News and Blog Landing | MIT Sustainability

Left to right: Anastasia Dunca, Chris Rabe, and Jasmin Liu stand at the loading dock of MIT's Stata Center, where students and faculty go "crufting." Rabe facilitated an interdisciplinary working group of undergraduate and graduate students known as SERC Scholars to co-author a case study on the electronic hardware waste life cycle and climate justice.

MIT News Office

December 13, 2024

In a unique research collaboration, students make the case for less e-waste

SERC Scholars from around the MIT community examine the electronic hardware waste life cycle and climate justice.

Concrete waste accounts for the majority of construction and demolition debris, representing over 60 percent of the total volume of more than 600 million tons in 2018.

MIT News Office

December 11, 2024

Enabling a circular economy in the built environment

A better understanding of construction industry stakeholders’ motivations can lead to greater adoption of circular practices.

To combat global micronutrient deficiency crises, MIT researchers developed novel materials that protect fragile nutrients under harsh cooking and storage conditions. The microparticles seen here are made of biodegradable polymers that dissolve in the stomach to release encapsulated vitamins and minerals.

MIT News Office

December 6, 2024

A new biodegradable material to replace certain microplastics

MIT chemical engineers designed an environmentally friendly alternative to the microbeads used in some health and beauty products.

MIT News Office

December 6, 2024

So you want to build a solar or wind farm? Here’s how to decide where.

MIT engineers show how detailed mapping of weather conditions and energy demand can guide optimization for siting renewable energy installations.

MIT chemical engineers designed a two-part catalyst that can convert methane gas to useful products. The catalyst consists of iron-modified aluminum silicate plus an enzyme called alcohol oxidase (enzyme not pictured).

MIT News Office

December 4, 2024

A new catalyst can turn methane into something useful

MIT chemical engineers have devised a way to capture methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and convert it into polymers.

Attendees gather for an official side event at COP16’s Cities Summit called the “Launch of the Coalition of Cities Against Illegal Economies Affecting the Environment.” It was preceded by Alejandro Eder, mayor of Cali, and featured a research presentation by the ESI and Javeriana University on the Biogeographic Chocó Region.

MIT News Office

December 4, 2024

MIT delegation mainstreams biodiversity conservation at the UN Biodiversity Convention, COP16

First organized MIT delegation highlights the Institute's growing commitment to addressing climate change by showcasing research on biodiversity conservation, AI, and the role of local communities.

"The success of this project would not have been possible without this specific international collaboration," says Associate Professor Josephine Carstensen (left). "A GSF-supported visit by Argentinian researchers last year made it possible for them to interact not just with my group, but with students and faculty across EAPS," says Professor David McGee (right).

MIT News Office

December 2, 2024

Q&A: Transforming research through global collaborations

Josephine Carstensen and David McGee discuss the value and impact that MIT Global Seed Funds, which create synergistic partnerships between faculty and peers abroad, added to their research.

A study led by MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy researchers shows that there is enough land to support efforts to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius while addressing competing needs for long-term food security and ecosystem health.

MIT News Office

November 26, 2024

Is there enough land on Earth to fight climate change and feed the world?

Study shows how smart policies could address competing land-use needs.

The electrically conductive firebricks could help hard-to-decarbonize sectors utilize renewable energy for the first time.

MIT News Office

November 26, 2024

Decarbonizing heavy industry with thermal batteries

MIT spinout Electrified Thermal Solutions has developed an electrically conductive firebrick that stores heat at high enough temperatures to power industrial processes.