economics, will be discussing his research on the local impacts of Nigeria’s 2012 flood.
Details
12:30 PM ET
Toy Lounge, Dey Hall
200 South Rd., Chapel Hill, NC
Recording available here.
Monthly Seminar Series: Using Data to Understand Urban Heat Disparities
UNC Chapel Hil
February 3, 2023
DDL Director Angel Hsu, Post-doctoral Research Associate Kaihui Song, and Research Scientist Zhi Yi Yeo will present on understanding urban heat disparities through data for our January seminar series.
Details
1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
UNC Chapel Hill
Toy Lounge, Dey Hall
200 South Rd., Chapel Hill, NC
Panel Presentation for the Penn Project on the Future of US-China Relations
Philadelphia, PA
January 26, 2023
DDL Director Angel Hsu will join for a public panel discussion hosted by the Penn Project on the Future of US-China Relations.
The U.S.-China relationship is multifaceted, singularly important, and recently troubled. The Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations brings together leading scholars specializing in key areas to examine and make recommendations for U.S. policy toward China in key areas, including national security, economic competitiveness, technology, climate, education, and human rights. In the wake of the meeting between Biden and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali and on the eve of Secretary of State Blinken’s visit to China, this panel will feature several participants in the Project to discuss the current state of U.S.-China relations and possible paths for U.S. policy.
This public session is held in conjunction with the plenary meeting of the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations, which is organized by Penn’s Center for the Study of Contemporary China and supported by Penn’s China Research and Engagement Fund and the Henry Luce Foundation.
Panelists:
Gerard DiPippo (Center for Strategic and International Studies)
Sophie Richardson (Human Rights Watch)
Angel Hsu (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Joel Wuthnow (National Defense University)
Moderator:
Susan Thornton (Paul Tsai China Center, Yale Law School)
Details
12:45 – 2:00 PM ET
World Forum, Perry World House, 3803 Locust Walk
Informal lunch provided
London School of Economics and Political Science Lecture: Polycentric Governance & Catalyzing Climate Action
Zoom
January 19, 2023
DDL Director Angel Hsu will discuss “Catalyzing virtuous cycles of climate action: An empirical model of polycentric governance” at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Nations and international governing bodies are traditionally viewed as the primary actors working to mitigate global climate change. Yet subnational jurisdictions, such as states and cities, and non-state entities, such as businesses and civic organizations, have become increasingly important actors in efforts to reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions and stem climate impacts. As the new paradigm and the Paris Agreement’s new “pledge, review and ratchet” system takes shape, scholars debate whether and how non-state and subnational policies and initiatives catalyze additional climate action. Many subnational efforts exceed their national regulatory counterparts, suggesting that non-state actors are able to adopt better targets than national governments. Evaluating non-state actors’ contributions to global climate mitigation and mapping this polycentric mode of governance requires an empirical foundation. In this presentation, I will discuss research efforts to quantify and assess non-state actor contributions to global climate mitigation and implications for the Paris Agreement’s polycentric governance.
Details
2:00 – 3:30 PM GMT
Zoom
Click here to learn more.
COP27 Debrief: Conversations with Students
UNC Chapel Hill
January 11, 2023
Last year, DDL Director Angel Hsu selected 14 of 45 student applicants to join her at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, where they got to experience firsthand climate-related presentations, negotiations, and policymaking decisions.
Join us for a conversation with the students about their experiences and key takeaways from the conference.
Details
4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Zoom or Student Union Room 2518B
209 South Rd
Recording will be available shortly.
AGU 2022: Using Machine Learning to Predict Urban Climate Mitigation Performance
Chicago, IL
December 14, 2022
Research/Data Scientist Xuewei Wang will be present a paper entitled “Using Machine Learning to Predict Urban Climate Mitigation Performance,” co-authored with Director Angel Hsu, as part of the Global Environmental Change Session at the AGU Fall Meeting.
AGU Fall Meeting is the most influential event in the world dedicated to the advancement of Earth and space sciences. Every year, AGU Fall Meeting unites the Earth and space science community to share findings, connect like-minded scientists from around the world, and advance our profession and shared passion for the impact of science.
Details
December 14, 2022
4:45 – 6:15 CT
In-person, McCormick Place, S502ab
Learn more here: AGU Fall Meeting
DDL’s abstract: Using Machine Learning to Predict Urban Climate Mitigation Performance
2022 Forum on Carbon Neutrality & Sustainable Development
Zoom
November 28 – December 7-8, 2022
DDL Director Angel Hsu spoke about subnational climate action in China on the Urban panel of a virtual conference hosted by the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Program on Chinese Cities at the Center for Urban and Regional studies at UNC.
The forum consists of an opening ceremony and three parallel forums, with the themes of “Carbon Neutrality and Energy Transition”, “Carbon Neutrality and the Green Economy,” and “Carbon Neutrality and Urban Development” respectively, bringing together scholars from China and the U.S. to deliver academic report and discuss relevant topics.
Details
December 7-8
Zoom
Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium Annual Conference
College Park, MD
November 28 – December 2, 2022
DDL Post-doctoral Research Associate Kaihui Song and Director Angel Hsu present two papers at the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium (IAMC) annual meeting. See the preliminary agenda.
Kaihui will present a paper along with UNC Prof. Noah Kittner, “Projecting Future Disparities in Heat Stress in the Continental US,” which utilizes climate change scenario models, an output of integrated assessment models used in the IPCC, to project future disparities in heat stress and energy burden. The paper also includes Prof. Wei Peng, Penn State, Angel Hsu (UNC), and Yu Ying (UNC).
Angel will present a paper, “Quantifying Non-state and Subnational Climate Mitigation Contributions with IAMs,” which discusses how integrated assessment models can incorporate insights from business and local government actors. The paper includes Mark Roelfsema (Utrecht University) and Takeshi Kuramochi (NewClimate Institute) as co-authors.
Details
8:00 AM November 28 – 5:00 PM December 2, CET
College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, College Park, MD
Check the IAMC website for information on how to register.
COP27: Climate action by businesses, cities, and cooperative initiatives: faster, and stronger towards more ambitious NDCs
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
November 17, 2022
Research/Data Scientist Zhi Yi Yeo will be speaking on “Climate action by businesses, cities, and cooperative initiatives: faster, and stronger towards more ambitious NDCs” at a side event at COP 27 on November 17.
Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, a myriad of actors incl. businesses, cities, and cooperative initiatives have committed to a low-carbon and resilient future, promising to narrow emissions and financing gaps; to accelerate implementation; and to spur ambition. This event takes stock of efforts by businesses, cities, and international cooperative initiatives and discusses new reports, progress and impacts, and opportunities to enhance NDCs and accelerate action across all sectors.
Other speakers include from NewClimate Institute, Radboud University, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), and PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency,
Details
5:30 – 6:30 PM EET
Virtual – Zoom / EU Pavillion in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
Watch the recording here.
COP27: Balancing net zero integrity & momentum
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
November 12, 2022
The Net Zero Tracker will host an event taking stock of Non-State Actor net zero commitments (from business & investors to cities), with remarks by Jessica Omukuti & Dr Arunabha Ghosh of the High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Net Zero Commitments of Non-State Entities, plus Daniel Barlow, lead of the new ISO net zero guidelines.
Speakers:
Jessica Omukuti, Oxford Net Zero.
Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)
Daniel Barlow, Head of Our 2050 World, The British Standards Institution (BSI)
Dr. Thomas Hale, Prof., the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Dr. Angel Hsu, Prof. and founder, Data Driven Envirolab, UCL
Richard Black, The Energy & Climate Change Intelligence Unit (ECIU)
Details
4:45 – 6:15 EET
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Memphis (300)
Watch the recording here.
COP27: Opportunity Scope 3 – how to exchange emissions data across value chains and why
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
November 10, 2022
DDL Director Angel Hsu will speak on the importance of tracking scope 3 emissions at a panel hosted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Clear, comprehensive, reliable and comparable sustainability information is increasingly seen as one of the foundational building blocks for companies to be able to take targeted action to tackle their climate impacts. You cannot manage, what you cannot measure and track.
In this session members of the Partnership for Carbon Transparency – an initiative led by WBCSD and supported by the We Mean Business Coalition which brings together different stakeholders working on this challenge to jointly put in place the methodological and technological infrastructure necessary for emissions data exchange – will share the progress made in enabling companies to truly understand their supply chain emissions.
Panellists will discuss the prerequisites for transparency, with a particular focus on technological interoperability, and will share details of a recently completed data exchange pilot. They will also discuss the further steps needed to ensure confidentiality and integrity of data, explore the opportunities transparency presents for organizations of all sizes and demonstrate the vital role of collaboration across systems and initiatives in this space.
If you are doubtful that the Scope 3 challenge can be resolved, this is the session for you!
Details
10:30 EET
We Mean Business Pavillion
COP27: Global Stocktake Datathon Winners Highlight
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
November 10, 2022
DDL will be hosting an event at COP 27 on November 10 for World Science Day where winners of the GST Datathon will present their research and findings.
The Datathon is facilitates the understanding of data related to the technical dialogue of GST1 and could contribute to the assessment of collective progress. The datathon includes the preparation of prompts and datasets based on the different themes of GST1. The analytical work enables a visualization potential opportunities and identifies creative ways for overcoming challenges.
Two projects – one that created a database of climate action and a second that measured ocean protection – were recently crowned winners of the first Global Stocktake Climate Datathon.
Details
5:00 PM EET
COP27: Launch of the OpenClimate Network
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
November 10, 2022
DDL Director Angel Hsu will speak at Open Earth Foundation’s launch of the OpenClimate Network – an open-sourced nested accounting platform that is designed to digitally enable the independent global stocktake.
This presentation will discuss how the OpenClimate Network is being built with open source digital technology to support nested climate accounting and integrate into key digital platforms such as the UGIH or the British Columbia government. To incorporate Non-State actor efforts under the Global Stocktake (GST), the OpenEarth Foundation and the Data Driven EnviroLab, through the Climate Action Data 2.0 community, have launched a Digitally-Enabled Independent Global Stocktake (DIGS).
To verify the nested emissions and mitigation outcomes of corporations or projects in a trusted manner, an open digital infrastructure must connect the key actors with verifier/auditors and the subnational government. In partnership with the British Columbia government, OpenEarth will showcase how Decentralized Identifiers and Verifiable Credentials play a role in the Energy & Mines Digital Trust, verified by the Open Climate Network and incorporated into jurisdictional registries. This same digital architecture and logic is being leveraged for the design and build of the UGIH Virtual Hub.
The goal of this session is to introduce new digital practices in climate accounting and digital MRV to incorporate actions of non-state actors (eg. corporations and cities) into the Paris Agreement efforts.
Speakers:
- Martin E. Wainstein & Louisa Durkin, OpenEarth Foundation
- Nathan Aman-Blake & Nancy Norris, British Columbia Government
- Vincent Caldeira, OS-Climate
- Angel Hsu, DataDriven Lab, University of North Carolina
- Catherine Atkin, Stanford University (moderator)
Details
11:00 AM EET
Blue Zone, COP27 – UN Global Innovation Pavillion – Zone C
Watch the recording here.
COP27 - Global Stocktake Poster Session
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
November 9, 2022
DDL will attend an informal poster session where participants can learn more about actors and research involved in the Global Stocktake.
During the session, ask questions about their research methods, results, and applications of their findings.
Details
2:00 – 4:00 PM EET
Plenary 2 – Ramses
Rethinking Cities in the Face of Extreme Heat
Zoom
October 26, 2022
Protecting people from extreme heat in cities will be one of the central challenges of climate adaptation in the 21st century. At the same time, many cities have pledged to reduce their carbon footprints — even as the need for air conditioning expands — in an attempt to hit net zero by 2050.
How can cities balance the need to cool off with the urgent imperative to reduce carbon emissions? Join Annual Reviews, Knowable Magazine and Future Tense for a conversation about how we can make cities cooler — and save lives — without further heating the planet.
Attendees will learn:
- What causes the urban heat island effect and why it disproportionately affects people living in poverty, the elderly and minority groups.
- How green infrastructure can help to lower urban temperatures and protect biodiversity.
- Why transparent, accurate data are crucial to reducing cities’ carbon emissions and reducing health impacts from heat waves.
Speakers:
Angel Hsu, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at UNC Chapel Hill
Katie Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona
Moderated by Henry Grabar, Correspondent at Slate Magazine
Details
9:00 am PST / 12:00 pm EST
Zoom
Click here to view a recording of the event.
Click here to read a Q & A with Dr. Hsu about what cities can do to survive extreme heat.
Carolina Data Science Now
Zoom
October 27, 2022
Carolina Data Science Now is hosting their semi-monthly October seminar on Zoom at 12 PM on October 27th.
DDL Director Angel Hsu, along with Greg Characklis and Brian Blanton, will be presenting at the October edition of Carolina Data Science Now to discuss their work at the intersection of data analytics and the environment.
Details
12:00 pm EST
Zoom
Check Carolina Data Science Now for information on how to register and more upcoming events.
IMSI Detection and Attribution of Global Climate Change
Chicago, IL
October 17-26, 2022
DDL Director Angel Hsu will speak on “Detecting and attributing climate policy performance of subnational and non-state actors” from 11:00 – 11:45 AM CDT on Friday, October 21st at the IMSI Detection and Attribution of Global Climate Change event.
This event is part of IMSI’s long program on “Confronting Global Climate Change”. This program aims to foster new multidisciplinary collaborations and integrate young scientists and researchers into industry, private sector, and academic research through these workshops and embedded research projects with affiliated universities, national laboratories, and private industry.
Detection and attribution of climate change refers to the procedures used in assessing whether or not climate is changing, and if so, how to pinpoint the causes of any identified changes. Quantification of the uncertainty in attribution statements is of critical importance. Detection and attribution methods inform mankind’s current influence on climate and increase confidence in projections of future climate change, and related studies aid climate policy decisions and suggest techniques for adaptation and/or remediation where needed.
This summit is intended as a research workshop on current issues related to climate change detection and attribution, including changes in extreme events and the attribution of individual storms and other weather events and their impacts.
Details
11:00 – 11:45 AM CDT
Chicago, IL
Learn more and register here: IMSI Detection and Attribution of Climate Change
The "E" in ESG: UC Davis Law Symposium
Zoom
October 22, 2022
The “E” in ESG refers to the application of environmental criteria to corporate behavior by investors and corporate managers. These environmental criteria may encompass not only greenhouse gas emissions and climate change impacts but also pollution mitigation, waste management, water usage, and other environmental concerns. This symposium explores this hot topic with provocative panels on “ESG and the SEC: GHG Disclosures,” “Corporate Net Zero Pledges,” and “Potential Legal Barriers to ESG Action.” Top industry professionals and academics will lead these important discussions.
ESG matters not only to investors, but also to corporate managers, employees, customers, and other stakeholders. ESG increasingly informs corporate decisions, is a critical tool for achieving environmental sustainability, and is essential for lawyers to consider in advising corporate clients.
Details
11:10 am – 12:35 pm PT
UC Davis King Hall Room 1001
Livestream over Zoom
Sign up here: UC Davis Law Symposium Registration
Learn more here: UC Davis Law Symposium Information
Global Symposium
Toronto, Canada
October 22-25, 2022
DDL will be presenting at the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness 2022 Global Symposium.
In the past, the Samuel Centre’s gatherings have featured uniquely intersectional conversations and a keen focus on practical solutions, as well as a spirit of warmth, laughter, and rich connection. This year—as they imagine and chart new paths forward in the face of the ongoing pandemic and climate change— they will create the same camaraderie and ethos.
At the Global Symposium, DDL Director Angel Hsu and Research Scientist Xuewei Wang will present on the lab’s Urban Environment and Social Inclusion (UESI) Index and host a breakout session.
Details
Toronto, Canada
Learn more here: Global Symposium Information
Climate Data Extraction Workshop
Location TBD
October 16, 2022
DDL is hosting a climate mitigation data extraction workshop where students can contribute to emissions mitigation research, learn about mitigation strategies and gain valuable experience extracting data from academic studies.
Bring your computer and friends! Food will be provided.
Details
10:00 am – 3:00 pm EST
Location TBD
Sign up here: Sign Up DDL Climate Data Extraction
Event flyer: DDL Climate Data Extraction Flyer
Global Stocktake Climate Datathon
climatedatathon.org
October 15, 2022
DDL is collaborating with the Open Earth Foundation on a Global Stocktake Climate Datathon to support the Global Stocktake (GST) to track collective progress towards the Paris Climate Agreement.
Participants from all over the world are invited to join and will have three weeks to complete their projects. Climate organizations and exports have created prompts in three categories: mitigation, adaptation, and implementation and support.
The goal of the Datathon is to enhance the quality of data (where needed) for the Global Stocktake, enable aggregated data insights, further understanding around collective progress, ways to bridge remaining gaps, and visualize potential opportunities.
There will be cash prizes and the best projects will be able to present their findings at COP27!
Details
Taking Submissions from September 21st – October 15th
Sign up and learn more: Climate Datathon Info
Event flyer: GST Climate Datathon Flyer
Monthly Lab Seminar Series: Cassandra Davis
Dey Hall, Toy Lounge
October 13, 2022
Details
2:00 – 3:00 pm EST
Toy Lounge in Dey Hall
200 South Rd., Chapel Hill, NC
Event Flyer: DDL Seminar Cassandra Davis Flyer
Building the Climate Data Internet
Bogota, Colombia
October 12, 2022
DDL post-doctoal researcher Marco Schletz will be speaking at the Sustainable Blockchain Summit LATAM in Bogota 4:15 pm COT / 5:15pm EST on October 12th.
Details
4:15 pm COT / 5:15 pm EST
Check https://sbs.tech/ for more information on this event.
NASEM Report Release
October 4, 2022
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine invites you to join a public release webinar for the new report, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Information for Decision Making, on Tuesday, October 4 from 1pm to 2pm ET. Members of the committee will share key takeaways, and there will be an opportunity for audience Q&A.
DDL Director Angel Hsu is a member of the NASEM Committee of Development of a Framework for Evaluating Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Decision Making, who released this report.
Details
Watch the recording here: NASEM Report Release
Read the full report here: NASEM Report
Climate Data Extraction Workshop
Genome Sciences Building, Room 1370
September 28, 2022
DDL is hosting a climate mitigation data extraction workshop where students can contribute to emissions mitigation research, learn about mitigation strategies and gain valuable experience extracting data from academic studies.
Bring your computer and friends! Food will be provided.
Details
5:00-8:00 pm EST
Genome Sciences Building, Room 1307
250 Bell Tower Dr., Chapel Hill, NC
Event flyer: DDL Climate Data Extraction Flyer
Panel: Net-Zero Carbon Cities and Electrification: The Next Global Agenda
Zoom, Yale’s Hixon Center Urban Conference
September 23, 2022
DDL Director Angel Hsu will speak on a panel at the the 9th Annual Hixon Center Urban Conference at Yale University. The title of this year’s conference is “Cities as Solutions to Climate Change: Perspectives from IPCC Authors.”
The conference brings together researchers and practitioners focused on the potential impacts that cities have on climate change around the globe and features two Vice-Chairs and seven Authors from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. We hope you will join us for these presentations and conversations, which will lead us from research to practice and applied solutions at the intersection of urban ecology, better cities, and climate change.
The conference will be held in a hybrid format: streamed online and with limited in-person attendance at the Yale School of the Environment. The conference is free and open to the public. It will be recorded and available for later viewing.
Details
9:30 am EST
Yale School of the Environment
Hixon Center for Urban Ecology
195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511
View the recording of the event here
Monthly Lab Seminar Series: Marco Schletz
Dey Hall, Toy Lounge
September 15, 2022
The Data-Driven EnviroLab, led by Angel Hsu, assistant professor of Public Policy and faculty member in the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, is hosting its monthly seminar series this month with a presentation given by Marco Schletz, PhD – a Post-doctoral Research Associate in the lab.
Marco’s research focuses on how emerging technologies can create innovative economic and governance models, specifically in the complex context of the Paris Agreement and towards the Sustainable Development Goals. In his current roles as a Postdoc at the Data-Driven Lab and at the Open Earth Foundation, he investigates how a combination of IoT, machine learning, and blockchain can be used to build the ‘climate data internet’ and drive global climate action.
The seminar will take place on Thursday, Sept. 15th at 1pm, in Toy Lounge in Dey Hall. There will be snacks and interesting conversation – we hope to see you there!
Details
1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Toy Lounge in Dey Hall
200 South Rd., Chapel Hill, NC
Event flyer: DDL Seminar Marco Schletz Flyer
Back From The Brink: A Framework For Climate Action
Furman University
August 30, 2022
DDL Director Angel Hsu will speak at the first session of Straight Talk 2022: A New Climate Movement, hosted by Furman University.
This speaker series will focus on exploring the roadmap to meaningful climate action, and feature speakers Former Vice President Al Gore, Bob Inglis of the Energy and Enterprise Initiative (E&EI) at George Mason University, John Lanier of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, and Stinson Woodward Ferguson, an assistant municipal judge for the City of Greenville who focuses on environmental law.
Details
6:30 pm EST
McAlister Auditorium
3300 Poinsett Highway
Greenville, SC 29613
View the recording here.
Back From The Brink: A Framework For Climate Action
Furman University
August 30, 2022
DDL Director Angel Hsu will speak at the first session of Straight Talk 2022: A New Climate Movement, hosted by Furman University.
This speaker series will focus on exploring the roadmap to meaningful climate action, and feature speakers Former Vice President Al Gore, Bob Inglis of the Energy and Enterprise Initiative (E&EI) at George Mason University, John Lanier of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, and Stinson Woodward Ferguson, an assistant municipal judge for the City of Greenville who focuses on environmental law.
Details
6:30 pm EST
McAlister Auditorium
3300 Poinsett Highway
Greenville, SC 29613
View the recording here.
Monthly Lab Seminar Series: Kaihui Song
Abernethy Hall, Room 102
August 18, 2022
DDL will kick off the fall semester with the first installment of the lab’s monthly seminar series on topics related to environmental
research, data analytics and
professional development. Our first speaker is DDL’s newest Post-doctoral Research Associate, Kaihui Song, PhD.
Kaihui will discuss her research on demand-driven climate mitigation in the U.S., and the challenges and opportunities to reduce carbon footprints
from households and state-level actors.
Details
1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Abernethy Hall Room 102
131 Columbia St., Chapel Hill, NC
Event flyer: DDL Seminar Kaihui Song flyer
RTP180: Sustainability
July 21, 2022
Virtual or In-Person at Frontier RTP
Angel Hsu, Keith Weitz, James Davis, Jordan White, Matthew Pait
Join DDL Director Angel Hsu for a discussion on sustainability. Speakers from the founding Universities, Park companies and the North Carolina community at-large, are getting together for an insightful exchange of views.
Details
5:00-7:15 pm EST
Watch the recording here
Cities on the Sustainability Frontlines: Measuring Social Inclusion and Environmental Performance
July 14, 2022
Zoom
Angel Hsu, Kim Samuel, Xuewei Wang, Laura Ballesteros, Nicole Goddard
Join DDL Director Angel Hsu for the latest data and updates to the Urban Environment and Social Inclusion Index. As the first of its kind, the UESI Index leverages high-resolution, large-scale data to reveal how cities perform at the intersection of environment and social equity.
As DDL releases the 2022 updates for over 300 cities, this briefing will be held as a roundtable discussion with government policy experts, bringing in applicable reflections and suggestions for a new era of sustainability.
Details
10:00-11:30 am EST
Register here
The State of Open Data: Climate Action
June 23, 2022
Zoom
Angel Hsu, Johannes Friedrich, Aniket Ghai
Come and join us to discuss perspectives on the use and impact of open data on Climate Action around the world.
Details
3:00-4:30 pm GMT
Register here
Media launch: the Global Net Zero Stocktake
June 13, 2022
Bonn, Germany and Zoom
Angel Hsu, Takeshi Kuamochi, Thomas Hale, Richard Black
This briefing will introduce a new Global Stocktake of net zero commitments; assessing the status and trends of net zero target-setting across countries, sub-national governments, and corporates – released for the first time since the original ‘Taking Stock’ report in 2021.
Details
9:15-9:45 am GMT
Access the webcast here
Unpacking the New UN Panel Report on Climate Solutions
April 25, 2022
Zoom
Angel Hsu
In early April, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its third and final report assessing the state of knowledge on solutions for mitigating climate change. The punchline of the report was stark: unless deep and immediate cuts are made, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C is out of reach. But the report also recommended a pragmatic view forward: many solutions exist across multiple sectors; many of them are compatible with achieving the sustainable development goals; and growing numbers of laws and policies across the world are seeking to implement these solutions. What does this glass half full picture imply for Singapore and the countries in South-East Asia? Join a distinguished panel including authors of the report and leading policy-makers.
Details
Monday, April 15
05:15 PM – 06:30 PM EST
Register here
HeatHack 2022
April 23, 2022
Zoom
DDL
This hybrid in-person/remote one-day hackathon will bring together coders, programmers, data visualization whizzes, and environmental enthusiasts to help us discover actionable insights, develop engaging data visuals, and create action plans to address the growing and intensifying challenge of climate change and urban heat in the Triangle. Teams will have the opportunity throughout the day to ask for feedback as they develop their ideas and final products, and at the end, a panel of judges composed of community stakeholders will provide feedback and award prizes for the winning entries. Several webinars will be hosted ahead of the event that brings climate and data scientists to provide free community data science training.
Details
Watch the recording of the final presentations here
Visit the HeatHack website to learn more
Panel: What Does the Green Smart City of the Future Look Like?
March 10, 2022
Zoom
Angel Hsu
With cities being the largest emitters of GHG emissions globally, city leaders are now faced with the challenge of transforming how cities function. In order to decarbonise cities across the world, cars, public transportation and heating need to be electrified putting more pressure on electricity grids and supply. How can leaders finance the transformation of cities? What is the right balance between centralised and decentralized grids? What are the innovations in construction and building development that can help cities to net-zero? Join DDL Director Angel Hsu at this panel, part of FT Climate Capital Live
Details
Watch the recording here
Chapel Hill Heat Watch 2021 Debrief Webinar
March 3, 2022
Zoom
Angel Hsu, Xuewei Wang
Join DDL as we discuss results from our 2021 Chapel Hill Heat Watch campaign, as well as how you can get involved with future campaigns.
Details
6:30-7:30pm EST
Join the Zoom meeting here
Fix Live: What's Next
Jan. 19, 2022
Zoom
Angel Hsu
With catastrophic heat waves and hurricanes, rapidly rebounding emissions, and a sobering IPCC report, 2021 was an “oh shit” year for climate awareness, but doom and gloom is never the full story. More awareness of this existential threat and the repercussions sure to come means that more people than ever are engaging with environmental and social justice issues. To make sense of what this all means for the year ahead, Fix Co-Director Jessica Stahl is sitting down with climate and justice leaders to talk about the changes they see coming in tech, infrastructure, food, energy, and culture in 2022.
Details
5:00-6:00pm EST
Register here
Reflections from COP 26
Jan. 14, 2022
Zoom
Angel Hsu
Join the UNC Science Policy Advocacy Group for a discussion with the UNC COP26 Delegation on reflections from COP26, moderated by our director and delegation lead Angel Hsu.
Details
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Register here
The Science of Net Zero at Environmental Research 2021
Nov. 18, 2021
Zoom
Angel Hsu
Environmental Research 2021 is a free-to-attend virtual conference for the international community that brings together leading environmental scientists and influencers to share knowledge and address important global challenges relating to the environment and sustainability. This panel will feature international experts on the science of net zero.
Details
17:00 to 18:30 GMT time
Register to attend here
Chapel Hill Urban Heat Island Research Presentation
Nov. 18, 2021
Zoom
Xuewei Wang
Join DDL’s Xuewei Wang as she presents her and Angel Hsu’s field research on the urban heat island effect in Chapel Hill to the Southeast Regional Climate Center
Details
1:00-2:00pm EST
Join the Zoom meeting here
Password: konrad
Takeaways from COP 26: What does US-China geopolitical competition mean for global climate action?
Nov. 17, 2021
Zoom
Angel Hsu
This event will reflect on COP26, specifically in regards to US-China geopolitical competition.
Details
9:00-10:15 am EST
Join here
Climate accounting guide: How to spot false climate action claims?
Nov. 9, 2021
Watch the recording here
Glasgow, UK and Zoom
Angel Hsu
This event will provide an accounting guide by focusing on the physical flows of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Details
16:00-17:30 GMT
Blue Zone at COP26, Hall 4, the Scottish Events Campus, Exhibition Way, Glasgow G3 8YW, UK
COP26: The Future of Climate Action Accounting
Nov. 5, 2021
Glasgow, UK
Data-Driven EnviroLab and Camda Climate Action Data 2.0
Join data, tech and policy experts of the Camda Climate Action Data 2.0 community to discuss the use of emerging digital technologies for next-generation climate accounting.
Details
Friday, November 5, from 5-8pm
Climate Action Lab – Strathclyde Student Union
51 Richmond Street, Glasgow, UK
RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/climateactioncop26
Agenda: https://tinyurl.com/climateagendacop26
Facing Code Red: Climate Change in Southeast Asia
Oct 19, 2021
Watch the recording here
Zoom Webinar (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Viewed alongside other world regions, Southeast Asia is uniquely vulnerable to major damage by global warming. With this background in mind, Angel Hsu and Melissa Low, two scholars with deep regional and policy knowledge will consider questions like: Can currently worsening trends be reversed? Who will represent the interests of the unborn generations who will suffer the long-term consequences of present-day indifference and delay? Will effective policy require authoritarian politics? And how, if at all, will global versions of these questions be addressed and answered in November in Glasgow at COP26?
Details
8:00-9:30 pm
Register and learn more here
Climate Action Credibility in the Climate Decade
Sept 22, 2021
Watch the recording here
Data-Driven EnviroLab
Join us Wednesday, Sept. 22 for “Climate Action Credibility in the Climate Decade”, a Climate Week NYC event, to hear from experts about the critical importance of tracking climate action data. The event is hosted by Climate Group in partnership with Climate Works Foundation and the data and analytical network Camda, a network of data experts from nearly 100 organizations (including Data-Driven EnviroLab) dedicated to tracking climate action. Camda’s new Climate Data 2.0 initiative, which explores how cutting-edge data methodologies can be used to develop climate action progress and accountability, will be part of the discussion.
Details
10:30 am ET – 12:30 pm ET.
Register and learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/camda-nyc
Climate Action in China and Implications for Southeast Asia
August 6, 2021
Zoom Webinar (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speakers
International climate ambition is on the rise. To date, over a hundred countries have joined the Climate Ambition Alliance to work towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In September 2020, President Xi Jinping made waves when he announced that China’s new target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060; and in March 2021, China’s 14th Five Year Plan set out concrete steps toward that goal, aiming for an 18% reduction in carbon emissions intensity, a 13.5% reduction in energy intensity and a 20% share of non-fossil fuels in the energy mix by 2025. China’s decarbonisation pathways promise an acceleration in both policy and technological innovation. As a major power and the world’s second largest economy, China has the potential to exercise influence over global climate action through its domestic and international policy. This webinar provides a platform for leading commentators on China’s climate policy to analyse these key developments and implications for Southeast Asia.
Details
9:00-10:15 am SGT
HeatWatch Mini-Webinar Series
June 24, 2021
Watch the recording here
Zoom Webinar (Virtual)
Angel Hsu, Xuewei Wang, Joyce Mei
Speakers
The NC Museum of Life and Science held a series of mini-webinars as part of their HeatWatch series. The Data-Driven EnviroLab gave an introduction to the Urban Heat Island and discussed the ways in which different populations all over the world are disproportionately exposed to urban heat. Xuewei and Joyce introduced a new smartphone/Apple Watch app that DDL has customized, called Cozie, to help collect data to better understand thermal comfort.
Details
6:00 pm EDT
Driving Global Emissions Reductions with Data Policy Innovation
April 22, 2021
Zoom Webinar (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speakers
Hosted by the Climate Data Policy Initiative of the Stanford CodeX Center for Legal Informatics, this panel explores current efforts to build the carbon data ecosystem – including the development of the legal, technical and policy frameworks – needed to radically accelerate public and private GHG emissions reductions.
Details
U.S.-China Climate Cooperation: The Path Forward
April 22, 2021
Zoom Webinar (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speakers
The United States and China jointly account for 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, so avoiding the worst consequences of climate change will require collective action by the two countries. In the first program in a series on climate change and the environment, and coinciding with President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate, Professors Angel Hsu, Jonas Nahm, and Alex Wang will discuss the critical importance of U.S.-China climate cooperation at all levels of society, and offer practical proposals for policy action.
On April 22, 2021, the National Committee held a virtual program with Angel Hsu, Jonas Nahm, and Alex Wang to discuss the future of U.S.-China climate cooperation in a conversation moderated by China energy expert Joanna Lewis.
Details
4:00-5:15 pm EDT
USC US-China Institute: Is China Going Green?
April 22, 2021
Zoom Webinar (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speakers
China is the leading emitter of greenhouse gasses, but has also become a major investor in green technologies. It is among the biggest producers of renewable energy. The country has sought to address not just air pollution and climate change, but also water and soil pollution. Gathering and utilizing data is a big part of China’s environmental protection efforts. We are delighted to welcome two prominent observers of these efforts to discuss the use of data in making and implementing Chinese environmental laws and policies as well as what data trends actually show about the impact of these efforts.
Details
3:00-4:00 pm EDT
UC Berkeley California-China Institute:China's Carbon Neutrality Plans: Game Changer for Climate Change?
April 15, 2021
Zoom Webinar (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speakers
On September 22, 2020, China’s President Xi Jinping surprised the world by announcing a goal to achieve “carbon neutrality before 2060,” and peak carbon emissions “before 2030” at the United Nations General Assembly. Meanwhile, with U.S. President Joe Biden’s aims to achieve net neutrality by mid-century in the United States, this marks a unique opportunity to explore enhanced dialogue between the U.S. and China on their respective mid-century climate goals. Still, geopolitical tensions between the two nations remain fraught, and each faces significant obstacles toward rapidly decarbonizing their economies.
To further explore what barriers and opportunities exist for China’s carbon neutrality goals, this panel heard from the authors of China’s Carbon Neutral Opportunity, with commentary from U.S. and Chinese issue-experts.
Details
8:00-9:00 pm EDT
AI for the Planet Digital Conference
March 16th, 2021
Virtual
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Professor Hsu will speak on a Sustainable Mobility panel session of the “Tuesdays Together for the Planet” dialogue series – created by UNESCO, in collaboration with UNEP, StartUp Inside, and Microsoft.This dialogue series is dedicated to highlighting AI applications in domains related to sustainable development and the preservation of our planet.
Details
2:15 – 3:00PM EST, March 16th
Link to event:
https://aifortheplanet.org/en/session/28d7315a-9382-eb11-b566-000d3a20ecf5
NUS LKYSPP Water Policy Institute
November 17, 2020
Singapore (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Professor Hsu will elaborate on the Urban Environment and Social Inclusion Index (UESI) that creates a spatial framework to measure the progress of cities towards Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG-11). She will also present a new method for assessing environmental equity that identifies how evenly or unevenly cities are distributing environmental benefits and burdens across neighbourhoods.
Details
11:00 AM SGT
CHINA Town Hall: Health & Climate
November 18, 2020
Zoom Webinar (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speakers
Angel will join Margaret Hamburg (National Academy of Medicine) and Ryan Hass (Brookings Institution) to discuss the roles of the US and China in addressing the transnational issues of combating climate change and communicable disease.
Details
7:00 am SGT
View recording
CEREAL (Conversation on the Environment, Responsible Energy, And Life)
November 3, 2020
Princeton, NJ (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speakers
Angel will be joining as a guest speaker on CEREAL, a weekly talk on a variety of environmental topics hosted by the Princeton Environmental Institute
Details
9:00 pm SGT
More details coming
TED Climate Countdown
October 10, 2020 (Virtual Launch)
Virtual
Angel Hsu
Speakers
To make progress on climate action we need to collaborate on a global scale – and your community has an important role to play. On 10.10.2020, Countdown will launch globally with a virtual event, and we invite you to join us. Watch online at home with your family and friends.
Details
countdown.ted.com
Yale-NUS United Nations Society Panel Discussion
Thursday, October 8
Singapore
Angel Hsu
Speakers
Panel discussion on the intensification of climate change due to the COVID-19 pandemic with Prof. Winston Chow, Singapore Management University and Melissa Low, Energy Studies Institute.
Details
4:00-5:30 pm SGT
Yale-NUS College (in person and virtual)
Virtual Forum on Earth System Governance
Sept. 17, 2020
Virtual
Angel Hsu
Speakers
Semi-Plenary Session V : The transformative potential of transparency in climate governance. This semi-plenary brings together leading scholars and practitioners interested in the impact of transparency in tackling climate change. Calls for ever greater transparency are now a dominant feature of global climate governance. Under what conditions does (what kind of) transparency lead to more accountable, trustworthy and ambitious collective climate action, as is widely assumed? When is transparency transformative of multilevel climate governance? This semi-plenary takes on this complex and urgent question.
Details
Urban Thinkers Campus: Citizen Action Lab
Sept. 11, 2020
Virtual
Angel Hsu
Speakers
Citizen Action Lab for Safe and Inclusive and Inclusive Cities. The Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) is an initiative of the World Urban Campaign driven by UN-Habitat. The UTC is conceived as an open space for critical exchange between urban researchers, professionals, and decision-makers who believe that urbanization is an opportunity and can lead to positive urban transformations. It is also intended as a platform to build consensus between partners engaged in addressing urbanization challenges and proposing solutions to urban futures.
Details
7:30 PM SGT
Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law - COVID-19 and Climate Change in Asia: Opportunity or Red Herring?
July 1, 2020
Singapore (Virtual)
Angel Hsu
Speakers
Virtual Roundtables on Asian Law : COVID-19 and Climate Change in Asia: Opportunity or Red Herring? (in partnership with CALS). Speakers: Dr Joseph Chun, NUS Law, Assoc Prof Jolene Lin, Dr Linda Yanti Sulistiawati, NUS Law, APCEL, Ipshita Chaturvedi, C&C Advisors, Angel Hsu, Yale-NUS College.
Details
Register interest: https://bit.ly/2MnnDBj
World Urban Forum 2020
February 8-13, 2020
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Amy Weinfurter
Speaker
Amy will be representing our team in presenting updates to the Urban Environment and Social Inclusion Index (UESI) as part of the World Urban Forum’s Urban Library Series.
Details
13:00-13:45 Sunday, February 9 in the Urban Library.
Registration is free but required.
Moet-Hennessey Vinexpo 2020
February 10, 2020
Paris, France
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Angel will present on the panel, “Climate Change: What do we have to do to adapt?”
- Pauline Lhote, Winemaking Director, Chandon California
- Kees Van Leeuwen, Professor of Viticulture, Bordeaux University, France
- Angel Hsu, Professor of Environmental Studies, Yale-National University of Singapore
Details
More details on the program are here. Registration for the Vinexpo is required.
WEF Annual Meeting 2020
January 21-24, 2020
Davos, Switzerland
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Dr Hsu will be speaking at various events at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos.
Details
Registration required. For a full list of Data-Driven Lab events, see this page.
COP25
December 4-7, 2019
Madrid, Spain
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Angel will be at the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference for a new round of meetings on climate action. She will also be unveiling digital solutions for climate data tracking from the recent Open Climate Collabathon.
Details
Registration required.
2019 Roundtable on Future District Energy Systems: Decarbonising the City and the Energy Sector
December 3, 2019
Singapore
Angel Hsu
Speaker
The Roundtable aims to uncover urban planning challenges to transform today’s cities into carbon-free cities. Dr Hsu will present on these challenges as well as join a roundtable discussion with Arno Schlüter and Danny Kennedy.
Details
Registration required.
Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Awards (PICSA)
November 21, 2019
Bilbao, Spain
Willie Khoo
Participant
Willie will attend the inaugural PICSA ceremony and roundtable, where city leaders and urban policymakers will come together and share best practices for scaling and replicating inclusive cities.
Details
Invitation only.
Subnational transatlantic partnerships ahead of COP25
November 21, 2019
Washington, DC
Angel Hsu
Presenter (remote)
Prof. Angel Hsu will make a remote presentation on Assessing and Tracking Non-state and Subnational Climate Action at this roundtable, which will discuss the EU’s role as a global climate leader, the state of EU engagement on climate action among U.S. States and cities, the state of transatlantic subnational partnerships (including at EU-to subnational and national-to-subnational levels, and the role of subnational stakeholders in the COP process.
Details
November 21, 10am-2pm EST George Washington University Invitation only
Open Climate Collabathon
November 16 & 23, 2019
Singapore
Contribute to the development of an open source and collectively owned global climate accounting system, platform, and portal. Hosted by Data-Driven Lab and Yale OpenLab, the collabathon will launch at Yale University and continue for two weeks in decentralized efforts around the world until December 6th at the UNFCCC COP25 summit.
Details
November 16, 10am-6pm Classroom 16, Yale-NUS College Open to all.
November 23, 11:30am-4pm Classroom 16, Yale-NUS College Open to all.
Food provided.
JRC Week on Composite Indicators and Scoreboards
November 7-8, 2019
Ispra, Italy
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Dr. Hsu will present on the Urban Environment and Social Inclusion index alongside other scorecard and composite indicator projects from the World Economic Forum and MIT.
Details
Registration required.
UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment: Second Meeting of the Governing Consortium
November 4-5, 2019
Canberra, Australia
Nihit Goyal
Speaker
On 4th November, Nihit will join the panel of the session titled “Science-based Decision Making – Key Issues for the Consideration of the Governing Consortium” to speak about the Emissions Gap Report and the role of non-state actors.
Details
Invitation only.
Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils: Agenda for the Global Future Council on Global Public Goods in the 4IR
November 3-4, 2019
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Angel Hsu
Co-Chair
As co-chair, Dr Hsu will lead various council working sessions and help set the goals and objectives of the Annual Meeting, with a focus on finding solutions to protect global public goods and usher the world into a radically equitable Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Details
Invitation only.
Blockchain & Digital Technologies for Global Climate Action Tracking and Accounting
September 24, 2019
New York City, NY
Angel Hsu & Amy Weinfurter
Speaker
Data-Driven Lab, in partnership with Yale openLab, will host roundtable to discuss the practical opportunities to use emerging digital technologies for the streamlining and incentivization of data collection, monitoring, verification, and analysis.
Details
Invitation only.
The Climate Group: Action and Reward
September 24, 2019
New York City, NY
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Dr. Hsu will participate in a panel discussion on how states, regions, cities, and businesses can accrue important investment and innovation benefits from implementing ambitious climate action.
Details
Invitation only.
Sustainable Development Impact Summit: The Big Picture on Urban Fragility
September 24, 2019
New York City, NY
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Dr Hsu will share insights from Urban Environment and Social Inclusion Index (UESI), addressing the themes of urbanization and growing fragility within cities.
Details
Invitation only.
Sustainable Development Impact Summit: Leveraging the Fourth Industrial Revolution for the 2030 Agenda
September 23, 2019
New York City, NY
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Dr. Hsu will lead a breakout discussion, focusing on the opportunities and challenges for collaboration in the “tech for good” space.
Details
Invitation only.
KDD 2019: Fragile Earth: Theory Guided Data Science to Enhance Scientific Discovery (FEED 2019)
August 5, 2019
Anchorage, AK
Angel Hsu
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Hsu will provide the keynote at the Fragile Earth workshop, which will be held on Monday, August 5, 2019, in Anchorage, Alaska, US, as part of the 25th ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD 2019).
Details
Registration required.
World Economic Forum - Annual Meeting of New Champions
July 1-3, 2019
Dalian, China
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Dr. Hsu will be presenting on ‘Cities and Environmental Inequality’ in the Global Situation Space as well as speaking on panels at the conference.
Details
Invitation only.
ICLEI Resilient Cities Forum
June 26, 2019
Bonn, Germany
Diego Manya and Ryan Thomas
Speakers
Diego and Ryan will present an update of the Urban Environment and Social Inclusion Index – the first spatially explicit index of how cities around the world perform on environmental and social inclusion goals.
Details
Registration required.
Women's Forum: Call to the G-20
June 26, 2019
Kyoto, Japan
Angel Hsu
Speaker
Dr. Hsu will speak at the Youth and Leadership Forum on climate change leadership.
Details
Invitation only.
The Data-Driven EnviroLab, led by Angel Hsu, assistant professor of Public Policy and faculty member in the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, is hosting its monthly seminar series this month with a presentation given by Cassandra R. Davis, an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill and a colleague of the lab.
Dr. Davis has researched environmental disruptions, specifically the impact of natural hazards on low-income schooling communities of color. Dr. Davis’ goal is to support community leaders, educators, and policymakers to improve responses, preparedness, and recovery in areas with the highest need. Her most recent project focused on gathering insight from community members and government officials on the best strategies to distribute equitable support to marginalized communities and build trust between groups.
The seminar will take place on Thursday, Oct. 13th at 2pm, in Toy Lounge in Dey Hall. There will be snacks and interesting conversation – we hope to see you there!