On August 12^th, the 2025‘Climate x’ Leadership Training Program, hosted by the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate, successfully held the third lecture, focusing Climate x Nature.

Dr. Jenna Lawrence, a Columbia Climate School lecturer and biodiversity specialist with global field experience such as Peruvian Amazon, Jordan, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and the Mekong region. She will deliver a session on the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change and their interconnected relationship.

Dr. Dilip Naidu from Indian Institute of Science conducts interdisciplinary research on climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, employing data-driven approaches from field observations to remote sensing. His session will explore the terrestrial carbon cycle's key drivers—from microbial to global scales—using the latest research and monitoring tools to assess ecosystem resilience across spatiotemporal scales.

Their combined expertise brought a vital biodiversity and nature perspective to the climate discussion, illustrating how the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change are deeply interlinked. Dr. Lawrence outlined biodiversity at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels, showing how low-diversity systems, such as monocultures, are more vulnerable to environmental change, and how food systems contribute to habitat loss, compounding climate impacts. Dr. Naidu explored the terrestrial carbon cycle from local to global scales, highlighting carbon storage in oceans, soils, and permafrost, and the risks posed by warming-induced feedback loops, seasonal vegetation dynamics, and microbial activity. Together, they emphasized the importance of integrated approaches to safeguard ecosystem services, strengthen resilience, and address climate change in a holistic manner.

The 2025 Climate x Leadership Training Program, hosted by the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC), and strategically supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and GAUC's global partners, aims to empower youth with the knowledge, skills, and tools to become the climate leaders of tomorrow. The program inspires participants to envision a sustainable future, take meaningful action, and unlock their potential as leaders for a carbon-neutral future.

The second lecture of Climate x Nature week will take place on August 14th, led by Prof. Fabio from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, on how chemistry is powering the future of clean aviation.

Reporter: Maximilian Arras

Editor: Najiang An

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