The effort’s goal is to change the expected course of global climate outcomes for the better within 10 years.
Seven MIT faculty members representing diverse areas of expertise are now at the forefront of the effort. They are the Climate Project’s mission directors, focusing the Institute’s strengths on six areas that represent some of the toughest problems standing in the way of an effective global climate response.
- Decarbonizing energy and industry: Supporting improvements to the electric power grid and the transition of all industry to low-emission pathways.
- Restoring the atmosphere, protecting the land and oceans: Removing or storing greenhouse gases already emitted into the atmosphere, and protecting ocean and land ecosystems.
- Empowering frontline communities: Developing climate solutions in support of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
- Building and adapting healthy, resilient cities: Designing urban solutions to a new climate reality, and working on transportation, infrastructure, and finance.
- Inventing new policy approaches: Creating new institutional structures and incentives, including in carbon markets, finance, and trade policy.
- Wild cards: Seeking out unconventional solutions and unorthodox approaches to climate challenges.
The mission leaders are collaborating with faculty and researchers across MIT, as well as each other. According to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, “they will be absolutely central as the Climate Project seeks to marshal the Institute’s talent and resources to research, develop, deploy, and scale up serious solutions to help change the planet’s climate trajectory.”
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Meet the Climate Leaders
Decarbonizing energy and industry
Elsa Olivetti PhD ’07, the Jerry McAfee Professor in Engineering
Restoring the atmosphere, protecting the land and oceans
Andrew Babbin, associate professor of chemical oceanography and marine microbiology
Restoring the atmosphere, protecting the land and oceans
Jesse Kroll, the Peter de Florez Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a professor of chemical engineering, and the director of the Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory
Empowering frontline communities
Miho Mazereeuw, the Mark Hyman, Jr. Career Development Professor of architecture and urbanism and director of MIT’s Urban Risk Lab
Building and adapting healthy, resilient cities
Christoph Reinhart, the Alan and Terri Spoon Professor of Architecture and Climate
Inventing new policy approaches
Christopher Knittel, the George P. Shultz Professor of Applied Economics at MIT Sloan, associate dean for climate and sustainability, and director of the MIT Climate Policy Center
Benedetto Marelli, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Climate Project at MIT: Launching the Missions | September 16, 2024