Research Policy Briefs

Across nationally representative samples in the U.S. and Germany, the public shows a strong preference for flood protection infrastructure over relocation policies, even when relocation could reduce long-term costs

The first comprehensive survey of small-island states and territories finds residents are deeply worried about climate change and want action by all governments, including their own

A new framework provides an approach for evaluating the potential scale and environmental impacts of biomass-based carbon dioxide removal projects in the ocean.

Rural and disadvantaged communities have decreased access to energy efficiency funding, limiting their ability to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.

Creating transcontinental power pools that connect electricity grids across continents can enable renewables to meet 100% of future electricity demand

Top-down maps can reduce concern about sea-level rise - but information about altered commute times enhances concern

Water savings from improvements to industrial steam systems can improve the economic case for industrial energy conservation measures.

Social competitions can be leveraged as a low-cost strategy to change community behavior without the need for material incentives or increased enforcement.

Land and freshwater protections favor more wind, solar, and battery capacity, but at most a quarter of planned or proposed large hydropower projects in Southern Africa’s future low-carbon electricity system.

Social psychology can offer unique insights into understanding the relationship between the public, politicians, media and activists around climate policy

Cost information and benefit framing have minimal effects on support for methane regulations on oil and gas, which remain high regardless of different messaging strategies.

Wildfire management strategies should expand mitigation, improve community engagement, and use novel approaches to enhance equitable preparedness, evacuation, and recovery.

Public participation within China’s officially sanctioned channels improved local regulator’s enforcement of environmental standards and led to reduced industrial emissions.

Justice and equity metrics for researchers, communities, and policy makers.

Voters are more interested in disaster preparedness funding than previously understood. Legislators can harness this to better reflect voter preferences and increase their chances of reelection.

Recycling bulk materials can realize significant GHG savings but China case study shows that circular economy strategies are needed to reach net zero emission targets.

In the US and Canada, wind farm opposition is led by small groups, localized in certain regions, and more likely in White, wealthy communities.

Wealthier, more educated, and whiter communities receive more investments by government agencies after wildfires.

Compared to excise taxes and carbon taxes, setback restrictions on new oil wells have larger health benefits and worker compensation losses, but are more equitable by bringing greater benefits and lower losses to disadvantaged communities in California.

Significant parts of the American electric utility industry actively promoted climate doubt and denial, and later delayed climate action.

Efforts to recycle carbon tax revenues to publics in Canada and Switzerland haven’t increased policy support.

The political logic behind the Green New Deal makes climate policy more popular among Democrats without turning off Republicans.

Most firms are greenwashing at worst or hedging at best, investing marginally in green energy to minimize risk from stringent policy or future shareholder pressure.

Bans on flaring – burning off methane gas that leaks out as a natural byproduct of oil production – aren’t working, and could even be incentivizing direct releases of methane into the air.

Burning waste piles pose a threat to public health in much of the Global South. In Kampala, Uganda a citizen reporting program did not reduce informal waste accumulation.

Forest managers are more likely to implement projects near communities with wealthier, white, more educated residents.

NGOs can help remediate severely polluted waterways by sharing monitoring information with local governments.

Ecological impacts from solar and wind are significant, but can be avoided to achieve California’s goal of 100% renewable, zero-carbon electricity by 2050.

Long-touted as a climate and fiscal solution, efforts to increase fossil fuel taxes and reduce subsidies are failing - because of the same political constraints that complicate income tax reforms.

Across China, city governments significantly improved transparency and compliance with central pollution standards when NGOs monitored and publicized their performance.

Good governance relies on citizen input to improve public services - but if citizens do not believe officials will respond, governments can face a disengagement dilemma.

Governments rely on public input to allocate scarce wildfire risk efforts, but community demands can lead to an inefficient distribution of fuel treatment projects – often prioritizing lower-risk areas that recently experienced a wildfire.

How we talk about renewable energy policy can push US public opinion above or below majority support.

Experiencing the impacts of climate change increases support for climate policy at the ballot box – but only among voters who already accept climate science.

To encourage water conservation as climate change makes drought worse, water district managers should invest in effective messaging campaigns that promote household behavior change.

Existing survey tools that measure public understanding of ‘sustainability’ reveal widespread confusion – suggesting that efforts to educate the public about sustainability have not been successful.

Research finds four empirically supported strategies climate advocates may use to increase support for climate change policy when meeting with their Congressional Representatives.

Governments and stakeholders have invested in communicating sea-level rise risks through birds-eye maps of coastal flooding – but this communication approach may inadvertently undermine public risk perceptions.

Americans from across the political spectrum are participating in the clean energy transition – and rooftop solar households are more likely to vote than their neighbors without solar.