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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy

@mit-cs3.bsky.social

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Our research improves understanding of sustainability challenges and helps decision‑makers address global change, enhancing well‑being for current and future generations. Website: https://cs3.mit.edu/

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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Dec 3

On July 1, 2024, the MIT School of Science launched the Center for Sustainability Science & Strategy, which aims to improve understanding of #sustainability challenges & thereby provide actionable knowledge & insight to inform strategies for improving human well-being. bit.ly/3SBOg84

MIT School of Science launches Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy

MIT School of Science launches MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy with Noelle Selin as the inaugural faculty director. The center combines the Joint Program on the Science and Policy o...

bit.ly

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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · 1d

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. 🧪

Combining agriculture with forestry could accelerate climate progress

cs3.mit.edu

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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · 7d

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 🧪

MIT CS3 Update - October 2025

tinyurl.com

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · 9d

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. 🧪

How South Asia Can Adapt to Extreme Heat

Extreme heat waves could soon make conditions in large parts of our planet extremely dangerous.

time.com

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · 19d

"[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

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.

grist.org

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · 20d

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. 🧪

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...

energy.mit.edu

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Sep 8

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.🧪

Warming May Threaten Ocean Key Oxygen Producer – CBIOMES

cbiomes.org

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Sep 2

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. 🧪

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

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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Sep 2

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. 🧪

Researcher Profile: 3 Questions with Ryan Woosley

cs3.mit.edu

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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Sep 2

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. 🧪

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

cs3.mit.edu

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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Aug 28

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. 🧪

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...

news.mit.edu

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Aug 28

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 🧪

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

cs3.mit.edu

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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Aug 21

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 🧪

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 ...

news.mit.edu

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Aug 12

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.

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?

www.motortrend.com

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Aug 11

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. 🧪

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. ...

news.mit.edu

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Aug 1

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

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 27

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) 🧪

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...

www.fastcompany.com

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 16

Consideration of different potential greenhouse gas #emissions futures is essential for understanding and preparing for future climate change. A new book chapter (pp. 163-176) co-authored by MIT CS3 researchers provides guidance to researchers and decision-makers in this space. 🧪

Uncertainty in Climate Change Research

This open access book discusses uncertainty in climate change research, and applies it to assess impact mitigation, adaptation, and vulnerability.

link.springer.com

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MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 16

We rely on #energy systems to allow us to do work, travel, process information & support economic activity. In this MIT Energy Initiative podcast, MIT Prof. Jessika Trancik, a CS3 faculty affiliate, takes a big-picture view of how energy systems are shaped & where there's opportunity to innovate.

How energy systems are shaped

We rely on our energy systems to allow us to do work, travel, process information,

climate.mit.edu

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 9

In one of 7 MIT Energy Initiative early-stage #energy research projects, CS3 researchers aim to create a framework for evaluating decarbonization & energy transition pathways for #Africa, which has the potential to be a major global player in #RenewableEnergy production & #carbon dioxide removal. 🧪

MIT Energy Initiative funds seven early-stage energy research projects

This spring, the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to support seven novel energy research projects as part of its Seed Fund program. Each project will receive $175...

energy.mit.edu

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 9

Seasoned experts @ the new Substack blog Climate Café clarify the complex challenges of global #climatechange & identify opportunities for a bright & rewarding clean #energy, #resilient future. Co-produced by MIT CS3-affiliate/Professor of Management Emeritus Henry Jacoby. 🧪 climatecafe.substack.com

Climate Cafe | Substack

A place for discussion of the climate system, the reality and seriousness of climate change, and efforts to control GHG emissions and increase resilience to mounting climate-driven economic and social...

climatecafe.substack.com

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 7

#ClimateChange left its signature on the #atmosphere early in the industrial revolution, reveals a thought experiment investigation by MIT Professor/CS3 faculty affiliate Susan Solomon and co-authors in Scientific American. 🧪

Climate Change’s Fingerprints Came Early, a Thought Experiment Reveals

Climate change left its signature on the atmosphere early in the industrial revolution, reveals a thought experiment investigation

www.scientificamerican.com

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 7

From floods to drought, Texas is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather. Recent DOGE cuts and the dismantling of federal relief programs could imperil the state, says MIT CS3-affiliate/Prof. of Management Emeritus Henry Jacoby in a commentary. 🧪
#ClimateChange #flood #extremeweather #Texas

Trump’s DOGE Cuts Are a Texas-Sized Disaster

Reckless agency layoffs and the dismantling of federal relief programs could leave the Lone Star State in peril.

www.texasobserver.org

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 2

Despite the Montreal Protocol's phase-out of #ozone- depleting substances (ODS) since 2010, #emissions of one potent ODS has continued to slow down ozone layer recovery. A study led by MIT CS3 postdoc Minde An sheds new light on the primary source & recent history of about 1/2 of these emissions. 🧪

Tracing persistent ozone-depleting emissions to their source

cs3.mit.edu

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 2

In a keynote address at a disaster management conference in #Thailand, MIT Principal Research Scientist and CS3 affiliate Sai Ravela shared his expertise on mitigating risks from natural and #climate disasters, including #AI-driven exposure and vulnerability mapping.🧪

Inaugural Disaster Management Conference Highlights U.S. Leadership in Innovation and Preparedness

BANGKOK, Thailand – June 30, 2025 – The U.S. Embassy Bangkok, in partnership with the MIT ASEAN Initiative and the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham),

th.usembassy.gov

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy @mit-cs3.bsky.social · Jul 2

Am I Blue? Green? Something in Between? Some marine photoplankton can adapt to changing light, altering #ocean #ecosystems and, potentially, #carbon storage, finds a study co-authored by MIT CS3 Senior Research Scientist Stephanie Dutkiewicz. 🧪 ecco-group.org/storymaps.ht...

Some marine photoplankton can adapt to changing light, altering #ocean #ecosystems and, potentially, #carbon storage. (Source: NASA)