Sustainable
Transitions Lab
Research
Research
Research
Sustainable systems modeling and infrastructure planning
To mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, energy and industrial systems must drastically change. This entails phasing out fossil fuel systems and deploying renewable and adaptive infrastructure and technology. The Sustainable Transitions Lab specializes in multi-objective optimization and simulation methods, integrating multiple non-cost objectives (e.g., equity, air quality, labor) and multi-stakeholder perspectives. The lab also focuses on geospatial scaling between macro-energy systems and high resolution infrastructure planning to support public and private decision-making in multiple contexts.
Social equity, environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic impact assessment and valuation
Sustainable system transitions entail not only changes in physical infrastructure systems but impacts to human and environmental systems. The Sustainable Transition Lab develops computational assessment and valuation tools to evaluate intergenerational, spatial, racial, educational, and economic inequities as well as air quality, labor, ecological, and land use impacts associated with energy and environmental policy and infrastructure planning.
Decision-making and public policy
Iterating towards climate and social objectives requires public policy, infrastructure, and investment. There is an increasing need to translate research to support decision-making related to implementing climate policies and plans. The Sustainable Transitions Lab works with policy-makers, community organizations, and developers to design and evaluate public policy and plans. This includes development of computational decision support tools and platforms, and conducting stakeholder surveys and engagement.
