Chicago climate and urban sustainability researcher to moderate panel with national and international collaborators from the CLEETS Global Center
CHICAGO – How can road transportation accelerate economic growth and social connectivity — while minimizing pollution and climate change?
To address this global challenge, an international panel of experts will discuss accelerating sustainable and equitable transportation at the upcoming Science Summit during the United Nations General Assembly in September.
The panel, “Clean Energy and Equitable Transportation Solutions,” will highlight the work of the Clean Energy and Equitable Transportation Solutions Global Center. Led by Discovery Partners Institute, part of the University of Illinois System, CLEETS is at the forefront of multidisciplinary efforts to fast-track the decarbonization of road transportation. By enabling collaboration across government, private sector, industry and consumers, the center aims to develop transportation solutions that not only drive economic and technological growth and nurture social connections but also mitigate environmental impact.
CLEETS Director Ashish Sharma, also DPI’s climate and urban sustainability lead, emphasized the significance of bringing global leaders working at the intersection of climate and transportation sectors on an international stage.
“This is a moment for us to highlight the urgent need to join forces,” he said. “Our commitment as a global center is to push limits in developing partnerships to reduce emissions through innovative, human-centric solutions that prioritize environmental health and equity.”
Emissions, technology, and policy
Moderated by Sharma and led by several CLEETS researchers, the panel will be livestreamed Sept. 18 from 8 to 11 a.m. CDT.
Panelists will discuss the foundational components of CLEETS’ strategy, including:
- Transportation emissions, how they relate to air quality and climate change, and barriers to adopting cleaner transportation technology
- Possible technologies that could accelerate adoption of clean transportation
- Human-centric and policy-driven decarbonization efforts
The panelists
In addition to Sharma, the panel includes Edith Makra, director of environmental initiatives at the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and a member of CLEETS’ advisory council, along with CLEETS researchers in data science, climate, and energy:
- Venkat Venkatakrishnan, DPI’s director of research
- Rajesh Kumar, project scientist with the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Atmospheric Research
- Liana Cipcigan, professor at Cardiff University’s School of Engineering
- Andrew Quinn, professor of climate adaptation at the University of Birmingham
- Marty Anderies, professor in Arizona State University’s School of Evolution and Social Change, School of Sustainability, and School of Complex Adaptive Systems.
Joining them is a lineup of international expert representatives from industry and policy to address how CLEETS’ current efforts can scale globally and across different sectors.
Quotes from Key Stakeholders
“This Global Center gives us the opportunity to develop solutions in the U.K. and the U.S. at a scale that can transform our cities and regions and how these partnerships can be extended globally,” said UK CLEETS lead Jonathan Radcliffe at the University of Birmingham.
“CLEETS exemplifies NSF’s mission to forge strategic partnerships,” said NSF Global Centers program manager Paul Raterron. “The health of our ecosystems and the future resilience of our communities call for a collective response from scientists, researchers and engineers to work together across disciplines to foster innovation and generate solutions.”
Join us at the Science Summit to be part of the conversation shaping the future of transportation. Register for the CLEETS session