From climate comedy with students to a conversation featuring Bill Nye (The Science Guy), CU Boulder faculty and sustainability leaders will bring research, expertise and solutions from Colorado to one of the world’s largest climate gatherings this September.

Climate Week NYC, held Sept. 20–27 alongside the United Nations General Assembly, brings more than 100,000 people to New York City for more than 1,000 events focused on climate and sustainability. This year, CU Boulder faculty and sustainability leaders will speak, host and collaborate across more than a dozen events focused on topics including climate communication, energy, forests, information integrity and the future of the electric grid.

For CU Boulder, the week is an opportunity to connect the university’s research, education and experience with people making decisions about policy, investment, technology and communities, while building partnerships that can help move knowledge into action.

“CU Boulder’s sustainability work has positive impacts that reach beyond Colorado from field research in the the Arctic to water systems in Africa to rainforests in South America and more,” said Andrew Mayock, vice chancellor for sustainability. “Engaging the international community through Climate Week gives us an opportunity to learn from others, strengthen partnerships and bring CU Boulder expertise into conversations that can lead to further action in Colorado and beyond.”

Finding new ways to talk about climate

Climate communication will be one of the most visible parts of CU Boulder’s presence in New York.

On Sept. 22, CU Boulder’s SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education and the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media will host Breaking the Ice Before it Melts: Effective Climate Communication. The event will feature Bill Nye, “StarTalk” co-host Chuck Nice and National Geographic Explorer Asher Jay in a conversation moderated by climate scientist Michael Mann about how climate communication can help move people from information to action.

Earlier in the week, the SPIKE Center, Penn and Hip Hop Caucus will bring students together for a Youth Climate Comedy Workshop & Showcase Competition at Fordham University. Students will work with professional comedians and climate communicators to turn climate issues into original comedy before taking the stage for a public showcase.

“Climate change touches every part of our lives, but the ways we communicate about it don’t always connect with people,” said Max Boykoff, professor of environmental studies and faculty executive director of the SPIKE Center. “Humor gives us another way in. By bringing students, scientists, communicators and comedians together, we can experiment with new ways to make climate conversations more relatable while giving students the opportunity to develop their own voices.”

Bringing CU Boulder expertise into global conversations

Those events are part of a broader CU Boulder presence throughout the week. Faculty and sustainability leaders will contribute to conversations about tropical forests, building electrification, artificial intelligence and the electric grid, climate solutions and data visualization.

Boykoff will also participate in a high-level United Nations dialogue on information integrity, bringing his climate communication expertise to a global conversation about misinformation, public trust and access to reliable information.

Together, these events reflect CU Boulder’s broader approach to sustainability: connecting education and research, with action and partnerships beyond campus. Climate Week provides an opportunity to share what CU Boulder is learning in Colorado while bringing new ideas and relationships back to that work.