Six UChicago college students traveled to New York City the week of September 21 to attend Climate Week NYC 2025 as part of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth’s first sponsored delegation. During their three days at Climate Week, the cohort attended panels on innovations in agriculture, energy, finance, and climate technology.
“Attending Climate Week gave me a clearer understanding of the many challenges clean tech companies face,” wrote attendee Maya Martinez (College ’27). “Local regulations, federal policies, social concerns, market demands, and environmental constraints all shape how technologies can or can’t make an impact.”
Along with attending panel discussions and other events, the students also had the opportunity to network with climate leaders at several public receptions. Additionally, the Institute hosted private dinners with UChicago alumni. Eva Burgos, Climate Resilience Analyst at ICF (College ’21), and Madhav Seth, Climate Data Advisor at Watershed (College ’16), shared their career journeys and experiences at the University.
“This week has been eye opening in terms of seeing how climate intertwines with other industries and the wide range of careers within the climate field,” wrote attendee Pari Shah (College ’28). “It was really inspiring to see how many people are in this emerging field.”
The students were part of a broader group of Institute faculty and staff to attend Climate Week. On Monday, Kristina Costa, the Institute’s new managing director of policy and strategic engagement, spoke at the event “Doubling down on urbanism: An abundance approach to US decarbonization.” The panel—hosted by Gehl, World Resources Institute and the Rocky Mountain Institute—discussed the potential of local climate policy. David Keith, faculty director of CSEi, also spoke at Climate Week during a private event.
On Friday, Kaushik Deb, Executive Director of EPIC India, spoke at a fireside chat on environmental justice with the Pratt Institute. Deb and Kavita Vij, EPIC India’s Director for Programmatic Advancement, both joined a roundtable organized by The Rockefeller Foundation discussing how Asia can stay competitive while driving inclusive, resilient growth.