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As countries race to build clean-energy industries, they face a shared challenge: How can governments accelerate the green transition while strengthening their own economies and competing for a greater share of the global market? That question framed Green Industrial Policy: Smart Growth for a Changing Climate, a recent panel hosted by the Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management and the Columbia University School of Professional Studies M.S. in Sustainability Management program.

Sustainability problems don’t stop at political borders; making tackling them a challenge, especially in politically and economically fraught times. That makes the role that universities play even more important: by providing a forum for the exchange of thoughts, ideas, and collaboration across different fields. 

Amid strained international institutions, an escalating climate crisis, and stalled national governments, questions arise about where the power lies to enact sustainable change. Yet, just over 20 years ago, 18 mayors banded together to identify a solution: establishing a city-governance-driven global network dedicated to empowering climate action, one that continues to expand its influence today.