“Meeting the climate challenge means making significant changes to our daily lives. One important component of that change is our energy landscape. Shifting from coal, gas, and natural gas toward cleaner renewables will require building new infrastructure.”
Research Themes
Climate change is the issue of our time, and combating the climate crisis is global society’s greatest current challenge. A number of technological, business, and policy hurdles must be overcome to ensure the future vitality of both the natural and built environments.
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Climate change and the built environment pose threats to ecosystems around the world. Interdisciplinary approaches — examining the interplay between the natural environment and human activity — can enrich conservation, restoration, and habitat management efforts going forward.
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Low-income and underserved communities are poised to bear the greatest burdens of the climate crisis. Yet those same communities are least likely to access innovations in energy and infrastructure that could save lives and livelihoods. Environmental justice — across race, class, and gender — must be central to our efforts to tackle this global crisis.
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Moving society toward a more sustainable future requires contributions from the public, private, and social sectors. Bold, equitable public policies, innovative business practices, and disruptions and adaptations within legacy industries can all help address the climate crisis.
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An accessible, equitable, and ecologically sound food system is vital toward a sustainable world. Food systems extend beyond nutrition, and a number of actions must be taken to adequately address food’s role in climate change as well as persisting global hunger.
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Climate change and other environmental crises threaten to harm overall human health and exacerbate existing gaps in health equity. In charting the path ahead, public health professionals and sustainability researchers alike must address how our changing global climate impacts air quality, food sources and supply chains, the spread of infectious disease, mental and community health, and other dynamic processes.
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Advances in mobility, materials, and landscape architecture pose new opportunities for the world, and especially for the more than half of the global population that now resides in cities. As we face the climate crisis, new strategies for the built environment will be necessary to ensure the health of distinct communities and the natural environment.
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Water is essential to our planet. Without it, there is no life. But there are many environmental challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the continued health and safety of water resources worldwide.
Learn more about WaterMultidisciplinary Leadership from 700+ Experts
U-M faculty are on the forefront of leading research, teaching, and engagement efforts on an array of environmental topics. Researchers contribute their interests and expertise, enabling the university to serve as a nexus for ideas and far-reaching solutions.
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Working Toward Carbon Neutrality
Scalable and transferable steps that will enable U-M to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all three campuses and Michigan Medicine
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Planet Blue Campus
Empowering students, staff, and faculty to get involved in sustainability work on campus, at home, and in the community
Get Involved
Creating a More Sustainable U-M
Collaborating with the university community to pursue climate action, reduce waste, and ensure healthy environments
Learn more about sustainable operations on campus
Schools, Colleges, Units, and Initiatives
- Office of the President
- Office of Research
- School for Environment and Sustainability
- Graham Sustainability Institute
- Erb Institute
- College of Engineering
- College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
- School of Public Health
- Ford School of Public Policy
- Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
- Office of Campus Sustainability
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum
- Institute for Social Research
- Biosciences Initiative
The threats posed by the climate crisis extend far beyond the U-M campus and community. By bringing together academics, activists, and community leaders, U-M, as a top public research university, has a distinct opportunity to help chart the path forward.
Learn More about the Office of the President's Initiatives and Focus Areas
As the nation's largest public research university, the U-M Office of Research (UMOR) aims to catalyze, support, and safeguard U-M research.
Learn More about the U-M Office of Research
Climate change. Population growth. Food access. Water quality. The world needs bold leaders willing to take on urgent environmental issues, now more than ever. The School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) is focusing on the future, transforming research into action to create a healthier planet for all.
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The Graham Sustainability Institute catalyzes and facilitates sustainability-focused collaborations involving faculty, students, and external stakeholders. Graham links knowledge to real-world impact by supporting teams spanning multiple topics, disciplines, and sectors.
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The Erb Institute — a partnership between U-M’s Ross School of Business and the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) — aspires to create a socially and environmentally sustainable world through the power of business. Erb conducts research, teaching, and business engagement; all focused on preparing and supporting bold business leaders who can adeptly transform companies, industries, and entire economies for systemic sustainability.
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Michigan Engineering strives to anticipate the changes ahead and provide scientific and technological leadership for the common good. It is home to top-ranked departments that collaborate within the nation’s number one public research institution.
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With more than 100 degree programs in over 75 academic units, the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) is the largest of U-M’s 19 schools and colleges and is still at the heart of the university. The college is built upon the idea that a powerful, pragmatic, broad education can transform hearts and minds, can solve problems in an ever-changing world, and can yield ideas and innovation across every discipline.
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The U-M School of Public Health is pursuing a healthier, more equitable world through education, research, and action. The School of Public Health works with compassion, innovation, and inclusion to create meaningful, lasting impact.
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The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan is a community dedicated to the public good. It inspires and prepares diverse leaders grounded in service, conducts transformational research, and collaborates on evidence-based policymaking to take on our communities' and our world's most pressing challenges.
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Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan aims to create a more beautiful, inclusive, and better environment for generations to come. Through interdisciplinary education and research, Taubman College prepares graduates for positions of responsibility within a wide spectrum of professions, organizations, and institutions that shape the built environment at scales ranging from local to global.
Learn More about Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
The Office of Campus Sustainability coordinates sustainable campus operations and collaborates with academic and auxiliary units and student groups in pursuit of university sustainability goals. OCS is tracks and reports progress across several key areas, and communicates with campus and community stakeholders.
Learn More about OCS
The University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum promotes environmental enjoyment, stewardship, and sustainability through education, research and interaction with the natural world.
Learn More about Matthaei-Nichols
The Institute for Social Research (ISR) is the world’s largest academic social science survey and research organization. It is a leader in developing and applying new social science methods, and is committed to educating the next generation of social scientists.
Learn More about ISR
The Biosciences Initiative focuses on funding cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, expert faculty hires, collaboration, and postgraduate education across the biological sciences at U-M.
Learn More about the Biosciences InitiativeEvents
Nov
28
Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program Application Open
9:00 AM
Gain exposure to non-profits, research and Detroit in Summer 2022. Be part of the DCERP social justice focused summer fellowship program run...
Nov
29
Virtual First Step Sessions!
12:00 PM
Learn more about study programs around the world, scholarships and other financial aid resources, the CGIS application process, courses in your major,...
Nov
29
NAHM presents: Conversations on Landback, Sustainability, and Language
6:30 PM
Join us for an engaging dialogue and panel with amazing guests and speakers that have been a part of significant efforts to honor the Burt lake band...
In The News
The two-week COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, ended with an agreement among nearly 200 nations aimed at intensifying global efforts to fight climate change and to aid vulnerable nations, while leaving some crucial questions unresolved.
The School for Environment and Sustainability has launched the SEAS Sustainability Clinic, which aims to help the city of Detroit and nonprofits serving it address the impacts of climate change on the natural and built environment, human health and city finances, while working to enhance sustainability policy and action.