Energy innovation for a power-hungry world With energy costs up and electricity demand climbing, Stanford researchers are leading efforts to make clean power affordable and reliable for all while cutting the emissions that drive climate change...

This research is supported by the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator. Learn about more of the school’s energy-related work: stanford.io/3QjWJhM

Shade structure over rows of plants

Small model of solar panels over rows of plants

Energy research spotlight: Scientists are studying the potential of installing solar panels in agricultural lands.

By working closely with residents & farmers, they hope to provide a model for earning local support for clean energy development. 📸 Gisel De La Cerda

Student smiling behind a table for wellness liaisons holding a sign that says, being well together

Large white dog being pet by three students

Two people standing petting a large white dog outside

A student holding a flyer next to other event attendees at tables

At a resource fair as part of Stanford’s first-ever Grad Student Appreciation Week, scholars learned about internships, research support, field opportunities, and more – with special guests from Furry Friends Rescue!

📸: Serena Turner and Alex Gillaspy

Postdoctoral fellows build research and community connections The 2025-27 Dean’s Sustainability Leaders Postdoctoral Fellows are pursuing research on snakes, climate perceptions, and plant adaptations, bringing interdisciplinary scholarship and leadership to the...

Meet the newest cohort of Dean’s Sustainability Leaders Postdoctoral Fellows, who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and engage the scientific community through mentorship, teaching, and fostering a welcoming research culture.

📸 Image credits: Sarah Sausan, Roland Horne

Tall crane lowering a tool into the ground with trucks and workers around it

Close-up of a large metal tool with someone preparing it for use

Energy research spotlight: Scientists are refining approaches for Earth’s heat to generate electricity. Enhanced geothermal systems adapt fracking & horizontal drilling techniques to access deep underground heat.

Learn about this work & more of the school’s energy-related work: stanford.io/3QjWJhM

Jars of powder and raw materials

Person in a suit working with a kiln in a lab

Geophysicist Tiziana Vanorio has developed a more sustainable approach to manufacturing cement, the most widely used building material on Earth.

With help from the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, she’s working to make it commercially viable. stanford.io/41oi249

📸 Mia Maria Pique, Rotana Hay

Introducing the inaugural global convening of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, where groundbreaking research meets bold action.

View the Stanford Sustainability Forum agenda and join the livestream on April 29 and 30: stanford.io/47AR9O6

Study explains Antarctic sea ice growth and sudden decline Although climate models predicted Antarctic sea ice would steadily dwindle, its extent grew for decades until 2016. A new study finds the ice finally receded when wind-driven upwelling unleashed warme...

A new study has helped solve a mystery about dramatic swings in sea ice extent around Antarctica.

The findings could improve climate projections for processes including ice sheet melting and sea level rise.

Contributors to the Climate Tech Map include the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Speed & Scale, Energy Innovation, Breakthrough Energy, McKinsey Sustainability, and Elemental Impact.

Climate Tech Map Explore breakthrough technologies and innovation opportunities to accelerate climate solutions.

The Climate Tech Map is a free platform for learning about opportunities to decarbonize across key sectors. Recent additions to the platform include insights about sustainable buildings, manufacturing, and greenhouse gas removal. Learn more: climatetechmap.com

Before the tipping point As oceans warm and ecosystems shift, Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station is helping detect trouble early—and prevent collapse before it begins.

The ocean is vast, dynamic, and difficult to access. Through a program at @stanfordhopkins.bsky.social, scientists and collaborators are able to test low-cost sensors, remote sensing imagery, and other technologies at scale – bringing innovative approaches to ocean research.

The paper came out of a workshop co-organized by Jackson, professor of Earth system science and senior fellow at @woods.stanford.edu and the Precourt Institute for Energy (@stanfordenergy.bsky.social). Additional authors include Alison Hoyt, assistant professor of Earth system science.

A global methane observation system to track climate feedbacks for verifiable climate impact Methane measurements, particularly of natural sources, need to be expanded considerably

A new paper highlights the need for expanding methane measurements, especially from natural sources.

“Methane emissions are already rising from natural ecosystems as the Earth warms. We need to be able to measure them and, ideally, help reduce them,” said co-author Rob Jackson. bit.ly/4s3hAmB

World map shows damages caused by US emissions

Who pays for whose emissions? Explore data from the new study using this interactive damage map and calculator: stanford.io/4uUt2ne

@marshallburke.bsky.social

Study links past emissions to trillions in future economic damages Future climate damages from past greenhouse gas emissions dwarf the economic harm already inflicted.

New research puts a dollar value on the harm of countries’ and major companies’ carbon dioxide emissions over time. Future damages from past emissions far exceed the harm done so far.

🔗 stanford.io/4dMlhcV

New research shows path to affordable water in fast-growing cities By 2050, up to half the world’s urban population will face water scarcity. A new model of water supply, demand, and policies in a drought-prone city of 7 million in India shows how policies could prev...

By 2050, up to half the world’s urban population will face water scarcity. A new model could help cities identify the most effective ways to improve water affordability in the face of climate change impacts. #WorldWaterDay stanford.io/47enhGZ

A ‘shocking’ carbon discovery in Sweden’s forests A new study finds old-growth forests in Sweden store far more carbon than the industrial tree plantations that are rapidly replacing them, with soil accounting for most of the difference. Protecting u...

🌲 According to new research, protecting undisturbed forests could do more to mitigate climate change than previously thought.

Emmanuel Codillo smiling outside

“Among other things, we determine the melting temperatures of different rocks to understand the physical and chemical states of deep Earth. In other words, I cook rocks in the lab.” 🪨

Meet new assistant professor Emmanuel Codillo: stanford.io/4bQ144D

Printing infrastructure for cleaner energy Joseph DeSimone designs systems for producing micron-scale particles. Stanford has now filed a patent application on his lab’s new material for use in next-generation nuclear fusion and fission system...

Stanford researchers have designed a way to print materials with features as narrow as one-tenth the width of a human hair.

With support from the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, they’re exploring an unexpected application for their work that could offer large-scale sustainability benefits.

A student smiles holding a microphone

Group photo of judges and students smiling with their award certificates on stage

Group photo of 6 students smiling outside

A student talking and gesturing to a poster

At a recent event as part of the Global Sustainability Challenge, led by @stanforddoerr.bsky.social, students from North and South America presented their projects focused on energy and climate adaptation solutions. stanford.io/3NhLpSf

📸: Will Carnahan

Preferred Futures: Climate and Environmental Justice Across Borders The 2026 Climate & Environmental Justice Across Borders Conference forms part of the inaugural year of programming for the Stanford Center for Just Environmental Futures, a new interdisciplinary hub d...

What does a just environmental future look like, and how do we build it?

Join us for the Preferred Futures Conference on March 23-24 where scholars, community leaders, and legal and policy experts will discuss pathways for shaping futures grounded in equity, dignity, and ecological integrity.

Environmental law expert Deborah Sivas discusses what the rescission of the greenhouse gas endangerment finding could mean for the future of environmental protections and federal climate regulation. stanford.io/4rbM45O

Satellite imagery and AI reveal development needs hidden by national data Researchers have mapped relative levels of human well-being and development for thousands of municipalities around the world. The new approach could help fill gaps in census data and inform decisions ...

Researchers have mapped human well-being at the local level, offering more precise insights about development needs within countries.

Their approach could help fill gaps in census data and inform decisions about how to tailor policies and programs to local needs.

4 key facts about climate change and school meals How vulnerable are school meal programs to price volatility and regional shocks tied to climate change? Learn four key facts about school meals and climate, and ideas for making this increasingly impo...

“School meals are an interesting way of doing two things at once – setting a strong foundation for healthy individuals and societies, and building a climate-friendly and resilient food system.”

Here are four facts based on research by @jaburney.bsky.social on climate change & school meal programs.

The growing possibilities of unpalatable plants Jennifer Brophy uses genetic tools to help plants adapt to climate change. Lately, she has focused her efforts on improving crops to reduce the need for chemical pesticides that can contaminate air an...

Plants naturally produce their own chemicals to defend against insects. What if we could enhance these defenses in crops to reduce the need for chemical pesticides?

Learn about work supported by the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, based in @stanforddoerr.bsky.social:

New metric reveals true corporate water footprints While 14% of major companies report carbon emissions, just 9% disclose water withdrawals and only 1% reveal recycled water use. Stanford and Korea University researchers have developed a scoring syste...

A “financial calculator for water sustainability”: Researchers have developed a way for companies to more accurately measure their water footprints and identify ways to improve them.

Students at a table outside drawing and writing

Silhouette of three people looking out on a tower balcony with views of campus below

View from behind a group of people on a tour of a nature preserve with trees around them

Students harvest leafy greens from a row on a farm

Program spotlight: Community building among first-year PhDs 💗

Through dinners, hikes, art projects, & other gatherings throughout the year, a cohort program at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability helps first-year PhD students form friendships & spark new collaborations. stanford.io/3OfYQlO

Study reveals the extent of rare earthquakes in deep layer below Earth’s crust Stanford scientists have developed a new method for identifying rare earthquakes in the Earth’s upper mantle, under the continents. The research enhances understanding of how continental mantle earthq...

Scientists have created the first-ever global map of a rare earthquake type. It could help us understand and prepare for future quakes.

Image credits: Kayla Kauffman, De Leo Lab