Conference Description
Monday, October 21, 2019
9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Low Memorial Library, Columbia University
In early 2019, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced the Green New Deal, a bold and ambitious resolution intended to combat climate change, address inequality, and revitalize the US economy. Some have endorsed the resolution as the economic paradigm shift needed to tackle the threat of climate change, but others dismiss it as a progressive agenda with potentially dangerous economic consequences. While support for the plan is undeniably divided, there is widespread belief that the United States faces profound environmental, social, and economic threats.
At the center of debate about the Green New Deal is a question about its direction, scope, and feasibility. Is the plan a visionary blueprint intended to address the country’s most pressing problems, or is it a set of misguided proposals that are unattainable and costly?
This full-day conference, in the format of a debate, will focus on key policy areas addressed by the Green New Deal: healthcare, education, infrastructure, climate change, and government finances. The goal of the event is to bring together policymakers, senior executives, academics, and other thought leaders to debate the Green New Deal and develop a pathway toward real and impactful change.
Program
Please note that the program may change in the weeks leading up to the conference.
Program Panel I
8:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m. Breakfast and Registration
9:00 a.m.–9:25 a.m. Remarks by Pierre Yared, Gillian Lester, and Richard Richman
- Pierre Yared, MUTB Professor of International Business, Columbia Business School
- Gillian Lester, Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law, Columbia Law School
- Richard Richman, Chairman and Founder, The Richman Group
9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m. Economic Security
Program Panel II
- Matthew Continetti, Founding Editor, The Washington Free Beacon
- Ioana Marinescu, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice
- Albert Wenger, Managing Partner, Union Square Ventures
- Moderated by Robert Smith, Host, NPR’s Planet Money
10:30 a.m.–10:45 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Remarks by Costis Maglaras
- Costis Maglaras, Dean, David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business, Columbia Business School
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Energy and the Environment
View Energy and the Environment Panel Video
- Robert Bryce, Author and Filmmaker
- Dan Carol, Director, Center for Financial Markets, Milken Institute
- Jonathan Elkind, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy
- Moderated by Alexis Crow, Senior Fellow, Richard Paul Richman Center, and Geopolitical Investing Lead, PwC
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. Government Debt
View Government Debt Panel Video
- Jared Bernstein, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President, American Action Forum
- Stephanie Kelton, Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Stony Brook University
- Moderated by Kate Davidson, Economic Policy Reporter
2:30 p.m.–2:45 p.m. Break
2:45 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Healthcare
- James C. Capretta, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- Sherry Glied, Dean and Professor of Public Service, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, NYU
- Steffie Woolhandler, Distinguished Professor of Public Health, City University of New York at Hunter College
- Moderated by Margot Sanger-Katz, Correspondent, New York Times
3:45 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Break
4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Education
- Sandy Baum, Senior Fellow, The Urban Institute
- David Bergeron, Senior Fellow for Postsecondary Education Policy, Center for American Progress
- Max Eden, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
- Moderated by Erik German, Senior Fellow, Richard Paul Richman Center, and Producer, Retro Report
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. Closing Remarks and Reception
This event is open to the public and on the record. Advance registration is required to attend. By attending, you consent to appearing in any photos or videos produced by the Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy or affiliated third parties. No personal recordings are allowed. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us in advance at [email protected].