Gift Breaks Ground on Energy and Farming Research

The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce a gift from alumnus Carl H. Goldsmith (W ‘88) to support research on the carbon management potential of regenerative agricultural practices.

This new gift establishes a five-year research agenda that focuses on the development of carbon measurement strategies and farming practices to help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.  

Researchers at the Kleinman Center are particularly interested in the intersection of energy policy and the food supply chain. Thirty-one percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions originate from the world’s agri-food systems, and here in the United States agriculture is responsible for 11% of our total emissions. Most of today’s farming practices leech nutrients; degrade soils; maximize methane and nitrous oxide emissions; require substantial inputs including petroleum-based fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; and squander the considerable carbon sequestration potential of responsible land management.

Regenerative practices would improve the long-term sustainability and productivity of agricultural soils while helping us achieve an energy transition with net-zero carbon emissions through natural sequestration. Effective policy recommendations require new research to measure and verify these practices across time and space in order to design efficient incentives.

Penn is well-positioned for this innovative work with expertise across multiple schools and disciplines—including scholars in engineering, design, arts and sciences, and veterinary medicine. The Goldsmith gift will fund both faculty and students—including a designated PhD student who will graduate from the Kleinman Center’s new energy policy program.

This gift is Goldsmith’s second to the Kleinman Center. In 2017 he established the Goldsmith Research Fund, which supports the center’s independent research agenda. Carl H. Goldsmith is the founding partner of Beach Point Capital Management and a graduate of the Wharton School. His generosity also extends to other institutions at Penn, where he has given to a variety of research endeavors.