Stanford’s Climate Week Sparks Interdisciplinary Collaboration for a Sustainable Future

Stanford University’s inaugural Climate Week made history, bringing together students, faculty, and community members across all seven schools to engage in over 40 events dedicated to climate action and sustainability. As a global leader in climate research and innovation, Stanford students recognized a surprising gap in the university’s offerings: a dedicated event bringing together students from all disciplines to explore and address the climate crisis. Co-founded by students Mary Lee ‘26, Marco Sie ‘25, and Avni Vats ‘26, Climate Week aimed to bridge disciplines, showing that climate action isn’t just for environmental studies students but for everyone, no matter their field. From discussions on carbon sequestration and renewable energy to hands-on activities like mural making and even an ocean swim club, the week brought the Stanford community together in creative and meaningful ways. As Mary Lee, one of the co-founders, put it, “What stood out to me during Climate Week is the power of our university to bridge different communities across campus.”

The success of the event lay not just in the sheer number of activities, but in how it sparked collaboration. With everything from climate policy talks to learning about how startups scale in the sustainability sector, the week offered students an opportunity to think about how their own fields could contribute to solving the climate crisis. Marco Sie noted that sustainability is still a relatively new space for many, but the week proved that it’s full of opportunities for real, impactful change. Avni Vats captured the energy of the week, saying, “Witnessing hundreds of passionate individuals converge around our shared climate mission… The momentum is inspiring.” The event didn’t end with the final day of Climate Week – plans for a student-led climate group spanning all seven schools are already underway, ensuring that the energy from the week is sustained. This group will provide an ongoing platform for students to continue collaborating, learning, and driving climate action long after the week concludes.

Looking forward, the impact of Stanford’s Climate Week is expected to ripple beyond campus. Stanford’s full-scale, student-driven Climate Week is the first of this kind in the higher education space. The hope is that this will inspire other campuses to follow suit, creating similar spaces for students to come together and take action. Next year’s Climate Week promises to be bigger and even more impactful, with expanded funding, more events, and involvement from industry leaders and policy makers. With its focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and student-led action, Stanford Climate Week has set a new precedent for what university-wide climate initiatives can look like, igniting momentum that will last far beyond the event itself.