How a New York University class met the climate crisis: NYU SPS Real World x The Exchange
Last fall, The New York Climate Exchange’s (The Exchange) collaborative model entered the university classroom. 18 students enrolled in a “Real World” course through NYU's School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS). The goal? Tackle an interdisciplinary challenge, or “wicked problem”, in service of The Exchange's mission—advancing climate solutions that are equitable, scalable, and grounded in the realities of urban life.
Professor Demetrius Thornton, who led the course, noted widespread interest in the subject. 80% of the students came from outside the United States—Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, China, and beyond—ideal for a course focused on global climate action. Thornton explains that these students didn't just study the abstract dimensions of climate change; they embodied them, bringing lived experience from coastlines, megacities, and ecosystems facing compounding climate pressures around the world.
The course, part of NYU SPS’ "Real World" program, places students inside actual organizations grappling with tangible problems. Students approached the work from the perspective of an institution operating at the intersection of climate, capital, community, and governance. They started from The Exchange's founding concept and explored how to scale it to global magnitude. What would it look like to replicate this model of interdisciplinary, place-based climate action in Jakarta, Santiago, or Dhaka?
This is the kind of question that led 48 cross-sector partners to create The New York Climate Exchange. As our mission suggests, the urgent, complex challenges of climate change cannot be solved by a single discipline or institution working alone. By opening our doors to students who personally understand what climate vulnerability looks like across the world, we deepen that commitment.
“The New York Climate Exchange challenge was particularly engaging because of the complexity of balancing infrastructure, resources, and operational constraints while trying to develop practical solutions aligned with the strategic objectives,” shared Lucas Rasamoely, one of the students involved in the course. “I learned a great deal through the process, and visiting Governors Island made the experience meaningful by allowing us to see the site firsthand and make realistic, tangible recommendations.”
Several themes emerged from the class, split into four teams:
One group focused on community integration, emphasizing that The Exchange is not just preparing a campus, but preparing a city ready to use it. Their framing centered on making climate visible, local, and human.
One group positioned The Exchange as a global climate partnership hub that connects capital, research, and public engagement through education and immersive experiences.
Another envisioned The Exchange as a catalyst for transforming cities into real world laboratories where governance, data, and finance converge to validate and scale climate solutions.
A fourth team proposed a climate tech exchange model that connects solutions, talent, capital, and data in a more market-facing, tech-forward ecosystem.
One theme that tied all four groups together: climate solutions don't emerge from siloes. They emerge from diverse perspectives meeting at one table. This course brought all of that together— the friction of disciplines and the urgency of people who understand what's at stake.
"Working on the New York Climate Exchange challenge pushed me to move past climate as a distant, abstract issue and focus on what makes action feel personal and urgent, shared Nada Elsharkawy, another student who participated in the course. “What stood out most was how grounded The Exchange is in its values and how generously the team made time to listen to our ideas. I believe The Exchange can build real momentum by making impact visible and local through storytelling, public engagement, and education that reaches New Yorkers of all ages."
The Exchange is grateful to Professor Thorton and NYU SPS for using The Exchange as a launchpad to imagine and innovate a better future. We can’t wait to see The Exchange’s model pop up in more classrooms, board rooms, and community spaces—in New York City and beyond.