The world is facing an unprecedented climate crisis that threatens every aspect of our lives, from our cities to natural ecosystems. In response, scientists and practitioners have developed two primary strategies for intervention: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation efforts seek to reduce the severity of the crisis by addressing emissions, while adaptation efforts anticipate the most severe effects of the crisis and minimize potential risks to people and the built environment.
Given its capital-intensive nature, real estate can play a meaningful role in both mitigation and adaptation efforts – but only if there is research-driven evidence backing up any proposed interventions. That’s why MIT/CRE has been publishing academic papers exploring how chronic climate events such as extreme temperatures lower people’s expressed happiness, emphasizing the importance of data-driven solutions in addressing adaptation issues.
MIT/CRE researchers have also conducted studies that enable cities and private sector investors to identify profitable green investments that generate returns for portfolios over time while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency retrofits or renewable energy investments. Additionally, researchers have identified successful strategies for increasing public transit ridership levels in cities that prioritize using existing infrastructure more efficiently instead of costly investments in new infrastructure.
At a global level, MIT/CRE has helped create tools such as The Global Atlas, a comprehensive resource that enables developers to understand which areas are at risk due to climate change before investing in them. This tool helps empower decision-makers with access to verifiable, location-specific information about extreme weather trends all over the world – providing invaluable support for both mitigation and adaptation projects worldwide.
These are just some examples of how real estate research is being used as a catalyst for action on climate change – helping us move from theory into practical implementation on both local and global scales. By exploring these avenues with data-driven insight, we can effect real positive change despite the current dire situation – establishing resilient practices today so future generations won’t have to face the same challenges we do now.
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