The NYU SPS Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab is an education and research platform that serves the business, philanthropic, and public sector communities in the pursuit of evidence-driven sustainability solutions at the local, national, and global scale. The NYU SPS ECJS Lab, housed within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs, aims to be a driver of positive change, advancing social justice in the areas of energy and food security, community resilience and wellbeing, urban sustainability, climate finance, and low carbon economic development. Our work is grounded by the belief that addressing climate change in a just and informed manner will improve the quality of life for all people.
The NYU SPS Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab
Driving Positive Change for Future Generations
About Us
Thought Leadership for the Future of the Planet
Team Profiles
Amy Myers Jaffe
Director of the ECJS Lab and Research Professor, NYU SPS
Amy Myers Jaffe serves as Director of the Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab at New York University's School of Professional Studies and is a research professor who teaches graduate-level courses examining global climate finance, energy and climate justice, and clean technology innovation and business. A leading expert on global energy policy, sustainability, and geopolitical risk, Jaffe is the author of several books, including her most recent book, “Energy’s Digital Future” published in 2021 by Columbia University Press. Ms. Jaffe is co-chair of the Women in Energy Initiative at Columbia University and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University. From 2014 to 2017, Ms. Jaffe served as senior advisor on sustainability to the Office of the Chief Investment Officer of the University of California, Regents, where she helped design the sustainable investing framework for the UC’s $140 billion in pension and endowment funds.
Carolyn Kissane
Founder and Associate Dean of the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs
Dr. Carolyn Kissane serves as the Associate Dean of the graduate programs in Global Affairs and Global Security, Conflict and Cybercrime at the Center for Global Affairs and is a Clinical Professor where she teaches graduate-level courses examining the geopolitics of energy, comparative energy politics, energy, environment and resource security, and climate change and security.
She is the Founding Director of the SPS Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, Coordinator of the Energy and Environment concentration at the Center, and a faculty adviser to the Energy Policy International Club. Dr. Kissane was awarded the esteemed NYU Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007, the SCPS Award for Teaching Excellence in 2009, and nominated for the NYU-wide Distinguished Teaching Award in 2008, 2009, 2016, and 2021. She is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the National Committee on US-China Relations, a Non-resident fellow of the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines, Senior Fellow for the George W. H. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations, Distinguished Fellow at the University of Piraeus. She serves on the boards of the New York Energy Forum, New York Energy Week, and the Clean Start Advisory Board.
She was named Breaking Energy’s Top Ten New York Women in Energy and Top Ten Energy Communicator.
Dr. Kissane received her Ph.D. from Columbia University.
Michelle D’Amico
Director, Continuing Education and Public Programs, NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs
Michelle D'Amico is the Director of Continuing Education and Public Programs at the Center for Global Affairs (CGA). She has been with CGA since 2006 and has overseen and helped to develop a wide range of programs, including career advancement and personal enrichment courses, weeklong summer high school programs, and professional certificate programs. These programs cover a variety of topics, including monitoring and evaluation, clean energy, digital fundraising, data analytics, global affairs, international development, and fundraising. She also has experience with developing and delivering executive education and custom corporate programs.
She is a skilled collaborator and project manager who works with faculty and partners to direct 20-30 public events each semester and support conference production.
As a part of her work, Michelle identifies and manages strategic partnerships with corporate and public sector organizations and academic institutions for CGA and the NYU SPS Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab, which is housed within the CGA. She also supports fundraising efforts for the department, manages social media, and has helped to plan and administer 12 Global Field Intensive programs for MS in Global Affairs students.
Michelle holds an M.P.A. from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service, a B.S. in Marketing and Advertising from F.I.T., and a Professional Certificate in Fundraising from the NYU SPS Heyman Program.
Saskia Salak
Assistant Research Scientist
Saskia joined the Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab as an Assistant Research Scientist in October 2023.
In 2021, Saskia transitioned from a fruitful full-time career as a Commercial Excellence lead in order to pursue a passion for environmentalism by enrolling in a master’s program at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. She completed her degree in May 2023, which concentrates on Energy and Environmental Policy. During this time Saskia worked as a research assistant for the program’s Associate Dean and as a climate consultancy writer for the Council on Foreign Relations.
Prior to her work at the Center for Global Affairs, Saskia received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Marquette University. She spent the majority of her career in the private sector, predominantly in energy storage with Johnson Controls Power Solutions and Clarios. There, in roles ranging from Market Intelligence to Customer Experience, Saskia led dozens of cross-functional projects, securing buy-in from diverse stakeholder groups that ranged from operations to executive leadership.
Erica Miller
Graduate Assistant
Erica is currently a second-year graduate student, enrolled in NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, studying environment and energy policy. Her interest in the field stems from a desire to understand the intricate dynamics of global environmental issues and the policies to address them.
Erica assists the Lab by balancing roles in brand development, social media management, communication, and outreach, leveraging her previous experience in brand partnerships with SLAM Magazine.
Erica’s journey into the realm of environmentalism began during her undergraduate years at NYU's College of Arts and Science (CAS), where she chose to minor in Environmental Studies. Her coursework at CAS prompted a curiosity into the intersection of human society and the natural environment. Ultimately this academic exploration sparked a deep-seated passion for environmental activism and sustainability, laying the foundation for her continued pursuit of knowledge and action in the field as a graduate student in the Center for Global Affairs!
Education
Through our educational programs, we prepare a community of students and professional learners to confront challenges and create opportunities for a cleaner, more sustainable, and equitable future.
MS in Global Affairs - Environment and Energy Concentration
The Environment/Energy Policy concentration analyzes the implications of the changing global energy and environmental landscape, as well as the new and emerging opportunities and challenges energy and climate change present for national and global sustainability and security. As the world's demand for energy continues to grow, the quest to find sustainable sources and solutions is critical. The modern energy sector is experiencing rapid change with new oil and gas developments reshaping traditional energy geopolitics; a strong and growing renewable energy sector impacting local, national, and international energy policies and future forecasts; and innovative technological advances that are transforming all areas of the energy supply chain. The concentration is structured to prepare students to help solve complex problems, and offers students the opportunity to understand the roles of public and private sectors and how to formulate and implement impactful policy changes. This concentration equips students to compete and thrive in this challenging and exciting sector, taking advantage of the opportunities occurring across the energy and environmental landscape. Courses reflect the increasing importance of energy and the environment in the formulation of national and foreign policy among countries the world over, as well as the impact of climate change on our environment.
Professional Certificate in Clean Energy
The Certificate in Clean Energy program prepares professionals to transition to or grow within this critical field by providing them with a foundation in clean energy finance, policy, analytics, and emerging technologies. Students gain an understanding of clean energy solutions in a variety of areas, such as transportation, energy-efficient buildings, renewable residential and commercial installations, and smart grids. Students engage with clean energy data and hone the basic skills required to interpret and analyze this information for data-driven decision-making. Courses provide a foundation in energy modeling and financing in addition to an exploration of the energy ecosystem and a variety of ways in which startups are contributing to the transition to renewables. Students develop a comprehensive understanding of the strategies and related competencies for a successful career working in a wide variety of clean energy jobs. The program curriculum combines a traditional academic approach with experiential learning to train professionals for a smooth transition into a clean energy career.
Courses within the program can also be taken on an individual basis with departmental approval. Email sps.global.affairs@nyu.edu for more information.
Research & Programs
The SPS Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab research program sponsors policy-relevant, evidence-based research and special events on climate change and its local and global impact on energy security, affordability, and innovation; food sustainability; environmental justice; and community resilience and well-being. Our current research agenda considers important emerging influences and themes including geopolitical developments and risks, just energy transition, urban sustainability, and sustainable development and finance.
ECJS Lab builds research collaborations across the NYU academic community and with other external partners and academic institutions through major thematic research initiatives and grant writing, practitioner collaborations, public forums, and topical outreach and programming.
Our areas of focus are:
- Climate Justice
- Energy Transition and Geopolitics
- Climate Resiliency and Sustainability
- The Electricity Initiative
- Schack Initiative for Sustainable Real Estate
To access our recent research publications, click here.
The ECJS Lab Global Climate Justice Fellows program is designed to give NYU graduate degree students hands-on experience in the world of climate action. The program aims to create a community of next-generation leaders focused on the intersection of environmental and social justice and climate change and sustainability. Each fellow will be offered a specially designed experiential learning opportunity working alongside climate and sustainability leaders from the private sector, environmental non-profits, multilateral agencies, climate activist organizations, and government sectors in the United States and internationally.
Through their Global Climate Justice Fellows’ experiences, students will be able to broaden their knowledge of sustainability practice, build leadership skills, and gain valuable work experience in the field of sustainability and climate action. During and following their experiential learning project, the Global Climate Justice Fellows will be able to exchange learnings and experiences with the broader NYU community in a read-out seminar organized to showcase learnings from experiential projects. The Global Climate Justice Fellows program is aimed to broaden SPS’s sustainability practice across a wider spectrum of students and professional networks.
2024 PILOT PROGRAM
The ECJS Global Climate Justice Fellows program launched a pilot in Summer 2024 with five exemplary NYU graduate students. The fellowship was for a total of six weeks in duration with students embedded in organizations in NYC to work on a climate justice related project.
An additional Fellowships was awarded to a graduate student to engage in a student-initiated project through a joint venture between ECJS Lab and the NYU Office of Sustainability Internship Grant program.
Global Climate Justice Fellows Program
During the 6-week program, students will be expected to work a standard 35-hour work week and will receive a $6,000 stipend for the fellowship. Prior to the program, students will engage in an orientation, review assigned readings, and engage in related skills modules as preparation. Global Climate Justice Fellows will create a written report and two presentations - one for the host organization and the other to be presented at an NYU event with the general public.
Global Climate Justice Fellows - Internship Grant
Additional Global Climate Justice Fellows to be funded through the Sustainability Internship Grant Program joint venture with ECJS LAb will receive a $3,500 stipend for the summer. Internships must be in the area of Climate Justice and applications will open in May/June. Grantees will be required to attend four mandatory professional development sessions that take place on Thursday or Friday afternoons during July and August. (Please see this website for more details about this opportunity)
To apply to be one of the two Global Climate Justice Fellows funded through the Sustainability Internship Grant Program, please specify on the Sustainability Internship Grant Program application that you are a SPS CGA student and that you would like your proposal to be considered for one of the two Global Climate Fellows related awards.
Program Highlights
- A stipend to support a climate-sustainability-oriented summer research project, internship, or experiential learning activity
- Program orientation for participating fellows to network and prepare for their experiential learning activity, internship, or research project.
- Post-activity read-out public event at the CGA to share learnings and experiences
SUMMER 2024 PILOT PROJECTS
Global Climate Justice Fellows projects were initially scoped with the organization by the ECJS Lab team with additional scoping by the organization and students. Together with the Global Climate Justice Fellow, each sponsor group was required to create a project plan with milestones and timelines, communication norms, and a meeting schedule.
- East New York Farms! Project
East New York Farms! Project (a Project of United Community Centers, Inc.) is a collaborative project whose mission is to organize youth and adult residents to address food issues in the community by promoting local and regional sustainable agriculture and community-based economic development. Their community-facing programs include weekly Farmers’ Markets, community gardener workshops, youth internship programs, and free food distribution programs, among others. The overall goal is to create a sustainable food system that will increase food security in East NY.
During the six-week fellowship, the Fellows supported ENYF! in designing and creating program assessments, tracking and gathering input data, and conducting community research to support urban agriculture educational efforts and maintain a sustainable food system.
Through their work collecting data and community research, they were able to draft sample documents to enhance outreach, such as printed menus and recipe cards, to the people attending their cooking demos and workshops and identify gaps in community knowledge about available programs and areas for more effective capacity building.
- Solar One
Over a six-week period, Fellows collaborated with Solar One for New York State's Clean Energy Communities Program (CECP) to run a community campaign promoting the Community Solar program. This initiative allows New York City renters and homeowners to benefit from solar panel energy without the need for rooftop installations, leading to savings on their Con Edison energy bills. Their efforts included developing and implementing outreach methods such as digital campaigns, brochures, and flyers to effectively reach potential subscribers. Additionally, they conducted surveys to gather feedback from the current subscribers.
- National Grid
Buildings currently make up about one-third of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in New York State; in order to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and advance the state’s ambitious climate justice goals, the removal of fossil fuels from buildings’ energy systems is crucial. The electrification of heating systems has proven to be a critical decarbonization strategy for New York, however, transitioning entire energy grids to meet electrification goals poses significant financial, practical, and equitable challenges to state and city municipalities.
The Fellow engaged in a study to focus on these challenges, with a particular focus on the affordability of the energy transition, including the upfront and ongoing costs of electrification, through heat pump installations. Through finding solutions for these issues, New York can help find an affordable pathway for its low-income households—a key climate justice target through the energy transition.
- Sustainability Internship Grant -
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
As an intern with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Fellow was primarily responsible for assisting with preparations for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. In this role, they helped to coordinate the presentations of the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and the thematic VNR labs as well as facilitate the Ministerial Declaration negotiations. Additionally, they co-authored the biennial Secretary-General Report on Human Resource Development. From these experiences, I gained invaluable insight into thdynamics of the UN system and regional approaches to sustainable development.
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Selection Process
During the 2024 pilot year, the Global Climate Justice Fellows program is open to all enrolled NYU graduate students who qualify for summer engagements.
Applications must be received by 11:59 PM, March 3, 2024.
Eligibility Requirements
- Both part-time and full-time, domestic and international, graduate students are eligible (must be in good academic standing)
- Completion of at least 1 Spring/Fall semester at NYU is required by the START of Spring 2024
- Students attending NYU with F-1 or J-1 status are eligible to apply as long as they fulfill all other requirements for the grant and maintain their immigration status. Please contact OGS to learn more about authorization for unpaid internships and volunteer work.
Finalists will be required to interview with the Selection Committee in March 2024.
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Timeline
February 2024
- Applications Open
March 2024
- Applications Due by 11:59 PM on March 3, 2024
- Interviews with Finalist Candidates
- Global Climate Justice Fellows notified
April 2024
- April 19th, 11:30 - 1:00 pm - Program Orientation and Overview; Review of Required Readings and Skills Modules
June 2024
- June 3rd - Reception with Hosts Organizations
- June 4th - Projects Begin
- Alternating weekly check-ins with ECJS Lab
July 2024
- Alternating weekly check-ins with ECJS Lab
- July 12th - Projects End
- By the end of the month - project delivery/presentation to hosts
September 2024
- NYU Public Event with Project Presentations
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Application
The application for the 2024 program can be found here.
A selection committee comprising NYU Faculty and Administration will consider applications. No applications will be considered after the application deadline.
The short answer portion is one of the most important portions of the review process, so make sure to be detailed and informed in your responses. Each answer should be no more than 500 words.
Application Components:
- Complete Application Form
- One Statement of Interest (500 words max)
- Unofficial Academic Transcript
- Current Resume
- Two professional references
- Video Introduction (3-5 minutes)
- Selection of one of the projects. Multiple applications will not be accepted.
If you have any questions about this form or need another accessible format, please email ECJSLab@nyu.edu and we would be happy to assist you.
SUMMER 2024 SEMESTER
6 weeks
LOCATIONS
NYU New York City - Pilot
(new locations begining in 2025)
AUDIENCE
NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs Graduate Students
(NYU community beginning in 2025)
CONTACT
ECJSLab@nyu.edu
PLEASE NOTE:
Applications for the Summer 2024 program are no longer being accepted.
Please use the button below to receive notification about the Summer 2025 program when it's available.
ECJS Lab Thought Leadership
ECJS Lab examines critical issues and conducts scholarly and applied research through major thematic research initiatives, practitioner collaborations, public forums, and topical outreach and programming.
Our affiliated faculty are prominent scholars and practitioners who actively contribute thought leadership in journals, media, podcasts, and other outlets.
Working Papers
Explore current research being done by The ECJS Lab community.
Geopolitics of Cross-Border Electricity Grids — A working paper
Amy Myers Jaffe, Ted Loch-Temzelides, and Chiara Lo Prete
Preparing for Novel Extreme Weather Events in the United States: Lessons from Disasters
Jenna Clark, Bethany Tietjen, Amy Myers Jaffe, Saskia Salak, Erin Coughlan de Perez
Electricity grids and geopolitics: A game-theoretic analysis of the synchronization of the Baltic States’ electricity networks with Continental Europe
Songying Fang, Amy Myers Jaffe, Ted Loch-Temzelides, Chiara Lo Prete
Diversity and Inclusion in Public Clean Energy Innovation Programs in the United States.
Soyoung Oh, Amy Myers Jaffe, Kelly Sims Gallagher, Rosa Dominguez-Faus, and Emily Dahl
Events & Sign Up
Join our email list to receive updates and resources from our community and invitations to events and conversations.
View videos from previous events on our YouTube page.
Donate & Contact Us
Research, Education, & Special Events:
The Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab undertakes education and research activities related to evidence-based technologies and policy solutions at the local, national, and global scale. The Lab aims to be a driver of positive change in energy and food security, community resilience and wellbeing, urban sustainability, and climate justice and finance.
Support our research, education, & special events:
Global Climate Justice Fellows
Our Global Climate Justice Fellows program is designed to give NYU graduate degree students hands-on experience in the world of climate action. The program aims to create a community of next-generation leaders focused on the intersection of the environment, social justice, climate change, and sustainability. Each fellow will be offered a specially designed experiential learning opportunity working alongside climate and sustainability leaders from the private sector, environmental non-profits, multilateral agencies, climate activist organizations, and government sectors in the United States and internationally.
Through their Global Climate Justice Fellows’ experiences, students will be able to broaden their knowledge of sustainability practice, build leadership skills, and gain valuable work experience in the field of sustainability and climate action.
Support the Global Climate Justice Fellows program:
NYU Electricity Initiative
The NYU Electricity Initiative is a multifaceted program that promotes original, forward-looking discussion and evidence-based research and educational programs aimed at broadening understanding of the increasingly complex landscape facing the electricity sector today. The initiative brings together leading policy experts, utilities, developers, data companies, digital security providers, technology companies and non-governmental organizations to explore issues that are shaping the electricity future in North America and internationally. The mission of the NYU Electricity Initiative is to help elucidate new trends – both local and international – that are shaping the nature of electricity markets and influencing the reliability, affordability, and sustainability of electricity supply in the United States and the world.
The Initiative aims to serve as a focal point for the exchange of ideas on how to improve understanding of the technological, economic, and social forces influencing energy markets today and fashion original, forward-looking discussion and research on business solutions and sound public policy.
The Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab is seeking support to expand the NYU Electricity Initiative activities, including student experiential sponsorships, global climate justice fellowships, practicum consulting projects, and Lab workshop events.
Support the NYU Electicity Initiative:
Contact Us
Please email us at ECJSLab@nyu.edu
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