About the Program

From devastating natural disasters to a global pandemic, the effects of climate change continue to be more pressing, extreme, and far-reaching than ever before. By providing young leaders with opportunities to converse with top scholars and communicators in the field, the 2024 Smart Talks on Climate Change Program, co-organized by Yale Center Beijing and Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture (YCNCC), aims to endow next generation change-makers with useful insights to tackle critical issues facing our planet. The 2024 Program will focus on natural carbon capture and will culminate in an essay competition, with details to follow.

Program Schedule

*The following are all China Standard Times

10月1日
October 1 (Tuesday)
7:30-7:45 pm
Opening Ceremony

Liza Comita
Professor of Tropical Forest Ecology, Yale School of the Environment
Co-Director, Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture

Carol Rafferty ’00
Executive Director, Yale Center Beijing

7:50-9:05 pm
Nature-Based Solutions in Asia

Satrio Wicaksono
2024 Yale Climate Fellow

9:10-10:25 pm
Managing Forests for Carbon and Biodiversity

Sara Kuebbing
Research Director, Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program
Lecturer, Yale School of the Environment

October 2 (Wednesday)
7:30-8:45 pm
Fixing Forest Carbon Credits

Lucy Page
Postdoctoral Associate, Yale Economic Growth Center and Macmillan Center

9:00-10:15 pm
Biochar & Cross-Laminated Timber as Climate Solutions

Yuan Yao
Associate Professor of Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Systems, Yale School of the Environment

October 3 (Thursday)
7:30-8:45 pm
Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Carbon Storage

Stephen Wood
Associate Research Scientist & Lecturer, Yale School of the Environment

9:00-10:15 pm
Harnessing the Ocean: Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

Luke Gloege
Postdoctoral Associate, The Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University

October 4 (Friday)
7:30-8:45 pm
Enhanced Rock Weathering: a Geological Climate Solution

Noah Planavsky
Associate Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University

9:00-10:15 pm
Animals in the Carbon Cycle: Rewilding as a Climate Solution

Oswald Schmitz
Oastler Professor of Population and Community Ecology, Yale School of the Environment

October 5 (Saturday)
7:30-8:45 pm
Social Dimensions of Forest Restoration

Eva Garen
Director, Yale's Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative

9:00-10:15 pm
Writing on Climate Change 1

Aaron Reiss ’10
Freelance Researcher, Journalist, and Cartographer

October 6 (Sunday)
9:00-10:15 pm
Writing on Climate Change 2

Aaron Reiss ’10
Freelance Researcher, Journalist, and Cartographer

October 7 (Monday)
7:30-8:45 pm
Remote Sensing for Monitoring Deforestation

Luke Sanford
Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy and Governance, Yale School of the Environment

9:00-9:15 pm
Climate Change Solution

Toby Bryce
Managing Director, Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture

9:15-9:20 pm
Housekeeping on Writing Competition

Yan Zhu
Associate Research Scientist, Yale School of the Environment

Devin Lau '09
Associate Director, Yale Center Beijing

Program Information

01 TIme and Date

Every evening from October 1 to October 7 (CST)

02 Language

English

03Program Information

• 10+ lecture and discussion sessions;
• Opportunity to participate in a writing competition co-hosted by Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture and Yale Center Beijing (details of the competition will be announced soon);
• Winning entries will be published on Yale website and social media platforms;
• Free access to videos of selected sessions from past programs, including sessions by William Nordhaus, Nobel Laureate in Economics and Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale, Yale Law School professors, other Yale faculty members;
• Opportunity to receive financial support for the program fees;
• A certificate of completion for those who attend all sessions. 

04 How to Participate

*Please download and install the Zoom Application beforehand. Yale Center Beijing’s staff will contact confirmed participants for further testing in advance of the program to ensure a pleasant experience.

05 Requirements

• Recommendation: 16 years old or older;
• English language proficiency for meaningful participation during discussions;
• One “fast take” response about why this program interests you (in English).

06 Fee

• Flash Sale (only till August 26): RMB 3,688
• Back-to-School Sale (till August 31): RMB 3,888
• Teachers' Day Sale (till September 10): RMB 3,899
• Mid-Autumn Festival Sale (till September 17): RMB 3,999
• Last Call Sale (till September 27): RMB 4,088
• Standard Ticket: RMB 5,188

*Financial support (which helps to defray the participant’s fee) is available to a limited number of outstanding participants who register for this program. If you wish to apply for financial support, indicate what makes you an ideal recipient for the support? (For example, highlight your qualifications, achievements, leadership experience, community involvement, proven dedication to your interest, etc.) 

*The registration fee for the event is non-refundable. Unless due to a force majeure reason, Yale Center Beijing will not refund any part of the registration fee if a participant fails to attend the event.

07 Contact

Please call +86 13810559940 (Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 18:00 pm) or send an email to yalecenterbeijing@yale.edu for inquiries.

To apply, scan the QR code below, or click HERE.