Program Overview

Climate change is one of the most important global issues of our time, posing significant risks to the environment, the international economy, and society as a whole.

Most governments have been attempting to address climate change in various ways since at least 1992. Efforts have included cooperative initiatives though the United Nations along with policy changes at the national and subnational levels.

The Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program Climate Change and Energy: Policymaking for the Long Term is designed for policymakers and corporate leaders who want to be part of the solution to the threat of climate change. Professor Robert Stavins, Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program and the Harvard Project on Climate Agreements, leads this six-day, on-campus program.

PROGRAM CURRICULUM

In Climate Change and Energy: Policymaking for the Long Term, you will join other participants in an intellectually-stimulating learning environment to gain greater insight into climate change and the multitude of challenges it presents. Developed by Harvard Kennedy School faculty, this on-campus program is comprised of lectures, class discussions, case studies, and group work that examine new policy perspectives distilled from cutting-edge research.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program on climate change will expose you to analytical tools and conceptual frameworks to help you understand:

  • The scientific basis of climate change—its causes and consequences
  • The economics underlying effective policy to address climate change
  • The design and implementation of policies at the sub-national, national, regional (groups of nations), and global levels to address climate change
  • Approaches for communities and nations to adapt to climate change and make their infrastructure more resilient in the face of a warming and disrupted climate
  • The sometimes-conflicting imperatives of economic development—especially in developing countries—and of reducing emissions that cause climate change
  • The nature of the transformation in energy systems that will be required to mitigate climate change

Application Information

Climate Change and Energy: Policymaking for the Long Term is directed toward senior leaders of wide-ranging backgrounds and responsibilities.

Individuals who would find value in this program include:

  • Government officials with responsibility for climate change and energy policy, including enhancement of infrastructure resilience
  • Senior staff at intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations dealing with climate and energy
  • Executives at large corporations affected by environmental or climate regulation or that manufacture products or provide services in the energy sector
  • Professionals in financial, accounting, or legal services whose clients may be affected by environmental or climate regulation

Immerse yourself with a cohort of fellow leaders on Harvard’s historic campus. View the draft program schedule. Note that module titles, speakers, and sequence may change.

WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING

“An exceptional program and an invaluable opportunity to learn from other participants experiencing the diverse impacts of climate change around the world.”

2016 Program Participant
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Hear From the Faculty Chair

Learn more about this program from Faculty Chair Robert Stavins, the A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy and Economic Development.

Faculty & Research

Robert Stavins Photo

Robert Stavins

A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy and Economic Development
617-495-1820

Joseph Aldy Photo

Joseph Aldy

Teresa and John Heinz Professor of the Practice of Environmental Policy

John Holdren Photo

John Holdren

Teresa and John Heinz Research Professor of Environmental Policy
617-851-8421
Jacob

Daniel Jacob

Vasco McCoy Family Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Environmental Engineering

Halla Logadottir Photo

Halla Logadottir

Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy

Shirley Lu

Shirley Lu

Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Forest L. Reinhardt

Forest L. Reinhardt

John D. Black Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Michael Toffel

Michael Toffel

Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management, Harvard Business School

David Victor

David Victor

Professor, Innovation and Public Policy, UC San Diego

Alumni in the Field

Hear from Richard Munang (PhD), an alumnus of the Climate Change & Energy executive program. As Africa’s Regional Climate Change Coordinator for the UN, Dr. Munang supports the UN’s environmental mission of incentivizing member states to transition to low emissions economies.

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