Bringing researchers together, sharing information and developing solutions to address global and regional challenges arising from climate change are some of the goals of the Climate Hub, a knowledge and research center that opens its doors in Rio this week. With the seal of Columbia University in New York, one of the most prestigious in the world and reference when it comes to climate study, the novelty will work within the framework of the Columbia Global Center Rio, which in 2023 completes a decade in the city center, as one of the 10 global arms of the American university scattered around the world.

The initiative is funded by the city of Rio. And according to the Secretary of the Civil House, Eduardo Cavaliere, will be invested US$ 3 million, equivalent to just over R $ 15.5 million. "The goal is to foster research with increasing quality and that is able to guide and influence the development of public policies that can address the problems arising from climate change," cavaliere says.

Four areas of expertise

The Climate Hub will be structured in four axes. One of them is teaching, with columbia university professors participating in educational programs in the city. A second is events, with the organization of activities related to climate study, with themes already defined, such as energy transition, land use and climate equity.In the network aspect, small international scholarships will be awarded to Brazilian researchers and will stimulate the exchange from the global connections of the American university, with dissemination around the world also of the works and results obtained in the Hub and in partner educational institutions. Finally, on the axis of action, policies on climate issues will be promoted at the local, national and global spheres.

"We will act in these four major areas. There is an excellence of Brazilian researchers that is recognized. They will be able to learn, but they will also teach a lot about climate change from a Brazilian perspective," says Thomas Trebat, director of the Columbia Global Center Rio.

The launch of the Climate Hub takes place on Tuesday, 13/3, at the Museum of Tomorrow, in Praça Mauá. The participation of The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, Mayor Eduardo Paes and Alex Halliday, rector of the School of Climate - the first of its kind in the world - of Columbia University, among others, are planned.

The choice of Rio as the headquarters of the Climate Hub has the symbolic value of strengthening the pioneering role of the city and the country in climate issues, such as the united nations conference on environment and development (ECO-92) and Rio+20, for example.

"Brazil has always positioned itself as a global reference in the environment, but the country has been a little away from these agendas in recent years. We believe that the time to start the Climate Hub is very good, as the country re-enter the global debate to retake leadership in climate policy discussions," believes Thomas Trebat.

Source: Um só Planeta