Harvard’s Home for Climate and Sustainability

Farmer in India drinking water in heat
clean energy production and a sunset over the ocean
El Nino sat image by NOAA

Harvard Climate Brief

Misty polluted view of New York City and New Jersey from airplane

One community, many polluters: States rethink how to confront the combined toll

How states are changing environmental permitting to account for cumulative impacts – the combined burden of multiple pollution sources and other health stressors on a community.
Thu, Oct 29, 2026
Boreal forest in northern Canada after a devestating fire with mountains in background and brilliant pink, purple flowers below the blackened woods.

Could a changing forest slow northern megafires?

Boreal fires feed further warming. Native aspen and birch could slow the burning, but encouraging change would come with ecological costs.
Fri, Oct 16, 2026
London, the Houses of Parliament painting

‘A meteorologist of the soul’: Monet’s changing atmosphere

The French impressionist painted smoke, fog, ice, and sunlight with extraordinary attention, recording how industry, weather, memory, and emotion shaped what he saw.
Thu, Oct 8, 2026
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
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Research Stories

A Day in The Life of a Harvard Scientist Studying Wildfire Smoke

What does wildfire smoke look like from 65,000 feet? Follow Sophie Abou-Rizk of Keutsch Group at Harvard as she takes us behind the scenes of the INSPYRE Mission, a NASA and Naval Research Laboratory mission studying wildfire smoke in the upper atmosphere.
Harvard Research
Mon, Oct 5, 2026
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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
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Elaine Buckberg portrait

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
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Salata news

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
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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
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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
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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
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Decoding animal communication with AI

Ph.D. brings a machine learning focus to bioengineering research
News Harvard Research
Fri, Jul 31, 2026
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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
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Data centers in Ashburn, Virginia.

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
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An electric vehicle EV is charging

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
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Logo of the Global Climate Policy Project at Harvard and MIT

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
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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
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sheep shearing

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
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A figure from the PNAS paper

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
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India farm with a hot sun

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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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A data center seen from above

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

2
Nov
2026
Calling Gilgamesh: A Reading and Conversation on Humanity, Cities, and the Future
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4
Nov
2026
Climate Change in Native America Series: Water — Sovereignty, Protection, and Lifeways
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5
Nov
2026
Harvard Voices on Climate Change: Extreme Heat & Health
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Latest News

Powering Solar-Powered Flight

Study reveals battery performance targets for solar stratospheric aircraft
News
Thu, Oct 29, 2026
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Faculty and students from across Harvard discuss research on methane-emissions reduction

The Harvard Methane Initiative conducted a day-long retreat, giving faculty, fellows, and students an opportunity to compare notes on research.
News
Thu, Oct 29, 2026
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Misty polluted view of New York City and New Jersey from airplane

One community, many polluters: States rethink how to confront the combined toll

How states are changing environmental permitting to account for cumulative impacts – the combined burden of multiple pollution sources and other health stressors on a community.
Thu, Oct 29, 2026
Read More
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