The Earth Institute at Columbia University works across disciplines to address complex issues facing the planet and its inhabitants, with particular focus on sustainable development and the needs of the world’s poor. The Earth Institute is motivated by the belief that science and technological tools already exist, and could be expanded, to greatly improve conditions for the world’s poor while preserving the natural systems that support life on Earth.
Under the direction of international economist Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, the Earth Institute supports pioneering projects in the biological, engineering, social, and health sciences, while actively encouraging interdisciplinary projects, often combining natural and social sciences, in pursuit of solutions to real world problems.
Topics on which the Institute has focused include: the carbon cycle and energy; water access and safety; climate change and climate/society interactions; global health; ecosystems; agriculture, ecology, and nutrition; and urbanisation.