September 13, 2023

Biden’s Climate Law Is Reshaping Private Investment in the United States

Data from the Clean Investment Monitor, a new project from MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research and the Rhodium Group, shows that President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act has impacted both consumer and corporate spending. “The data show that in the year since the climate law passed, spending on clean-energy technologies accounted for 4 percent of the nation’s total investment in structures, equipment and durable consumer goods — more than double the share from four years ago,” writes Jim Tankersley for The New York Times.

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July 12, 2023

Why Aren’t Schools Teaching Kids about Climate Change?

A recent NPR/Ipsos poll suggested that a majority of American parents and teachers want their kids to learn about climate change. But the poll also confirmed that there is hardly any climate education in our schools: “most teachers aren't actually talking about climate change in their classrooms.” A commentary in WBUR explores this question and references the MIT Climate Action Through Education (CATE) program's work, which aims to launch a climate change curriculum soon, and the Mass Youth Climate Coalition, which CATE is collaborating with on this problem.

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June 20, 2023

Clean Energy Sector Debates Impact of GOP Efforts to Repeal Tax Credits

An article in The Hill discusses the current debate in Congress over efforts to eliminate the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits. Some industry players and experts say this may be negatively impacting the sector — especially with potential financial backers nervously looking ahead to next year’s elections. “It definitely creates uncertainty in the market and is bad for both Democratic and Republican jurisdictions around the U.S.,” said Christopher Knittel, a professor of applied economics at MIT. Read the full article here for more thoughts.

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The Roosevelt Project

The Roosevelt Project takes a multidisciplinary approach to examine the transitional challenges associated with progress toward a deeply decarbonized U.S. economy. The project aims to chart a path forward through the transition that minimizes worker and community dislocations and enables at-risk communities to sustain employment levels by taking advantage of the economic opportunities present for regional economic development.

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The CATE Project

The Climate Action Through Education Project aims to develop a science-based climate curriculum for U.S high school students, placing particular emphasis on reaching populations who are underserved and on countering climate denial messages. The curriculum will inform students about the causes and consequences of anthropogenic climate change, while equipping them with the knowledge and sense of agency to contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation.

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The E2e Project

Through an interdisciplinary approach to the so-called ‘energy efficiency gap’, the E2e Project seeks to evaluate and strengthen policies and incentives for improved energy efficiency. Proven research designs used to achieve these aims include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs, with data and customer access provided through formal partnerships with private-sector companies.

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