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

pump jack pumping oil

An audit from orbit: Satellites help countries count the methane they miss

Satellite data suggest some countries miscount their methane emissions. Better figures could help governments track promised cuts.
Mon, Nov 2, 2026
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
View More Briefs

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
Read More

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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More

Decoding animal communication with AI

Ph.D. brings a machine learning focus to bioengineering research
News Harvard Research
Fri, Jul 31, 2026
Read More

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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More

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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
View All

Upcoming Events

2
Nov
2026
Calling Gilgamesh: A Reading and Conversation on Humanity, Cities, and the Future
Read More
2
Nov
2026
Energy Seminar at Harvard with Nick Myers, CEO & Co-Founder @ Phoenix Tailings
Read More
4
Nov
2026
Climate Change in Native America Series: Water — Sovereignty, Protection, and Lifeways
Read More
View All

Latest News

pump jack pumping oil

An audit from orbit: Satellites help countries count the methane they miss

Satellite data suggest some countries miscount their methane emissions. Better figures could help governments track promised cuts.
Mon, Nov 2, 2026
Read More

Could the EPA really shut down the Ghostbusters?

Harvard Law’s Andrew Mergen explores the environmental laws, emergency powers, and cleanup duties that could haunt the Ghostbusters
News
Fri, Oct 30, 2026
Read More

Powering Solar-Powered Flight

Study reveals battery performance targets for solar stratospheric aircraft
News
Thu, Oct 29, 2026
Read More
View All

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.

Donate

Sign up for our
Newsletter

Subscribe