Resources

How quickly we reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions critically depends on how fast we learn in the process. New research uses learning curves to explain staggering declines in costs of key climate technologies like solar photovoltaics and batteries, grounding hopes that we can get where we need to go—as long as we don’t delay getting started.

Many US coastal states are looking to the prospect of ocean renewable energy (ORE), particularly offshore wind, to help meet ambitious emissions reduction goals. Social science offers insight into who supports or opposes ORE and why, and suggests actions that could help promote a more just transition to ORE.

New studies demonstrate how incorporating social systems into climate models is important for creating realistic climate forecasts and making informed policy decisions.

A 2021 perspective for Nature Climate Change outlines the challenges to businesses looking to climate science to help assess climate-related financial risks and suggests improvements to facilitate businesses’ ability to effectively mitigate or adapt to these risks.

Recent research evaluates how agrivoltaics -- co-locating solar electricity generation and agricultural production -- may achieve sustainable energy and food goals while possibly reducing local opposition to solar energy deployment.

By Eric Masanet and Nuoa Lei, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University

Data centers can be thought of as the “brains” of the…