Current Projects
Completed Projects
Initiated through a competitive selection process by Columbia World Projects in 2019, Columbia's Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management (SPM) partnered with Colgate Palmolive Inc., the World Resource Institute, and IBM's Watson Research Center to develop an AI-based open-source methodology for managing greenhouse gas emissions associated with packaged consumer products. The project will use Columbia's patented fast product carbon footprinting and machine learning to analyze carbon footprints of product portfolio and evaluate how to reduce the carbon emissions.
Funded by: Columbia World Projects
Other partners: Colgate-Palmolive Company, World Resources Institute
The project aims to overcome lack of transparency in publicly available, trusted Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and for companies to reduce emissions associated with products in their supply chain. In the past, academics gravitated towards higher granularity for PCFs with an objective to provide consumers with as much information as possible, yet companies were reluctant to provide such granularity due to concerns regarding proprietary production processes. The research pertains to answer the question of whether a data structure and granularity for PCFs can be identified that may serve as an optimal middle ground for these two conflicting needs.
Funded by: IBM
Other partners: Columbia Data Science Institute
The paper explores the public risk perception and trustworthiness of information sources of HSR (high-speed rail) projects, which are believed to be critical in predicting public behavior and reaction to infrastructure projects. The study reveals the perceived risk of HSR are higher in the operating stage than construction stage, and risk-related information is often obtained through informal channels in the construction stage while it is only after the operating stage when the government becomes more trusted information provider. Furthermore, socioeconomic characteristics are found to be more important than project phase in explaining the regional differences in risk perception and trustworthiness of information sources, underscoring the need for stakeholder engagement carefully tailored to the demographics of the affected population.
The City of Huizhou, one of 16 cities selected to receive a Smarter Cities Challenge Grant from IBM in 2015, has a strong potential for economic development through tourism due to its cultural significance and scenic landscapes. To ensure the long-term success of the tourism industry for the city, the study develops a management system, an indicator system to assess and evaluate its long-term environmental and economic success. It also offers six recommendations for the city's tourism development, collectively touching upon topics of policy, environment, marketing, and off-season tourism.
Funded by: IBM Corporation
The project aims to support the enhancement of the index which assesses environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performances of companies operating in Latin America and the Caribbeans in cooperation with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The proposed index, IndexAmericas, is the first of its kind developed by a multilateral development bank to assess companies in Latin America in such manner, and was launched at the 2017 World Economic Forum in Buenos Aires.
Funded by: Inter-American Development Bank