Multiple CU Boulder sustainability leaders helped raise the visibility of campus efforts during New York City Climate Week Sept. 21–28, including a keynote address, climate comedy and more. 

NYC Climate Week, coinciding timing-wise with the United Nations General Assembly, is billed as the world’s largest climate gathering outside of the United Nations’ (UN) annual Conference of Parties (COP), bringing together global leaders and innovators “to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, fairer future.” 

CU Boulder Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock, Associate Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Cara Carmichael, Theatre Professor Beth Osnes-Stoedefalke, and Environmental Studies Professor and CIRES Fellow Max Boykoff, who was recently hired to lead the Buckley Center for Sustainable Education, all participated in various events during the week.

Officials from CU Boulder and the American Council on Education convened a panel on the new Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability. Left to right: Cara Carmichael, associate vice chancellor for sustainability, CU Boulder; Andrew Mayock, vice chancellor for sustainability, CU Boulder; Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification Systems, American Council on Education; Marisol Morales, executive director of the Elective Classifications, American Council on Education. 

Green Schools keynote, panel

Mayock and Carmichael both played key roles at the ninth annual Green Schools Conference. Mayock provided the keynote address, where—in addition to speaking about the unique opportunity for universities to lead in the sustainability space—he announced that CU Boulder has been selected to host a new Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability. 

Both Carmichael and Mayock then joined partners from the American Council on Education, which administers the Carnegie classifications, in a panel discussion highlighting the new elective classification and next steps. 

The Green Schools Conference bestowed upon Mayock, the former chief sustainability officer for the federal government, its “Patron of the Planet” award in honor of his “exceptional leadership in advancing climate policy, education, and action” and “steadfast dedication to protecting the Earth and its future generations.”

Boykoff on 'information integrity' at UN General Assembly, book launch

Boykoff participated in a pair of events focused on information integrity related to climate communication.

At a UN General Assembly event hosted by the office of the UN Secretary General, Boykoff participated in a roundtable to talk about how mis- and dis-information influences climate action. The event provided a platform for leaders to build understanding, momentum and support for climate information integrity as COP30 in Brazil approaches this fall. 

The second event connected to information integrity was a book launch for “Climate Obstruction: A Global Assessment,” for which Boykoff co-authored a chapter. The book chronicles the efforts around the world to resist and undermine policies that address climate change. 

International Universities Climate Alliance policy discussion

Carmichael served as a panelist at a virtual event hosted by the International Universities Climate Alliance that highlighted the role universities play at the intersection of climate research and policy. 

Carmichael highlighted the new Carnegie elective classification, CU Boulder’s leadership support to deliver on climate solutions, and the university’s prowess in tech transfer of climate and sustainability-related research into viable startup companies. 

CU Boulder Theatre Professor Beth Osnes-Stoedefalke and Environmental Studies Professor and CIRES Fellow Max Boykoff pose with comedians at the Caveat Comedy Club, where "The Heat of the Moment" Climate Comedy event was held during New York City Climate Week. 

 

Comedy for a cause

At the start of Climate Week activities, Osnes-Stoedefalke and Boykoff co-produced “The Heat of the Moment,” a live comedy showcase at Caveat Comedy Club in which CU Boulder students collaborated with comedians from “The Daily Show,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and Comedy Central to develop material for the performance.

Osnes-Stoedefalke opened the showcase, performing for a sellout crowd at the club on Manhattan’s Lower East Side alongside seven other professional comedians. 

The event was a product of CU Boulder’s Inside the Greenhouse initiative, an interdisciplinary collaborative effort that works to deepen understanding of how issues associated with climate change can be communicated. 

'The Future of Global Climate Action Roundtable'

Mayock participated in “The Future of Global Climate Action Roundtable” hosted by the Aspen Instituted Energy and Environment Program. 

The event brought together leaders from a number of sectors to discuss the future of global climate governance and reflect on their visions for sustained climate action. 

Additional Climate Week presence

Mayock also joined the 2025 Templeton Prize award ceremony, where Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians, was honored for his efforts to bridge scientific and spiritual understandings of humanity’s relationship with the natural world, bringing together people of different faiths to heed a call for environmental stewardship. 

Environmental activist Jane Goodall and former Vice President Al Gore praised Bartholomew for using the stature of his office for convening groups of scientists, scholars, political leaders, and clerics from the Catholic, Jewish and Muslim worlds.