Plantact! Plants for Climate Action – Growing a Resilient Society

This event was hosted by the University of Cologne New York Office together with the UoC Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences CEPLAS and partners, promoting the new European initiative “PlantACT! Plants for Climate Action” in the U.S. with a 2-day long experts’ workshop and a public panel discussion. These events were organized in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, the German Consulate General New York, the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York, and the German Research Foundation (DFG) North America. We thank the John Templeton Foundation for their generous support.

This panel discussion showcases the PlantACT! initiative which brings together leading plant scientists and other stakeholders with the aim of tackling climate change challenges. From finding solutions to the future of global food production, to reducing agriculture-based emissions, PlantACT! shows research in action.

Watch this recording to:

- Hear solutions by plant scientists from both sides of the Atlantic for a transition to sustainable agriculture and land use

- Learn how plants, soil and microbes can serve as actors for climate mitigation

- Discover how you can get involved with PlantACT! and contribute to interdisciplinary knowledge-exchange


Music by Carolyn Enger, Pianist


Welcome Rounds Panel:

- Christian Hannemann, German Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York

- Mariella de Carvalho, German Consulate General New York

- Georg Bechtold, German Research Foundation (DFG) North America

- Julia Helmes, German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York

Moderated by: Eva Bosbach, University of Cologne New York Office


Keynote Address by Jamil Ahmad, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, United Nations Environment Program New York


Our Experts

- Stanislav Kopriva, Professor, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne

- Heribert Hirt, Professor, Biological and Environmental Science, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Speaker PlantACT! Initiative

- Joanne Chory, HHMI Professor and Director, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies

- Cynthia Gleason, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University

- Svenja Augustin, PhD Student, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS)

Moderated by Yaena Kwon, Freelance Journalist, Visiting Research Fellow at Harvard University

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