MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative
The MIT Climate Pathways Project
Accelerating the adoption of evidence-based climate policy
The urgency to act on climate is real, and it is incumbent on institutions like MIT to provide the best possible scenarios for a future that is safe for humans and nature to thrive.
In order to avoid irreversible harm to our prosperity, society, and health, the world must meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to no more than 1.5-2.0°C from pre-industrial times. The IPPC says this requires greenhouse gas emissions be nearly cut in half by 2030 from 2010 levels + reach "net zero" by midcentury.
All nations must fulfill their commitments – and the complex menu of solutions for doing so can feel overwhelming. Realizing the challenge of getting to an emissions pathway consistent with no more than 2°C (3.6°F) of warming, the Sustainability Initiative, Climate Interactive, the UMass Lowell Climate Change Initiative and Alumnus Michael Sonnenfeldt launched the MIT Climate Pathways Project.
Our goal is to help decision-makers in government, business, and civil society make sense of available solutions with interactive simulations, like En-ROADS (co-developed with Climate Interactive).
En-ROADS is quite simply a climate crisis game-changer for policymakers and people across the country.
En-ROADS is the ideal tool for influencing policy development.
Grounded in the best available science, our simulations encourage exploration of different climate policies, in order to better understand how these actions interact and ultimately have impact in a complex system.
Leaders who have tried it have reacted positively to the experience, and recent research suggests that participation in the simulation leads to several positive outcomes, including increased knowledge of climate change causes, dynamics and impacts, greater feelings of urgency and hope, and a desire to learn and do more about climate change.
Interested in hosting a workshop at your company or organization? Reach out to learn more!
Recent stories
Climate Pathways Team
John D. Sterman
Management Science
Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management
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Bethany Patten
Lecturer, Director, Policy + Engagement, EMBA '13
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Andrew Jones
Executive Director, Climate Interactive, MS '97
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Krystal Noiseux
Associate Director, Climate Pathways Project
Michael Sonnenfeldt
Founder, Chairman, MUUS & Company, Tiger21, SB ’77, SM ’78
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Ben Wolkon
Manager of Sustainable Investments at MUUS Asset Management Co, MBA '16
Learn MoreResearchers and Affiliates
Pamela Duke
Research Assistant
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Joy Jackson
Research Assistant
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Jason Jay
Behavioral and Policy Sciences
Senior Lecturer, Sustainability
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Ellie Johnston
Engagement Director, Climate Interactive
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Florian Kapmeier
Professor of Strategy at ESB Business School
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Ken Rath
Director, Rath Educational Evaluation and Research
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Juliette Rooney-Varga
Professor, Director, UMass Lowell Climate Change Initiative
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Allie Shepard
Research Assistant
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