MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative

The MIT Climate Pathways Project

Washington Post | August 2, 2023

Republicans want to plant a trillion trees. Scientists are skeptical.

En-ROADS analysis from our faculty director John Sterman casts doubt on the climate strategy pushed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other GOP leaders.

Learn more about the climate impact of planting trees.

Accelerating the adoption of evidence-based climate policy.

Who has experienced En-ROADS

  • 6563

    Leaders across government, business, NGOs and academia

  • 1290

    Leaders in government

  • 35

    members of the United States Senate

  • 98

    Members of the United States House of Representatives

  • 4770

    Business leaders including C-suite executives

  • 500+

    Leaders in NGO and Academia

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).

Sign up for our research + Engagement Updates 

Secretary John Kerry | U.S. Climate Envoy | Former Secretary of State (2013-2017)
En-ROADS is quite simply a climate crisis game-changer for policymakers and people across the country.
En-ROADS is the ideal tool for informing 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!

Reuters | October 20, 2023

En-ROADS at the Thomson Reuters Foundation 2023 Trust Conference

Climate Pathways Project team member + Exec. Director of Climate Interactive Andrew Jones will deliver a keynote using En-ROADS at the 2023 Trust Conference in London, UK on October 20.

Learn More

Recent stories

Climate Pathways Team

John D. Sterman

John D. Sterman

Management Science

Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management

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Bethany Patten

Bethany Patten

Senior Lecturer, Director, Policy and Engagement, EMBA '13

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Andrew Jones

Andrew Jones

Executive Director, Climate Interactive, MS '97

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Krystal Noiseux

Krystal Noiseux

Associate Director, Climate Pathways Project

Michael Sonnenfeldt

Michael Sonnenfeldt

Founder, Chairman, MUUS & Company, Tiger21, SB ’77, SM ’78

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Ben Wolkon

Ben Wolkon

Manager of Sustainable Investments at MUUS Asset Management Co, MBA '16

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Researchers and Affiliates

Jason Jay

Jason Jay

Behavioral and Policy Sciences

Senior Lecturer, Sustainability

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Ellie Johnston

Ellie Johnston

Engagement Director, Climate Interactive

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Florian Kapmeier

Florian Kapmeier

Professor of Strategy at ESB Business School

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Ken Rath

Ken Rath

Director, Rath Educational Evaluation and Research

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Juliette Rooney-Varga

Juliette Rooney-Varga

Professor, Director, UMass Lowell Climate Change Initiative

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