Dartmouth Co-Hosts Arctic Event at Climate Week NYC

Geoffrey Parker, the Charles E. Hutchinson '68A Professor of Engineering Innovation, leads a panel discussion on technology and finance. (Photo by Nicole Pereira)

Hosted by the Climate Group, in conjunction with the convening of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Climate Week NYC aims to drive transition, speed up progress, and champion the change that is already happening in the area of climate action.

The event was attended by 70 people, including leadership of a NATO climate center, UN delegates, the Finnish Consul General, representatives from the cities of Helsinki and Turku in Finland, delegates from several Arctic Indigenous groups, and Dartmouth alumni working with nongovernmental organizations and industry. Representatives from peer institutions like Harvard and Cornell, who are interested in deepening their ties with Arctic institutions, also attended.

The day included two panel discussions featuring prominent leaders in the world of climate action. The first, a climate and policy discussion, was led by Melody Brown Burkins, Guarini '95 '98, director of the Institute of Arctic Studies at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding and UArctic chair in science diplomacy and inclusion. The second panel, focused on technology and finance, was led by Geoffrey Parker, professor of engineering innovation and interim faculty director of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society.

Parker notes that the financial reality of decarbonization—moving away from the legacy system of oil and gas—will require trillions of dollars of committed capital. The finance and technology panelists addressed the complex connections between Arctic communities, the rapid changes in climate, and the potential benefits and challenges in new technology investment.

"You have Indigenous peoples who have often borne the ill effects of the infrastructure investments, but in some cases, they are also stakeholders and beneficiaries. And so it is essential that they have a voice in how these systems get unwound and what takes their place," Parker says.