BU Campus Climate Lab Projects for Fall 2025 Focus on Reducing Waste, Making Campus Buildings and Operations More Sustainable
This fall, Boston University’s Campus Climate Lab (CCL) awarded funding for three new and three continuing student-led projects focused on waste reduction and sustainable buildings and operations. CCL research projects promote sustainability and climate action with real-world impact by supporting BU students and faculty in developing solutions that support the University Climate Action Plan using […]
Two New Studies From Schneider Electric and IGS Reveal 95 Barriers and 50 Risks Slowing Decarbonization in the Building Sector
By Laura Hurley In the race against time to meet 2050 climate targets, building decarbonization looms large—but high upfront costs and a lack of public awareness are two of the biggest barriers for many countries, slowing the adoption of energy efficiency and electrification technologies. The top risks center on performance and reliability. These findings come […]
New Clean Energy Data Tool for Massachusetts Supports Municipal Decision-Making with Easy-to-Use Interactive Map
By Laura Hurley There’s no shortage of data in today’s world. Some of it can be transformative. For energy equity and justice, data can lead to policy interventions and new investment in communities that have not benefited from solar subsidies or lack public electric vehicle chargers, as two examples. But this data is often not […]
Nearly 47 Million Americans Are at High Risk of Potential Health Hazards from Fossil Fuel Infrastructure
By Alison Gold Fossil fuels release pollutants into the air when extracted and burned, but there’s more to their production than massive oil rigs diving deep into the Earth and smoky power plants. Those processes are examples of only the first and last—and generally most visible—moments in a fossil fuel’s five-stage journey. Between the initial […]
Uneven Growth of Global Research Funding for Carbon Removal
Research co-authored by IGS Director Benjamin Sovacool.
Mayor Michelle Wu Announces Six Recipients of the 2025 Community Clean Air Grant
The City of Boston has awarded a $194,691 2025 Community Clean Air Grant to Boston University’s Clean Air, Health, and School Sustainability (CHESS) project in partnership with Boston Public Schools.
Justice in Renewable Energy Supply Chains
Policy Briefs: Recommendations to guide renewable energy development in ways that are socially responsible and sustainable.
California’s Solar Market Faces Seven Forms of Corruption—Including “Sex for Solar”
Groundbreaking IGS study points to recommended reforms in solar energy. By Laura Hurley Solar power is growing by leaps and bounds in the United States, propelled by climate mitigation policies and carbon-free energy goals — and California is leading the way as the nation’s top producer of solar electricity. A new study in Energy Strategy […]
Investment Risk for Energy Infrastructure Construction Is Highest for Nuclear Power Plants, Lowest for Solar
In a new state-of-the-art study, published in the journal Energy Research & Social Science, researchers at the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) found that runaway construction costs and delayed timelines stymie many energy projects. In fact, the average project costs 40% more than expected for construction and takes almost two years longer than planned, as the study showed.
Fresher Air, Smarter Schools: SPH Researchers Share Novel Method for Monitoring Indoor Air Quality
A new study from researchers at the School of Public Health, conducted using data from Boston Public School’s extensive network of air quality sensors, showed classroom air quality is often highly variable within school buildings, and even fluctuates greatly within the same classroom over the course of a year.