The Climate Missions are MIT-wide problem-solving communities. Each mission will address a broad domain where solutions are required for effective climate response and where a critical mass of excellent research capabilities exists at MIT. Each mission will have three main roles:
- Assessing national and global progress within its domain
- Identifying critical gaps and bottlenecks constraining progress, as well as promising new pathways for effective action
- Selecting, launching, and supporting projects to accelerate progress
The initial set of missions is as follows:
Climate HQ
Climate HQ is an administrative, operational, and coordinating arm for the Climate Project, and provides shared services to the Climate Missions to help them achieve practical impact at scale.
1. Decarbonizing Energy and Industry
Decarbonizing the world’s industries with affordable low-emissions electricity and fuels and climate-relieving industrial innovations.
- Electric power grid
- Heavy industries (cement, steel, chemicals, textiles, etc.)
- Agriculture
- Computers and communications
- Air, sea, and land transportation
The Mission Director for decarbonizing energy and industry is Elsa Olivetti.
2. Restoring the Atmosphere, Protecting the Land and Oceans
Removing, managing, and storing greenhouses gases. Protecting ocean and land
ecosystems.
- CO2 removal
- Methane reduction and removal
- Natural carbon sinks
- Protecting biodiversity
- Food and water systems
The Mission Directors for atmosphere, land, and oceans are Andrew Babbin and Jesse Kroll.
3. Empowering Frontline Communities
Supporting the world’s most vulnerable populations with technologies, finance, and policies for climate relief and resilience.
- Remediating the adverse health effects of climate change
- Policies for poverty alleviation and climate resilience and relief
- Climate risk forecasting for resilience
The Mission Director for frontline communities is Miho Mazereeuw.
4. Building and Adapting Healthy, Resilient Cities
Designing, building, and adapting habitable, resilient cities.
- Urban transportation
- Blue and green urban infrastructure
- Building energy efficiency
- Urban air, water, and biodiversity
- Urban finance and government
- Urban resilience and climate justice
The Mission Director for health, resilient cities is Christoph Reinhart.
5. Inventing New Policy Approaches
New institutions and incentives, policies/systems for rapid scaling, and decision support tools.
- Climate finance and trade policy
- Industry strategy
- Progress measurement and technology assessment
- Modelling energy transition pathways
- Carbon market innovations
The Mission Director for policy approaches is Christopher Knittel.
6. Wild Cards
Unconventional solutions outside the scope of the other missions.
The Mission Director for wild cards is Benedetto Marelli.