COM Researchers Launch New Study of Climate Mis- and Disinformation
Focused Research Program jointly funded by IGS and the Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering.
Category: Research News
How Boston’s Next Mayor Can Accelerate the City’s Equitable Clean Energy Transition
As the Boston mayoral race heads to the primary on September 14, how can the next mayor equitably and rapidly accelerate the city’s clean energy transition to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and fossil fuel emissions for the city and region? A new whitepaper published today by the Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI) […]
Is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill a Suitable U.S. Climate Policy?
According to a new BU Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) publication by a team of authors led by Peter Fox-Penner, ISE Director, the answer is no. The authors assert that a complete national policy will have three critical ingredients: 1.) it will set clear national net-zero targets for all major regions and emitting sectors; 2.) […]
Quantifying Scope 3 Emissions Associated with Employee Travel at Boston University
Boston University Campus Climate Lab Project Spotlight As part of its Climate Action Plan, Boston University has committed to the goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040. Employee air travel in particular can account for a large proportion of a university’s Scope 3 emissions, which include emissions from travel by community […]
Popular Climate Change Metric Misleads Policymakers
A widely used metric in policymaking circles uses over-simplified forecasting methods that can lead to costly mistakes. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) metric has significant shortcomings—it is poorly grounded in physics, arbitrarily designed, difficult to understand, overly naïve as a policy driver, and in some cases potentially misleading. The ISE’s new report, The Global Warming […]
A Survey of North American City Climate Leaders: The Prospects for Climate Action in the COVID-19 Era
Report series on “COVID & Climate: What’s Next for Cities?” provides community leaders with guidance on navigating their climate action priorities. In the final report of our three-part series, the Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy presents the results of a survey of 25 U.S. and Canadian city climate leaders, conducted in July and August […]
Sustainable Water Planning: Risk Mitigation Based on Critical Infrastructure Analysis
The growth in uncertainties from multiple sources calls for revamped water planning approaches and processes designed to better prepare for less predictable outcomes, including the incorporation of scenario planning that accounts for critical infrastructure interdependencies. In our research brief, Scenarios, Sustainability, and Critical Infrastructure Risk Mitigation in Water Planning, the Boston University Institute for Sustainable […]
The Value of Diversifying Uncertain Renewable Generation through the Transmission System
Leveraging geographic diversification of variable renewables through the transmission grid provides higher benefits than typically quantified. A new study published by the ISE estimates transmission-related benefits attributable to the geographic diversification of variable renewable generation and loads. The analysis indicates that the benefits of transmission expansion between areas with diverse renewable generation resources are greater […]
Climate of Crisis: How Cities Can Use Climate Action to Close the Equity Gap, Drive Economic Recovery, and Improve Public Health
The second of three reports to provide community leaders with guidance on navigating their climate action priorities. How can cities meet the challenges of accelerating climate action in ways that aid economic recovery and improve the foundation of public health in the wake of COVID-19 while enhancing the quality of life for socially vulnerable populations? […]
More Urgency, Not Less: The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Lessons for Local Climate Leadership
The first of three reports that will provide community leaders, inside and outside of local government, with guidance about navigating their climate-action priorities through the gauntlet of challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis. Each report, based on a synthesis of expertise and analysis of local climate-action options and current research, […]