MIT centers, laboratories, departments and programs provide a multi-faceted approach to solving the world's energy challenge.
Science and
policy of climate change
A scientific consensus has emerged that human activity — specifically, emissions of greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuels — is a major contributor to climate change. Critical debate now focuses on what levels of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions will prevent unacceptable climate change in the future, what policies or regulatory measures — national and global — will achieve reduction goals with the fewest economic and societal repercussions and how such reductions should be allocated among developing and developed nations. Global economic development, natural processes and ecosystem behavior play important roles in determining how atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases evolve and how increases may affect climate. Determining what locations and peoples may be most affected by climate change and what steps can be taken to ameliorate these negative impacts are critical issues for further research.
