School Notes: School of the Environment
September/October 2022

Most countries short of climate goals

Almost all countries are not on track to meet the net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal established by the 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact, according to the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), an analysis by Yale and Columbia researchers that provides a data-driven summary of the state of sustainability around the world. The 2022 EPI ranks 180 countries on 40 performance indicators covering climate change, environmental public health, and ecosystem vitality. While a handful of countries—including the United Kingdom and Denmark—are on track to reach GHG neutrality by 2050, the United States (ranked 43rd) is projected to be among the four largest greenhouse gas emitters in 2050, alongside China, India, and Russia. “Major countries have much more work to do than they may have realized if the world is to avoid the potentially devastating impacts of climate change,” said Daniel Esty ’86JD, Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy and director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy that produces the EPI every two years. (Full rankings can be found at epi.yale.edu.)

Professor retires after decades at YSE

YSE associate dean for international engagement Gordon Geballe ’81PhD retired in June after a nearly 50-year affiliation with the school and Yale. Geballe began at Yale as a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, then began a postdoc with Professor William Smith ’63MF in Greeley Lab. He began teaching as a postdoc and also became an undergraduate lecturer in environmental studies, an appointment he held until his retirement. Geballe was appointed assistant dean at YSE in the 1980s, providing support for everything from admissions and financial aid to registration and facilities—with students always at the center. “He is probably the greatest student champion there is at the school,” said a former colleague.