Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability

A group of researchers in front of a projector screen.

A researcher at a "Boston University" podium.

A researcher at a "Boston University" podium.

A researcher at a "Boston University" podium.

MA is a global hub for climate innovation. Our partners at masscec.bsky.social and MassVentures play a key role in our state's scientific ecosystem. 30+ BU researchers attended yesterday's IGS-hosted event to discuss opportunities to work with these orgs toward a cleaner, healthier planet. 🌍

YouTube video by American Bird Conservancy Wind Energy & Birds: Co-existing, Not Colliding in South America

There are roughly 7,000 bird deaths per year from wind farms compared to nearly 15 million from fossil fuels, per one study, Benjamin Sovacool (sovacool.bsky.social) says in a presentation for American Bird Conservancy (abcbirds.bsky.social).

See his full talk ⬇️

Rethinking "Sustainable" Desert Cities: An Interview with Erin Heinz In a city where monsoon rains are celebrated and water conservation signs are common, sustainability can feel complicated. , an environmental sociologist and assistant professor of practice in the School of Sociology , says that complexity defines desert cities like Tucson.

"Cities like Tucson are labeled as sustainable, with certifications and branding that suggest we’ve figured it out. That contradiction raises a basic question: What does sustainability actually mean in a place like this?” IGS Postdoctoral Associate Erin Heinz discusses development in the desert.

Regional Projections of the Impacts of Future Urbanization and Climate Change on Biogeochemical Cycles in New England Landscapes | Research Human activities have had complex, long-term impacts on forest function across New England—a trend expected to continue. To assess these impacts, we conducted a regional-scale modeling study using the...

🌳 The northeastern US #forest plays a critical role in the broader region's water, carbon & nutrient cycles. Human activities, including #deforestation, #agriculture, and #urbanization, have reduced forest cover. A new study helps illuminate potential effects on regional #biogeochemical cycles. 🔄

Individual clown anemonefish shrink to survive heat stress and social conflict Clown anemonefish survive heatwaves by shrinking together with their breeding partner.

Marine heatwaves can have deadly effects on anemone and clownfish. In 2025, Peter Buston's lab published two papers documenting these sub-lethal and lethal effects ⬇️

1: www.science.org/doi/full/10....

2: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

How local energy networks are saving lives across the world In the US and the Global South, local ‘microgrid’ power networks are being adopted in neighbourhoods battling rising heat

“When we have the energy locally, we also have local resilience, and we have a strong social fabric, which gives us a different kind of power," @mscammell.bsky.social tells @dialogueearth.bsky.social. In her town of Chelsea, MA, microgrids help supply reliable electricity.

Four researchers in front of a presentation screen.

Celebrating the next generation of sustainability leaders in MA 🌱 Congrats to the recent CELT Fellows at the Massachusetts Office of Energy Transformation. IGS was honored to attend the fellows' recent end-of-year presentations and hear the students' learnings, collaborations, and contributions.

Over lunch, the IGS team gathered to celebrate our two newest additions: Policy Associate Kathryn Atherton (@k8eatherton.bsky.social) and Visiting Researcher Mads Dahl Gjefsen! Their perspectives will allow us to continue expanding our impact, and we're grateful to have them on board.

Climate Conversations: D.C. Crossroads Join us for conversations on the science information landscape and local climate action as we celebrate the 50th event in our Climate Conversations series. About this Event This event will feature two discussions moderated by Mariette DiChristina (Boston University) that will bridge the science and climate communication to action landscape. The first panel will focus on best practices in science communication and strategies for fostering healthy information ecosystems, featuring science communicators Sweta Chakraborty (Behavioral Scientist), Joelle Novey (Interfaith Power & Light-DMV), and Amy Bolton (U.S. Botanic Gardens). For the second panel, we will be joined by local environmental leaders Maribeth DeLorenzo (D.C. Department of Energy & Environment), Mara Parker (Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Montgomery County), and John Morrill (Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, Fairfax County) who will share about the climate mitigation and resilience efforts they are spearheading in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. This Climate Conversation will be a hybrid event, hosted online and in-person at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The first panel will start at 4:00PM ET and the second panel at 5:20PM ET, with an in-person reception to follow at 6:30PM. The conversations will be webcast on the Climate Conversations: D.C. Crossroads webpage and will include questions from the audience. This event will be recorded and available to view on the event webpage immediately after the conversations. In-person registration will close on Friday, February 6 at 12:00PM ET. Climate Conversations: Pathways to Action is a monthly webinar series from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that aims to convene high-level, cross-cutting, nonpartisan conversations about issues relevant to policy action on climate change. Participant Bios Mariette DiChristina is Dean of Boston University’s College of Communication and professor of the practice in journalism. She is a past co-chair for the Climate Communications Initiative committee for the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Sweta Chakraborty is a risk and behavioral scientist who is regularly interviewed on major international news media outlets and the CEO of We Don't Have Time-North America. Amy Bolton is the Director of Learning and Engagement at the U. S. Botanic Garden, responsible for education, visitor services, community engagement, exhibits, and special events. Joelle Novey is the Director of Interfaith Power & Light (http://spr.ly/63327hGFuW.NoVA), through which congregations of many traditions come together to respond to climate change. Maribeth De Lorenzo serves as Deputy Director at the Washington, D.C. Department of Energy & Environment, responsible for the Urban Sustainability Administration. John Morrill is the Director of the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination at Fairfax County, Virginia where he leads implementation of the county’s climate mitigation and resilience plans. Mara Parker is the Climate Adaptation Program Manager for the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, where she focuses on equitable adaptation and mitigation in response to rising climate-related disasters.

📆 (Hybrid) event alert 📣 On 2/10, @mdichristina.bsky.social will moderate "Climate Conversations: D.C. Crossroads." The event will bring several science communicators together to discuss the science information landscape & local climate action. Hosted by @nationalacademies.org. #SciComm

Publication in Building and Environment The barriers and drivers to decarbonization of the building sector in the United States: Qualitative insights from Boston and Phoenix Erin Heinz, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Thomas Kwan et al.

Around 37% of global carbon dioxide #emissions come from the building #construction sector. Despite climate urgency, the industry has been slow to decarbonize. Why? A #NewStudy examines the barriers and drivers to scaling net zero building practices. 🏗️

spr.ly/63328hGFen

Graduate Student Summer Fellows February 5: Info session | RSVP February 26: Deadline to apply The Graduate Student Summer Fellows program at the Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) offers graduate students from across BU the opportunity for capacity building, mentoring, and interdisciplinary analysis to support their independent research projects in planetary health and human well-being, the governance and politics of sustainability transitions, and energy systems of the future.

Last chance to RSVP for our Feb. 5 IGS Graduate Student Summer Fellows program info session! 🍕 Enjoy lunch and learn about this 10-week fellowship to accelerate independent sustainability research. Fellows receive funding, faculty mentorship, professional development, & more.

RSVP now ⬇️

“Convergence is the key to who we are, and who we can be—it is our North Star," BU President Melissa Gilliam said in her first Presidential Address, naming global sustainability one of the University's eight priority areas of convergent research.

Full story ⬇️

Boston University social science undergraduate students - are you looking for a way to polish (and publish) your writing this summer? 📝 The Social Science Summer Writing Internship Program is now recruiting five interns for its Summer 2026 class. Learn more & apply by February 15 ⬇️

Welcome to IGS! Kathryn Atherton Policy Associate Supporting both the Clean Energy and Environment Legacy Transition (CELT) Initiative and IGS broadly. Passionate about science policy as a way to bridge science and communities.

Our newest team member, Policy Associate Kathryn Atherton (k8eatherton.bsky.social), will help us expand our work translating science into impact for communities. She brings strong experiences in both research and policy to the role. Get to know her ➡️ www.bu.edu/igs/profile/...

RSVP: Wind Energy and Birds Join ABC and the Climate Institute's webinar on 1/29

FREE webinar Thursday 🐦 Discover strategies to develop wind energy with birds in mind. IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social & other experts in wildlife conservation and renewable energy will discuss real experiences from successful wind energy projects in South America.
abcbirds.org/wind-webinar

A group of students smiling in a conference room with Zoom participants on the screen behind them.

A group of students, staff, and faculty, smiling in the IGS office.

A student navigates a data map of Massachusetts.

Students in a conference room listen to a presenter.

With these students helping lead the way, the future of clean energy in MA looks bright. IGS was thrilled to welcome the newest CELT Municipal Fellows to our office recently. We look forward to continuing to support this impressive group.

Learn more about the Fellowship: www.bu.edu/igs/research...

Apply by Feb. 26 IGS Graduate Student Summer Fellows Program BU’s Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) seeks proposals from graduate students pursuing independent research projects focused on planetary health and human well-being, the governance and politics of sustainability transitions, and energy systems of the future.

@bostonu.bsky.social graduate students: apply now for the 2026 IGS Graduate Student Summer Fellows program.

Learn more & RSVP for the Feb. 5 information session:
spr.ly/63323CA3wP

CISE Fall Workshop Charts Course for Intelligent, Resilient Power Grids The challenge of delivering reliable, resilient, and sustainable power in the 21st century is growing, driven by the integration of renewable energy, new electric loads, and the increasing threat of severe weather.

Experts from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government agencies gathered to explore strategies for upgrading power grids at a recent workshop hosted by the Center for Information & Systems Engineering (CISE) and the BU Division of Systems Engineering. Event recap:

Brink Bites: BU Expert to Help Lead UN Climate Report, Undergraduates Study Secrets of the Universe Other research news, stories, and tidbits from around BU, including prestigious physics and health awards for researchers

Spotted in this month's "Brink Bites" research roundup: The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has selected IGS Director Benjamin Sovacool (@sovacool.bsky.social) to help lead its next report. Learn more & get involved ⬇️

More Than 46 Million in the US Live Within a Mile of Fossil Fuel Infrastructure New Boston University study suggests urban residents are disproportionately exposed to potentially harmful energy supply chain infrastructure

A new study finds that almost 47 million people in the contiguous United States, many in cities, live within about a mile of at least one piece of fossil fuel infrastructure—and that it could be putting their health at risk. Co-authors include @jjbuonocore.bsky.social & @marydwillis.bsky.social.

Welcome to IGS! Mads Dahl Gjefsen Visiting Researcher at IGS Senior Researcher at Studio Apertura, NTNU Social Research (Norway) Collaborates with IGS on the Limits to Digitalization (L2D) project on data center sustainability

Welcoming new Visiting Researcher, Mads Dahl Gjefsen, who joins us from Norway! 👋 Gjefsen is Principal Investigator of Limits to Digitalization (L2D), in collaboration w/IGS.
👤 Bio:
www.bu.edu/igs/profile/...
📝 Recent work:
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

We're Hiring! Postdoctoral Associate IGS, with Schneider Electric's Sustainability Research Institute, invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship. The focus is on understanding the socio-technical barriers, risks, and drivers necessary to accelerate the electrification of the economy.

CAREER OPPORTUNITY 💼 We're #hiring a #PostDoc with exceptional #research skills and a strong social sciences background for a two-year fellowship on socio-technical barriers and opportunities for electrification of infrastructure. Apply: spr.ly/63321CSYeD

Two researchers smiling in front of an academic building.

🌍 Expert exchange 🔁

The BU-Università degli Studi di Padova faculty exchange program facilitates collaboration between scholars at the two universities. BU's Magaly Koch recently traveled to Italy to meet her host, Sansar Meena, who also visited BU! Both are geoscience scholars.

In 2025, Massachusetts accelerated climate action. A new article by @baystatebanner.bsky.social highlights local projects driving progress, including two co-led by @patriciafabian.bsky.social to track #AirQuality in Boston Public Schools and #HighHeat in Chelsea and East Boston. 📰 Full story ⬇️

Welcome to Kenya’s Great Carbon Valley: a bold new gamble to fight climate change One project aims to harness local geothermal resources to pull CO2 from the air. Will it prove that carbon removal can really help our warming planet?

Direct Air Capture (DAC) has immense potential, but it's also expensive and unproven at scale.

“If we’re able to do DAC at scale, it could be the next huge energy transition," @sovacool.bsky.social tells @technologyreview.com regarding an ambitious new #DAC project in Kenya.

The Power of Place | Arts & Sciences By Michael S. Goldberg When Suchi Gopal heads to Belize, it's not for the beaches by the azure Caribbean waters. She goes to document and map the mangrove forests. And Gopal, a Department of Earth & Environment professor, uses drones.

A new feature in Arts x Sciences Magazine shares how Professor Suchi Gopal applies her specialty in geographic information systems (GIS) to support communities globally in reducing climate risks through equitable, nature-based approaches: spr.ly/63322CuP8p

A technician in a neon vest and hard hat wipes down a mirrored surface.

Two researchers converse. One holds an open notebook.

A new case study based in Sierra Leone highlights Mirrors for Earth’s Energy Rebalancing (MEER), a novel intervention to #ExtremeHeat. By IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social:
spr.ly/63321Cui6f

Ecosystem of Systematic Reviews on Carbon Dioxide Removal We are thrilled to share that the first paper in the Ecosystem of Systematic Reviews on Carbon Dioxide Removal has just been published, focusing on Direct Air CO2 Capture and Storage (DACCS).

A new comprehensive review on direct air CO2 capture and storage is the result of more than 2.5 years of work by 29 international experts, including IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social: spr.ly/63322Cu3Du

Impact of engineered dual-scale porosity for application-tailored battery electrodes The standard battery electrode contains disorganized and heterogeneous electrolyte-filled porosity, resulting in tortuous ion-transport pathways. When energy-dense batteries are quickly charged or discharged, insufficient ion-diffusion rates in the lithiating electrode result in capacity and energy loss due

🔋📝 A new paper, supported by IGS and BU Engineering through a Dean's Catalyst Award, reports on 18 distinct battery electrode structures and how their structure impacts fast-charging capability: spr.ly/63325CuXoN

Headshot of Benjamin Sovacool.

Congrats IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social on three major 2025 research citation honors!
Stanford's list of "World's Top 2%" scientists: spr.ly/63320CuXAO
ScholarGPS Highly Ranked Scholars: spr.ly/63323CuXAR
Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers: spr.ly/63325CuXAT