51³Ô¹Ï

51³Ô¹Ï This Event

The Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment and the Institute for Informatics and Applied Science will co-host a public panel discussion of the challenges and opportunities of addressing climate change in an era of rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence. Is it possible to meet our decarbonization and renewable energy goals while satisfying the intense energy demands of AI data centers?  Can we have responsible AI and address the climate crisis?

51³Ô¹Ï the Speakers: 

David Sandalow is the Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) and Co-Director of the Energy and Environment Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs. He leads CGEP’s U.S.-China Program and chairs the ICEF Innovation Roadmap Project, guiding global strategies on topics such as artificial intelligence for climate mitigation, industrial decarbonization, and carbon removal. Sandalow is the lead author of the Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (2024) and Guide to Chinese Climate Policy (2022), and writes extensively on energy and climate issues. Previously, he served in senior roles at the White House, State Department, and U.S. Department of Energy, including Acting Under Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Policy & International Affairs. He has been a Senior Fellow at Brookings and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University. Sandalow is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Zayed Sustainability Prize Selection Committee, and serves on corporate boards. He holds degrees from Yale College and the University of Michigan Law School.

Joshua Basofin works to advance clean energy policies in Oregon, including implementation of HB 2021, the state’s groundbreaking clean energy law. Joshua also works in coalitions to identify clean energy pathways for industry, seek consensus on siting and permitting of renewable energy facilities, and extend the benefits of our clean energy transition to rural parts of Oregon. Joshua has held many roles in the environmental field. He began his career working in conservation with a focus on freshwater fisheries, marine protected areas, deserts, and wetlands. He spent several years as a sustainability advisor for businesses. Joshua also served as the first Director of Climate Action for Parliament of the World’s Religions, the oldest interfaith organization in the US. Joshua is particularly interested in the intersections within the environmental movement where coalitions of advocates, businesses, faiths, and communities can be created. Joshua holds a BA in English and Environmental Studies and a JD with a concentration in environmental law. In his free time, Joshua enjoys backpacking, kayaking, cooking, gardening, and volunteering with organizations focused on sustainable food and access to nature.