Private company

The Earth Institute

Research institute at Columbia University

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1995Founded¹

HeadquartersNew York City¹
Websitewww.earth.columbia.edu

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Ei blue1 — Photo: Eel33uyk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons⁴

The Earth Institute was a research institute at Columbia University created in 1995 for addressing complex issues facing the planet and its inhabitants, with a focus on sustainable development. With an interdisciplinary approach, this includes research in climate change, geology, global health, economics, management, agriculture, ecosystems, urbanization, energy, hazards, and water. The Earth Institute's activities were guided by the idea that science and technological tools that already exist could be applied to greatly improve conditions for the world's poor, while preserving the natural systems that support life on Earth.²

Corporate structure

The Earth Institute sits at the top of its group. 12 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

The Earth Institute New York City
- Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity Subsidiary · United States
- Center for Hazards and Risk Research Subsidiary · United States
- Center for Rivers and Estuaries Subsidiary · United States
- Center for Sustainable Development Subsidiary · United States
- Center for Sustainable Urban Development Subsidiary · United States
- Center on Capitalism and Society Subsidiary · United States
- Earth Engineering Center Subsidiary · United States
- International Research Institute for Climate and Society Subsidiary · United States
- Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory Subsidiary · Palisades, United States
- Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy Subsidiary · United States
- National Center for Disaster Preparedness Subsidiary · United States

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

Products and brands

In 2021, The Earth Institute was dissolved and its resources and research units were absorbed by the Columbia Climate School.

Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory

Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity

Center for Climate Systems Research (CCSR)

Read the full text

Center for Integrated Earth System Information (CIESIN)

Center for Sustainable Development (CSD)

Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD)

Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions (CSAS)

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI)

Columbia Water Center (CWC)

International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI)

Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy (LCSE)

National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP)

Quadracci Sustainable Engineering Lab (QSEL)

Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management

From Wikipedia’s article on The Earth Institute, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.³

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity
Center for Hazards and Risk Research
Center for Rivers and Estuaries
Center for Sustainable Development
Center for Sustainable Urban Development
Center on Capitalism and Society
Earth Engineering Center
Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory
Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy
International Research Institute for Climate and Society since 2005
National Center for Disaster Preparedness since 2005

From Wikidata.¹

Acquisitions

2005Acquired International Research Institute for Climate and Society¹
2005Acquired National Center for Disaster Preparedness¹

Timeline

1995Founded Founded¹

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

1
WikidataThe Earth Institute on Wikidata
2
WikipediaThe Earth Institute on Wikipedia
3
WikipediaThe Earth Institute on Wikipedia (revision used)
4
Wikimedia CommonsThe Earth Institute photo by Eel33uyk, CC BY-SA 4.0