Duke University has announced the launch of a university-wide initiative focused on addressing climate change and its $36 million in initial gifts toward the effort.

The Duke Climate Commitment aims to unite the university’s education, research, operations, and public service missions toward creating climate change solutions with a focus on environmental and climate justice. Initial commitments for the initiative include $25 million from alumni Ginny Nicholas (’64) and the late Pete Nicholas (’64), along with their children J.K. Nicholas (’89, MBA ’96), Katherine Nicholas (’94), and Peter M. Nicholas, Jr. (’92, MBA ’98) and his wife, Christina Nicholas. Longtime supporters of the university, the Nicholas family previously awarded the naming gift for the Nicholas School of the Environment.

Additional commitments include $5 million from the Duke Endowment; $2.125 million from trustee Jeff Ubben (’83) and Laurie Ubben (’84), and $2.125 million from Mike Stone (’84) and Karen Stone to help endow a professorship in environmental economics or policy in the Nicholas School of the Environment; $750,000 from trustee Katy Hollister (’81) and Brad Miller (’81) to create a program that tackles climate issues using the principles of design; and $700,000 from Cindy Marrs (’84) and John Marrs in support of courses and co-curricular activities in climate finance.

“This is such an exciting—and unprecedented—moment for Duke,” said Duke University president Vincent E. Price. “We are very grateful for the support of our generous alumni and friends in this effort, which will enable Duke to create sustainable and equitable solutions that will place society on the path to a resilient, flourishing, net-zero-carbon world. We know we can do it—we know that we will do it—because Duke is in it, together, for life.”

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