The Office of the Vice Provost for Climate
The Office of the Vice Provost for Climate (Penn Climate) was established in 2024 as a key component of the University’s strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, emphasizing Penn’s responsibility to provide leadership and action on the great challenges of our time.
Our mission is to drive scholarship and action from local to global scales, harnessing Penn’s formidable strengths across its 12 schools, health system, centers, and institutes to elevate climate work across the campus and catalyze high-impact initiatives that position Penn as a premier hub for climate solutions.
Our Keystones
Keystone 1: Foster the next generation of climate leadership. Penn students and postdocs are our future climate leaders. Penn Climate is devoted to providing curricula, opportunities, and resources to train and empower the next generation.
Keystone 2: Integrate and bolster interdisciplinary climate work across Penn. Penn faculty are producing world-class work to provide solutions to climate change. Penn Climate works as a force multiplier, breaking down silos, strengthening connections and community between faculty, students, and staff, and communicating Penn’s excellence within and beyond the university.
Keystone 3: Launch transformational strategic initiatives to tackle grand challenges – the Climate Solutions Hub. Through the Penn Climate Solutions Hub, we leverage Penn’s unique strengths to establish the university as a premier authority on climate solutions, from local Philadelphia initiatives to projects with global impact.
Penn Climate is for everyone at Penn. Students, faculty, researchers, staff, and anyone who wants to engage with climate work can find connection, support, and community here.
Join us for the spring session of the Penn Climate seminar series, featuring perspectives on the effects of climate change from across Penn’s twelve schools. Visit the Events page to see our full calendar.
Developing Alternatives to Oil as Feedstocks for our Chemicals and Liquid Fuels
Karen Goldberg
Wednesday, January 28
12:15 – 1:15PM
Steinberg-Dietrich, Room 351
Penn Climate is excited to welcome Karen Goldberg, Vagelos Professor in Energy Research and Chemistry, and the inaugural Director of the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology, to the spring Penn Climate Seminar series. Karen will discuss “Developing Alternatives to Oil as Feedstocks for our Chemicals and Liquid Fuels,” exploring why the challenge of decarbonization extends far beyond energy production itself.
EVENT POSTPONED. NEW DATE April 23
Building a Clean, Equitable Economy: Where Do We Go from Here?
Heather Boushey
Professor of Practice, Kleinman Energy Forum
Co-hosted by Penn Climate, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, as part of Energy Week @ Penn.
New Experiments in Public Power
Shelley Welton
Presidential Distinguished Professor Law and Energy Policy
Penn Carey Law School and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy
Wednesday, March 25
12:15 – 1:15PM
Steinberg-Dietrich, Room 351
In leading jurisdictions, the “easy” part of the clean energy transition has been achieved. What remains to be accomplished—constructing energy systems that emit no carbon, rather than just substantially less carbon—will be harder and more expensive. In recognition of these challenges, both New York State and the United Kingdom recently passed laws creating state-owned clean energy companies: New York by giving a new mission to its “New York Power Authority,” and the UK by creating “Great British Energy.”
Climate Change Through the Lens of Veterinarians
Andrew Hoffman
Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine
Wednesday, April 15
12:15 – 1:15PM
Steinberg-Dietrich, Room 351
Veterinary medicine aims to protect and preserve animal health, biodiversity, and agriculture-food systems, all areas heavily impacted by climate change. We will discuss the connections between climate change and veterinary medicine while highlighting opportunities to engage across schools through a One Health framework. Finally, we will discuss Penn Climate Insights, a new knowledge sharing platform originating from Penn Vet aims to bolster climate education, interdisciplinary, collaborations, and knowledge-sharing across Penn.
EVENT POSTPONED. NEW DATE April 23
Building a Clean, Equitable Economy: Where Do We Go from Here?
Heather Boushey
Professor of Practice, Kleinman Energy Forum
Co-hosted by Penn Climate, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, as part of Energy Week @ Penn.