Cornell Engineering and IPG Mediabrands, the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group, announced a unique partnership on April 18 to leverage marketing investments to accelerate Cornell-led sustainability research.

At their second annual Sustainability Forum, IPG Mediabrands unveiled a new Climate Action Accelerator Program to provide their clients and media partners with streamlined access to sustainability solutions. As the only higher education institution among the inaugural collection of participating organizations, Cornell will provide IPG Mediabrands’ clients the opportunity to support world-class research to drive climate solutions forward.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with a research institution of Cornell Engineering’s caliber to advance climate-responsive research,” said Martin Bryan, the global chief sustainability officer of IPG Mediabrands. “The importance of these partnerships cannot be stressed enough. We must all work together to create durable, meaningful and measurable climate solutions.”

IPG Mediabrands manages over $47 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients across its full-service agency networks. By leveraging partnerships within these networks, they are able to generate cash savings for clients. The Climate Action Accelerator Program will enable those savings to support Cornell research, among other strategic sustainability efforts.

Credit: Charissa King-O'Brien

“Cornell Engineering is developing the tools, the knowledge and the workforce necessary to build a sustainable future,” said Jillian Goldfarb, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and the lead faculty member for this initiative.

In her own lab, Goldfarb upcycles wastes to sustainable materials to keep excess carbon out of the atmosphere. Her collaborations with industry partners have helped bring biochars made from wood waste in upstate New York and New England to market and convert industrial process waste into new materials for water purification.

"I deeply appreciate IPG Mediabrands’ recognition and promotion of Cornell Engineering’s innovative research that can help companies build lasting change within and beyond their organizations to advance sustainable solutions to pressing challenges,” she said.

Goldfarb participated in a panel discussion at the IPG Mediabrands headquarters in New York City to kick off the Climate Action Accelerator Program. During the discussion, when asked what gives her hope, Goldfarb noted that she teaches and mentors the next generation of changemakers every day.

“You can’t be a professor at Cornell and not have hope for our ability to solve the climate crisis,” she said.