Two faculty members from Colorado State University attended the United Nations Climate Summit Sept. 23, representing international research groups partnered with the University.
Rajiv Khosla, a joint-appointment professor in the department of soil and crop science, and Dennis Ojima, a professor in the department of ecosystem science and sustainability, traveled to New York City to support environmental science and research initiatives.
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At the summit, a Global Alliance on Climate-Smart Agriculture was formally declared with Colorado State University as one of its 100 founding members. Khosla was made point of contact for operations at CSU.
“CSU is the only university that is listed as a founding member — not that the list is closed,” Khosla said. “We really value this initiative.”
According to Khosla, the alliance will look at what needs to be done in the coming years to ensure food security for the 9-billion-strong population booked for 2050 while keeping environmental health a priority.
“Before telling other nations what they need to do, we need to fix our own agricultural system and lead by example,” Khosla said.
Future Earth is a research organization partnered with Colorado State University and the University of Colorado, Boulder. The U.S. Headquarters are here in Colorado.
Ojima, the acting U.S. director of Future Earth, took part in the summit to ensure scientific research was integrated into our climate action. The organization’s mission is to provide knowledge on asset risk associated with climate change.
“It was impressive to see all the countries represented, to hear the nations’ leaders acknowledge climate change and together, commit to action,” Ojima said.
A United Nations Climate Change Conference is to be held next year in Paris, where a universal, legally-binding agreement on climate will be made.
Collegian Reporter Luke Hyce can be reached at news@collegian.com and on Twitter @luke_hyce.
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