On April 24, 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the Trust for Governors Island, and State University of New York (SUNY) Stony Brook unveiled plans for the New York Climate Exchange, a first-of-its-kind regional center for climate education, research, and outreach, housed on Governors Island in New York Harbor. Partner institutions in the Exchange, including Duke, aim to tackle urgent climate challenges through collaborative efforts, particularly for challenges with environmental justice implications, and work to develop interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary solutions for urban climate change.
Duke will play an integral role in developing and implementing the vision for the Exchange, which is slated to begin construction — including retrofitting some existing buildings on Governors Island — in 2025 and be open to the public in 2028. Although the Exchange is currently still in its nascency, anticipated plans for the Exchange campus include learning spaces, labs and classrooms, where Duke students will be able to participate in domestic study-abroad opportunities, with the potential for additional co-curricular activities, such as future Bass Connections and Climate+ teams, to be hosted on-site at the Exchange campus. Duke faculty and researchers will have opportunities to collaborate with other members of the Exchange on research and translation projects aimed at promoting equitable solutions to urban climate challenges. Additionally, the Exchange will host workforce development opportunities for those in the New York City area to facilitate sustainable transitions away from carbon-intensive operations and lifestyles.
More information about the Exchange will be available as plans are developed. Duke leaders involved in the Exchange anticipate hosting a special Duke community forum, to be held later in the 2023-24 academic year (date TBD) for Duke community members to bring questions about the Exchange and Duke’s participation within it.