JUNE 2026

Our goal is to help MIT’s climate and energy research, tools, and expertise inform real-world policy decisions. Read on for examples of that work, from research related to interregional transmission to policy insights on reducing barriers to energy-efficient buildings. You’ll also notice our refreshed visual identity and logo, part of our effort to communicate more clearly with policymakers, practitioners, and partners. Let us know what you think!

Policy Question

What are the barriers to the deployment of technologies that make buildings more energy efficient, and how can adoption be accelerated?

Key Evidence

Buildings account for nearly 40% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, as found in this UNFCCC Technology Executive Committee policy brief, developed in collaboration with the CPC and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. Established, cost-effective, and market-ready technologies to reduce emissions—and improve resilience to heat, flooding, and extreme weather—already exist. However, adoption remains a problem due to high upfront costs, outdated building codes, financing gaps, and limited stakeholder engagement.

Policy Implications

Supportive policies and capacity building are critical to overcoming the barriers. Updated building codes, new financing mechanisms, increased technical capacity, and effective enforcement are among the solutions that would expand adoption.

Policy Actions

1. Modernize building energy codes to incorporate energy efficiency standards for new construction and retrofits

2. Expand financing tools such as green bonds, public-private partnerships, and targeted subsidies for low-income households to reduce upfront cost barriers for households and developers

3. Support locally adapted solutions and capacity building through integrating traditional knowledge, region-specific materials, and workforce training programs to avoid installer shortages

What to watch next

Emerging building-energy standards, FERC and state utility commission action on building electrification and demand flexibility, expansion of public financing for retrofits and heat pumps, growing electricity demand from urbanization and cooling needs, and green workforce training.

Sustainability & Atlanta's Data Center Boom

Saporta Report: Christopher Knittel, associate dean for climate and sustainability, weighs in on the increasing energy use by Atlanta’s data centers.

As Oil Prices Spike, Talk of 'Demand Destruction' Sets In

The New York Times: More than two months into the war in Iran, Catherine Wolfram, MIT Sloan economist and CPC faculty affiliate, provides and update on the state of oil markets. 

The Value of Extending the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant's Operating Life

MIT Sloan: Analysis by John Parsons, MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research deputy director of research and MIT Sloan senior lecturer, shows how California could save billions on energy costs.

Massachusetts Rideshare Drivers Become First in U.S. to Unionize

CBS News: Christopher Knittel, associate dean for climate and sustainability, discusses the economics of the historic unionization of the Commonwealth’s rideshare drivers.

How the War in the Middle East is Impacting Global Energy Systems 

Speakers at the MIT Energy Initiative’s Earth Day Colloquium warn that war in Iran presents the world’s largest energy crisis to date.

For Most U.S. Drivers, EVs Offer Emissions Benefits and Cost Savings

MIT research shows that driver behavior can matter as much as regional factors like the local electricity mix when it comes to the emissions savings of an EV.

Building a Case for Catalytic Climate Finance

A newly formed MIT Catalytic Climate Finance Project is led by Florian Berg and Jason Jay, both of the Sustainability Initiative at MIT Sloan.

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