Brighter Green Partnering with Students

Brighter Green has been working with students at Teachers College at Columbia University and a student at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government to conduct research.

During the spring semester, we partnered with four graduate students at the Tisch Food Center in the Program in Nutrition, Teachers College, Columbia University to study how a plant-based diet could support New York City’s climate resiliency strategies and enhance its commitments to food security and food justice. On June 13th, Lesley Kroupa, one of our graduate student partners, and Martin Rowe, who coordinates the Vegan America Project, presented research findings to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. You can read more about the presentation here.

Additionally, Kara Kaufman, a Master’s student in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (also Mia MacDonald’s alma mater), completed her thesis answering this question: How can Brighter Green more effectively elevate agriculture and animal-based food production at the United Nations climate negotiations, alone and with its Food and Climate Alliance partners

Through analysis of interviews, case studies, existing literature, and direct observation at the 24th Annual United Nations climate change negotiations, Kaufman produced several key findings and short and long-term recommendations for Brighter Green. She recommends that Brighter Green create a communications strategy that complements that of the Food and Climate Alliance as well as expand and diversify its coalition partners. Kaufman also suggests Brighter Green build relationships with Parties of the UNFCCC and connect the Parties with other policymakers and members of civil society in order to effectively elevate agriculture at the United Nations climate negotiations. You can read the executive summary here.