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Harvard’s Home for Climate and Sustainability

clean energy production and a sunset over the ocean

A father and son sort a fishing net in Nigeria (David Trilling)

A super El Niño is starting. Here’s what scientists know – and don’t

This year, the ancient Pacific cycle is unfolding on a hotter planet, adding to record warmth, shifting rainfall, and creating risks scientists can only partly predict.

Mon, Sep 21, 2026

Close-up hands of a cocoa farmer use pruning shears to cut the cocoa pods or fruit ripe yellow cacao from the cacao tree. Harvest the agricultural cocoa business produces.

Chocolate’s new climate threat: Too much rain

Drought is not the only climate challenge facing cocoa farmers. Better warnings before extreme rains could help them protect their harvests.

Mon, Sep 14, 2026

Seawalls and other hard choices on the shore

A cost-benefit analysis suggests that seawalls can buy Côte d’Ivoire time – but not a lasting answer.

Tue, Aug 18, 2026

When heat hits home: Climate change’s hidden and deadly toll

Buildings, housing conditions, and access to cooling shape the health risks of extreme heat. A study from Boston shows how the cost of buying and running air conditioning can leave high-risk residents without protection.

Mon, Aug 10, 2026

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Research Stories

Climate change is straining insurance and raising risks for the wider economy

Higher premiums are an early warning. Economists are examining whether stress in insurance markets could spill into housing, banks, and government budgets.

News CFMRI

Fri, Sep 18, 2026

Record 38% of new vehicle sales to be EVs in 2030, study finds

Report sees strong growth despite recent loss of federal incentives

News Harvard Research

Fri, Sep 18, 2026

CBC News | Chocolate faces more climate shocks as study highlights risk of extreme rainfall

Wet conditions can damage cocoa plants and lead to increased chocolate prices according to research by Harvard University Environmental Fellow Anna Lea Albright.

News Harvard Research

Tue, Sep 15, 2026

Rapid response to heat waves: Using electronic health records to protect patients in near-real time

A new way to quickly identify who is most at-risk during heat waves offers an opportunity to implement protective measures during ongoing climate events.

News Harvard Research

Mon, Aug 31, 2026

Pulling carbon into seawater using engineered bacteria

Synthetically engineered marine bacteria accelerate natural bioweathering with potential for decarbonizing the atmosphere at industrial scales

News Harvard Research

Fri, Aug 28, 2026

Making room for data centers without derailing the energy transition

A study examines whether smarter siting and flexible power use could accommodate surging data-center demand while limiting pressure on grids that also need to connect more renewable energy.

News Harvard Research

Mon, Aug 17, 2026

Decoding animal communication with AI

Ph.D. brings a machine learning focus to bioengineering research

News Harvard Research

Fri, Jul 31, 2026

Field Study: Catching Cow Burps in Real Time

Harvard researchers begin field testing methane-sensor technology at UC Davis summit on livestock emissions.

News Harvard Research

Thu, Jul 30, 2026

Study maps water footprint of AI data centers

As AI drives data-center growth, Harvard researchers show that data-center water use comes through two distinct pathways, offering a roadmap for smarter regulation, utility planning, and infrastructure decisions.

News Harvard Research

Mon, Jul 13, 2026

Simulating Impacts of Trump Policy Changes on Electric Vehicle (EV) Adoption

Harvard economists evaluate the impacts of recent and potential policy changes on EV adoption and carbon emissions, using a joint model of consumer vehicle choice and charging station supply.

News White Paper Harvard Research

Mon, Jul 6, 2026

New Harvard-MIT tool will help leaders navigate climate policy choices

The decision support tool helps governments evaluate domestic policy options and the benefits of joining or shaping carbon pricing coalitions.

News

Wed, Jun 17, 2026

Farmers adapt to climate change by irrigating more: New paper

Pumping groundwater can stress aquifers and make soils saltier, threatening future food production.

News Harvard Research

Tue, Jun 9, 2026

From waste wool to building insulation

A Harvard team is turning discarded wool into retrofit insulation that could help lower the carbon cost of building materials.

News Harvard Research

Tue, May 26, 2026

Fluid-filled smart windows cut heating and cooling costs

A new window design uses temperature-sensitive liquid patterns to shade rooms when they are hot and admit more sunlight when they are cool.

News Harvard Research Energy

Tue, May 26, 2026

Rethinking how India adapts to extreme heat

A new white paper from the Salata Institute’s Climate Adaptation in South Asia research cluster brings together perspectives from climate science, public health, labor, agriculture, design, and finance to examine how extreme heat is reshaping life and livelihoods across India.

News White Paper Harvard Research

Wed, Apr 15, 2026

Experiment asks: What helps trees resist climate change?

Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Professor Jeannine Cavender-Bares investigates how biodiversity furthers forest resilience.

News

Wed, Apr 8, 2026

Heat waves and annual death rates in older adults in the United States

A new nationwide study of more than 73 million older Americans finds that heat waves are driving a substantial increase in deaths each year, with disproportionate impacts on Black and low‑income communities, while neighborhoods with more green space see lower death rates.

News Harvard Research

Tue, Mar 17, 2026

Seasonality and Declining Intensity of Methane Emissions

Harvard research group publishes paper characterizing seasonal changes in emissions and longer-term reductions in methane intensity in the U.S. Permian Basin.

Cluster Research News Harvard Research Methane

Thu, Mar 5, 2026

windmill at sunset, overlaid with graph indicating ups and downs

Harvard research: Half of U.S. public companies are now creating climate solutions

New research from Harvard Business School shows American companies are moving forward with investments in climate-related technologies and products, even as the federal government dials back its support. Read more via Harvard Business School.

News

Tue, Feb 10, 2026

AI, Data Centers, and the U.S. Electric Grid: A Watershed Moment

A team of experts across Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) outlines the current state and potential consequences of U.S. data center electricity usage and corresponding grid expansion. Read more via the Belfer Center.

News

Tue, Feb 10, 2026

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Upcoming Events

Energy Seminar at Harvard: Paul Gaynor, CEO and Co-Founder, Longroad Energy

Sep

2026

Harvard @ Climate Week NYC

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Latest News

Harvard launches tool tracking corporate climate targets in U.S. public markets

The new database and interactive tool show what companies have promised, when they made their climate commitments, and how those pledges have changed over time.

News

Mon, Sep 21, 2026

A super El Niño is starting. Here’s what scientists know – and don’t

This year, the ancient Pacific cycle is unfolding on a hotter planet, adding to record warmth, shifting rainfall, and creating risks scientists can only partly predict.

Mon, Sep 21, 2026

One Hot Day: Women, Work, and Surviving Relentless Heat in India’s Informal Economy

News

Sat, Sep 19, 2026

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Support The Salata Institute

The Salata Institute drives climate solutions grounded in Harvard’s many areas of research and expertise. Your philanthropic support can help us accelerate this important work and prepare the next generation of climate leaders.

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Harvard’s Home for Climate and Sustainability

Harvard Climate Brief

A super El Niño is starting. Here’s what scientists know – and don’t

Chocolate’s new climate threat: Too much rain

Seawalls and other hard choices on the shore

When heat hits home: Climate change’s hidden and deadly toll

Research Stories

Climate change is straining insurance and raising risks for the wider economy

Record 38% of new vehicle sales to be EVs in 2030, study finds

CBC News | Chocolate faces more climate shocks as study highlights risk of extreme rainfall

Rapid response to heat waves: Using electronic health records to protect patients in near-real time

Pulling carbon into seawater using engineered bacteria

Making room for data centers without derailing the energy transition

Decoding animal communication with AI

Field Study: Catching Cow Burps in Real Time

Study maps water footprint of AI data centers

Simulating Impacts of Trump Policy Changes on Electric Vehicle (EV) Adoption

New Harvard-MIT tool will help leaders navigate climate policy choices

Farmers adapt to climate change by irrigating more: New paper

From waste wool to building insulation

Fluid-filled smart windows cut heating and cooling costs

Rethinking how India adapts to extreme heat

Experiment asks: What helps trees resist climate change?

Heat waves and annual death rates in older adults in the United States

Seasonality and Declining Intensity of Methane Emissions

Harvard research: Half of U.S. public companies are now creating climate solutions

AI, Data Centers, and the U.S. Electric Grid: A Watershed Moment

Upcoming Events

Latest News

Harvard launches tool tracking corporate climate targets in U.S. public markets

A super El Niño is starting. Here’s what scientists know – and don’t

One Hot Day: Women, Work, and Surviving Relentless Heat in India’s Informal Economy

Support The Salata Institute

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