MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy

Making clean energy investments more successful New research emphasizes the importance of well-validated models and forecasting tools in evaluating choices for investments in clean energy technologies and policies by governments and companies.

New study co-authored by MIT Professor/CS3 affiliate Jessika Trancik explores the role of data-driven, predictive tools in optimizing clean #energy investment decision-making by governments and businesses. 🧪

Post-COP30, more aggressive policies needed to cap global warming at 1.5°C

#COP30 underscored that more aggressive policies will be needed to cap global warming at #1.5°C. Our just-released 2025 Global Change Outlook shows how accelerated action can reduce #climate risks and improve #sustainability outcomes, while highlighting potential geopolitical hurdles. 🧪

When companies “go green,” air quality impacts can vary dramatically Many organizations are taking actions to shrink their carbon footprint, such as purchasing electricity from renewable sources or reducing air travel. MIT researchers found that even if each activity a...

MIT CS3 researchers and collaborators found that industry’s actions to shrink their carbon footprint—like buying renewable electricity or reducing air travel—can both cut CO₂ emissions but have very different impacts on overall air quality. #climate #airquality #sustainability 🧪

New international coalition aims to strengthen carbon markets "Carbon pricing is not dead," expert says of group led by Brazil with 18 members including China and the EU that have carbon markets.

Inspired and informed by a Global Climate Policy Project report spearheaded by MIT Professor/CS3 faculty affiliate Catherine Wolfram, leaders from 20 countries and the European Union eventually signed on to a new Open Coalition for Compliance Carbon Markets. E&E News: tinyurl.com/2wbukuh4

Episode 5 - Health and Climate | Climate Reveal | Episode 5 In our 5th episode, we look at the health impacts of the climate crisis, both direct and indirect. Noelle Eckley Selin, Director of MIT’s Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy, and Professor ...

Listen to a conversation about the impact of #climate change on human #health with MIT CS3 Director Noelle Selin & Boston College (BC) Director of the Global Observatory on Planetary Health Philip Landrigan in Climate Reveal, a BC podcast that explores climate challenges & potential solutions. 🧪

How might national vulnerabilities to disruptions in global #food trade impact countries' food security by 2050? MIT CS3 Research Scientist Kenneth Strzepek & colleagues from the International Food Policy Research Institute present latest findings @ an IFPRI policy seminar in Washington D.C.

New En-ROADS Map: Take a closer look at local temperature change The latest addition to the En-ROADS Simulator lets you visualize local temperature change under different climate scenarios.

A new, interactive map co-developed by Climate Interactive and MIT's Bringing Computation to the Climate Challenge (BC3) displays projected temperature changes in local areas across the century under different scenarios. The BC3 team includes many CS3-affiliated researchers. (Climate Interactive) 🧪

Episode 4 - Farm to Table | Climate Reveal | Episode 4 In this episode, we talk with Frances Moore Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute, researcher, and author or co-author of 21 books, including Diet for a Small Planet, and Angelo Gurgel, a pr...

MIT CS3 Principal Research Scientist Angelo Gurgel and Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet, discuss the impact of #food and #agriculture on the #climate in Climate Reveal, a Boston College podcast that explores specific climate challenges and potential solutions.🧪

Episode 3 - Energy Essentials (plus a bonus asteroid conversation!) | Climate Reveal | Episode 3 In this episode, we break down the energy needs of the world and discuss the best big picture approach to meet those needs moving forward. We talk with Sergey Paltsev, Deputy Director of the MIT Cente...

MIT CS3 Deputy Director Sergey Paltsev shares his expertise on the world's #energy needs and how best to meet them in Climate Reveal, a Boston College Creative Communication Lab podcast that explores specific aspects of the #climate crisis and ongoing work toward solutions. 🧪

Episode 1 - Weather vs Climate | Climate Reveal | Episode 1 In our first episode, we dig into the basics. Joined in studio by WBZ Chief Meteorologist Eric Fisher and Adam Schlosser, Senior Research Scientist and Deputy Director at the MIT Center for Sustainabi...

‪WBZ Chief Meteorologist Eric Fisher and MIT CS3 Deputy Director C. Adam Schlosser explore #climate challenges and solutions in Climate Reveal, a new podcast produced by the Boston College Creative Communication Lab that explores specific aspects of the crisis and ongoing work toward solutions. 🧪

With the UN #climate change conference (#cop30) soon to begin in Brazil, the focus of our November e-newsletter is on CS3's recently published work that informs efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. 🧪 tinyurl.com/48wfe4yd

Increasing heat stress is projected to reduce working hours and economic output. (Source: Future Earth)

Increasing heat stress is projected to reduce working hours & economic output, according to the 7th Insight in the new report '10 New Insights in Climate Science.' Insight 7, 'Impacts on labor productivity,' is co-authored by MIT CS3 Principal Research Scientist Jennifer Morris. tinyurl.com/r2nxndzn

AGU Fall Meeting to focus on the connections that underpin the Earth and space science community

Over 20 MIT CS3-affiliated researchers who are first authors of oral and poster presentations, or primary conveners of conference sessions, will explore #sustainability challenges and solutions in 30 presentations/sessions at the 2025 AGU Fall Meeting on Dec. 15-19 in New Orleans/online. #AGU25 🧪

When scientists reconstruct ancient climates from ice cores, how do they create an accurate timeline? Researchers use chemical analyses, computer models, and other tools to date these valuable climate archives.

Q: When scientists reconstruct ancient climates from ice cores, how do they create an accurate timeline? A: Researchers like MIT Professor/CS3 faculty affiliate David McGee use chemical analyses, computer models, and other tools to date these valuable #climate archives. (MIT Climate Portal) 🧪

Combining agriculture with forestry could accelerate climate progress

A new CS3-led study projects that in Northern #Italy, #agroforestry could significantly enhance the region’s #carbon sequestration capability. The study's findings suggest that this #climate-smart practice may ultimately help reduce #agriculture’s carbon footprint across the globe. 🧪

Presenting the October edition of MIT CS3's e-newsletter. Learn about our latest research on risks to the marine #food web and #carbon cycle, declining costs for renewable #energy systems, #climate models that can sometimes outperform #AI, and more. tinyurl.com/4xn2k7at #sustainability 🧪

How South Asia Can Adapt to Extreme Heat Extreme heat waves could soon make conditions in large parts of our planet extremely dangerous.

MIT Prof./CS3 faculty affiliate Elfatih Eltahir highlights how projections from a #climate #resilience early warning system (JO-CREWSnet) involving several CS3 researchers could be used to analyze human systems, ID high-risk hotspots & develop/test effective solutions in frontline communities. 🧪

Report: Big businesses are doing carbon dioxide removal all wrong The technology is needed to limit global warming. But corporations are supporting it in lieu of emissions reductions.

"[MIT CS3's] John Reilly, a senior lecturer emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management, said that ultimately, proper regulation of corporate #climate commitments — including of durable [carbon dioxide removal] CDR—will fall on governments." - Grist

MITEI’s Future Energy Systems Center funds ten new research projects to advance the energy transition The MIT Energy Initiative’s (MITEI) Future Energy Systems Center will fund ten new projects, with topics ranging from distributed energy resources to electrolyzer design. Several projects relate to th...

The MIT Energy Initiative Future Energy Systems Center is funding ten new research projects to advance the #energy transition. Two of those projects - led by MIT CS3 researchers - will explore viable pathways for expanding clean #electricity and deploying #ammonia as a low-carbon alternative fuel. 🧪

Higher #ocean temperatures are putting the Earth's most abundant photosynthetic organism at risk: a steep decline in Prochlorococcus could significantly alter the marine #food web and #carbon cycle, according to a study co-authored by MIT CS3 Principal Research Scientist Stephanie Dutkiewicz.🧪

The oceans are a critical life-support system for the planet.

A major source of #food, #medicine and #livelihoods, the oceans also play a key role in regulating the global #climate. In our September e-newsletter, we highlight recent CS3 research at the nexus of ocean dynamics and human well-being. 🧪

Researcher Profile: 3 Questions with Ryan Woosley

Monitoring where atmospheric #CO2 is going in the #oceans is important to understanding the future global #climate; exploring potential marine CO2 removal interventions could yield new climate mitigation options. MIT CS3 Principal Research Scientist Ryan Woosley highlights his work in both areas. 🧪

Research Insight: Why we should include more complex marine microbial diversity and dynamics in climate models

A recent study co-authored by MIT CS3 Senior Research Scientist Stephanie Dutkiewicz could lead to better understanding/monitoring of marine microbial dynamics and their impact on #ocean #ecosystems -- and to more accurate #climate models. She explains this work in our latest CS3 Research Insight. 🧪

Simpler models can outperform deep learning at climate prediction Simple climate prediction models can outperform deep-learning approaches when predicting future temperature changes, but deep learning has potential for estimating more complex variables like rainfall...

Sometimes smaller is better. A new MIT CS3-led study finds that while simple #climate models are more accurate when estimating regional surface #temperatures, deep-learning #AI approaches can be the best choice for estimating local #rainfall. 🧪

When basic science and technology is not enough to address climate change

Are advances in basic science & technology enough to confront #climate change and other #sustainability challenges? An Institute-wide project at MIT co-led by CS3 is tapping expertise from the social sciences & #humanities to reframe the problem and identify more viable solutions. #SocialSciences 🧪

Study links rising temperatures and declining moods A study of social media posts in 157 countries finds extreme temperatures of 95 degrees Fahrenheit or more lowers daily sentiment by around 25 percent in lower-income countries and about 8 percent in ...

High summer temps got you down? An analysis of social media in 157 countries finds hotter #weather is associated with more negative sentiments. The study, co-authored by CS3 faculty affiliate Siqi Zheng, appears in the journal One Earth. #weather #climate #health 🧪

Why Hydrogen-Powered Cars Have Yet to Blow Up Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, and others continue to pump money into hydrogen fuel cell vehicles—but why?

Why have #hydrogen - powered cars not yet achieved widespread adoption? To gain traction with consumers, hydrogen cars have a long way to go in reducing vehicle and fuel costs, says MIT CS3 Deputy Director Sergey Paltsev.

Surprisingly diverse innovations led to dramatically cheaper solar panels A new study reveals key innovations that contributed to the rapid decline of solar energy systems, showing that many of the most significant technological advances came from outside the solar sector. ...

MIT News: New research can identify opportunities to drive down the cost of #renewableenergy systems, #batteries and many other technologies, finds study co-authored by Jessika Trancik, a CS3-affiliated professor at MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems and Society. 🧪

Melting polar ice sheets

Presenting the August edition of MIT CS3's e-newsletter. Learn about our latest research on improving #climate models, assessing #foodsecurity at the country level, mitigating #Risks from natural and climate disasters, and more. #sustainability 🧪https://tinyurl.com/2mwejc72

There is a bizarre red-state quest to prevent community air quality monitoring In Louisiana, it’s illegal to publish results of personal air quality monitors without including ‘relevant uncertainties’ around the data—one of a series of new state laws designed to limit how much p...

A series of new state laws restricting local air-quality reporting could imperil human #health. Data from neighborhood-level air-quality sensors are needed to enable affected populations to limit their #airpollution exposure, says MIT CS3 Director Noelle Selin. (Fast Company) 🧪