Tisch Climate Change Initiatives
Climate change, sustainability, and artistic activism have served as central pillars of Dean Allyson Green’s tenure. During her 11-year term as dean, Dean Green has prioritized climate change education and creative storytelling as a vehicle to address urgent environmental issues. Behind a dynamic slate of events and initiatives, and in partnership with Collaborative Arts and Professor Peter Terezakis, Tisch School of the Arts continues to be a habitat where forward-looking artists communicate climate challenges and develop innovative solutions.
Below, we take a look back at how Dean Green has helped shape climate- and science-based programming at NYU and Tisch.
2017
Tisch spearheaded the first first University-wide Climate Action Conference in March 2017. The two-day conference facilitated multi-disciplinary conversations with environmental leaders and participants in order to develop concrete strategies for dealing with climate change.
2019
In April 2019, the Dean's Office hosted a month-long celebration of the environment and developed Tisch’s Earth Day Presentations, a series of curated presentations and discussions on critical issues facing humanity.
2021
Dean Green and Professor Peter Terezakis helped present “Climate Change Diaspora: Our World, Our Problem,” a discussion on how mitigating climate-related displacement and migration will become one of humanity’s greatest challenges. The Earth Day event was produced with an eye toward expanding on Professor Terezakis’ Abrupt Climate Change course.
2023
Professor Peter Terezakis, along with the Department of Collaborative Arts, hosted the inaugural Global Climate Change Film Festival, a showcase of science-based and climate-focused videos sharing awareness, proposing solutions, and advocating for positive change throughout the global NYU community.
Additionally, following emergency warnings published in 2022 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s report, NYU Provost Gigi Dopico moderated “Follow the Carbon: A Path to Net Zero,” a conversation focused on the critical role of storytelling in the communication of climate science, and the importance of achieving Net Carbon Zero goals in the arts and science.
2024
Collaborative Arts presented the second annual Global Climate Change Film Festival on April 26, followed by “Abrupt Climate Change and Health,” a conversation with environmental scholars and leaders about how climate change impacts our health.
2025
NYU and Tisch present the Third Annual Climate Change Film Festival on April 21. This year’s winning films are scheduled to be showcased at the Marché du Film in Cannes on May 15, and at the Icefjord Center in Ilulissat on June 6.