The following letter was sent to the MIT community by president L. Rafael Reif.
To the members of the MIT community,
In keeping with MIT’s broad and intensive efforts outlined in our Plan for Action on Climate Change, last spring I wrote to let the community know that, this academic year, we will host six symposia focused on climate change and its urgent global challenges.
The symposia topics, times and locations appear at the end of this short note, and future details will be available at climatesymposia.mit.edu.
Featuring leading experts from MIT and elsewhere, the six symposia will explore the frontier of climate science and policy, highlight innovative efforts to decarbonize everything from electricity to transportation and consider how research universities can best accelerate progress.
The challenge of dramatically stepping up the pace of decarbonization while making sure this transition is sustainable and equitable across society will take all of our collective talents – and the best work of countless MIT minds and hands. We are eager for the symposia to help galvanize our community and plant the seeds for future research, policy and innovation in climate solutions. To that end, I hope many of you will make time to attend.
I write now to invite you to the first symposium in the series. So we can estimate attendance, please register here.
Progress in Climate Science
Wednesday, October 2
1:00–4:00 pm
Kresge Auditorium (Building W16)
Thanks to the leadership of Professor Kerry Emanuel, himself an expert on the science of climate change, this first symposium will include two panels – one on Frontiers in Climate Science, one on Climate Risks – and will begin with keynote remarks from a pioneering climate researcher and eminent member of the MIT faculty, Professor Susan Solomon. It will be my honor to provide the opening remarks.
I look forward to seeing many of you on October 2.
Sincerely,
L. Rafael Reif
