The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth is excited to announce its 2026-2027 cohort of Distinguished Fellows. New to the cohort this year is José Alexandre Scheinkman, a professor at Columbia who has been chairing the COP30 President’s Council on Economics, Finance and Climate. Scheinkman will join the Institute’s current cohort of fellows in sharing his perspective and expertise and serving as a resource for students, faculty, and staff.
Scheinkman joins returning fellows Sue Biniaz, former Principal Deputy Special Envoy for Climate and the lead U.S. climate lawyer for more than 25 years, Hina Rabbani Khar, a Pakistani stateswoman who was the 26th Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Andrew Light, the former Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the Department of Energy and senior climate advisor and India counsellor at the State Department, and John Podesta, the former Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy at The White House.
The Institute is also welcoming Jane Flegal, former Senior Director for Industrial Emissions at the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, as a nonresident fellow. Flegal will participate in events and strategic policy engagements.
“We are thrilled and honored to welcome our latest cohort of fellows, who each bring significant national and international climate leadership and expertise to campus,” says Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and director of the Institute. “Their unique perspectives will further our mission to identify ways for the world to balance its climate and growth goals and ensure that these ideas take hold so that people around the world can live fuller and healthier lives.”
José Alexandre Scheinkman is the Charles and Lynn Zhang Professor of Economics at Columbia, Theodore Wells ‘29 Professor of Economics (emeritus) at Princeton, Research Associate at NBER, and Fellow of CEPR. Previously, Scheinkman was Alvin H. Baum Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago, Blaise Pascal Research Professor (France), Visiting Professor at Collège de France, and Vice-President in the Financial Strategies Group of Goldman, Sachs. Scheinkman is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow of the American Finance Association, and recipient of a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship and of a “doctorat honoris causa” from the Université Paris-Dauphine.
“The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth at the University of Chicago is a world leader in research on climate economics. We have already been working together on The Roadmap of the COP 30 Presidency, an important document for future climate negotiations,” said Scheinkman. “It is an honor to be appointed Distinguished Fellow and I look forward to continuing this great collaboration on climate economics research and policy.”
Returning Distinguished Fellows
Sue Biniaz, Former Principal Deputy Special Envoy for Climate, United States
Hina Rabbani Khar, Former Foreign Minister of Pakistan
Andrew Light, Former Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy
John Podesta, Founder, Center for American Progress; Former White House Senior Adviser for International Climate Policy
Nonresident Fellow
Jane Flegal is a Senior Fellow at the Searchlight Institute and The States Forum. Previously, she was the inaugural Executive Director at the Blue Horizons Foundation, a philanthropic organization focused on climate change and clean energy. Jane was the Market Development and Policy Lead at Stripe Climate and Frontier, a more than $1 billion advance market commitment to purchase permanent carbon dioxide removal. Prior to joining Stripe, Jane was the Senior Director for Industrial Emissions at the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, where she was responsible for developing and advancing policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote technological advancement, and support job creation in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. Previously, Jane directed the US Climate Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, as well as the Environment Program at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust. In 2023, Jane was named one of Vox’s Future Perfect 50, which recognizes 50 thought leaders working to make the world a better place. Jane holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.
“Smart climate policies also bring economic opportunity by accelerating technological innovation, strengthening manufacturing, and creating the jobs that power a more sustainable future,” says Flegal. “The Institute is committed to supporting research and shaping dialogues that explore these opportunities. I’m honored to share my perspective and be part of the ongoing dialogue to advance practical solutions to the climate challenge.”