Considering the water needs of fire-resilient plant species, this project focuses on alternative water sources, such as greywater, treated wastewater, and stormwater infiltration that could support the cost-effective maintenance of VGBs. Through assessing existing regulations, energy requirements, technical feasibility, and incorporating community perspectives, this project will develop an integrated framework to identify how and where VGBs can effectively mitigate wildfire risk.
This project will analyze the sports broadcast production process to identify key emission sources, develop a standardized carbon footprinting methodology aligned with GHG Protocol principles, and establish industry benchmarks for common sports broadcast scenarios. The resulting tools and guidance will help studios and production companies complete more accurate corporate GHG inventories, comply with emerging regulatory requirements, and design meaningful emissions reduction strategies.
This project partners with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to expand FishKit's capabilities, an open-access platform designed to support community-based fisheries management. Currently, FishKit's toolbox relies on fisheries-dependent data that many small-scale fisheries struggle to obtain. This project will expand FishKit's capabilities to include fisheries-independent data, better supporting the sustainable management of these fisheries. The team will develop an accessible framework and an evaluation tool for analyzing fisheries-independent data, informed by a review of survey methodologies and engagement with end users.
InterWoven will address this bottleneck for apparel and footwear brands by translating legal frameworks into clear, actionable steps for regulatory compliance. By clarifying exactly what is needed to build a compliant disclosure, InterWoven empowers companies to prepare strategically rather than reactively. InterWoven supports sustainability teams as they move from scoping to compliance to action on one platform.
In this project, we aim to quantify the socioeconomic benefits associated with the SMRP, assess ecosystem service benefits by restoring fish passage and river connectivity, develop a transferable valuation framework to better communicate returns on public investment, and to produce communication tools to assist in demonstrating the value of restoration to stakeholders and policymakers.
This project, conducted in partnership with The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi and the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, seeks to identify and map high-potential restoration areas, characterize wetland bird interactions, and incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge to inform and advance this effort to restore the Ukumehame wetlands of West Maui.
This project will identify suitable areas to implement locally-tuned models of forest restoration and agroforestry in the Upper Guinean Forest region, accounting for future risks from climate change and land conversion to ensure the long-term success of Natural Climate Solutions (NCS), and develop regional planning and management recommendations to mitigate risks to NCS and bolster community resilience through restoration and agroforestry.
This project supports the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight (DPMO) at the California Energy Commission, which is responsible for providing guidance and recommendations to state policymakers regarding the transportation fuels market and fuels prices. It aims to produce an evidence-based conceptual framework for understanding and navigating this supply transition.
Using spatial and connectivity analysis, this project will pinpoint existing barriers to potential movement corridors in order to identify suitable areas for pollinator habitat installation or restoration. Although quantitative data tools will be at the heart of our technical analysis, we also want to understand the experience of the farmers to assess whether or not expanding pollinator habitat is feasible. ArcGIS and Google Earth will be used to establish current conditions, followed by a connectivity analysis using Circuitscape, an open-source modeling tool that is used for wildlife corridor design and movement ecology.
This Impact Project aims to support and advance initial implementation of the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The project will analyze the New England/Corner Rise Seamounts and the Northeast Pacific Seamounts as potential sites for proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPA) or Area-Based Management Tools (ABMT) under the BBNJ Agreement. Both seamounts serve as critical, nutrient-rich habitats for deep-sea biodiversity, and create feeding grounds for marine mammals, seabirds, and commercially important fish species.
This project will evaluate the impact of tourism in Kotor and develop feasible management strategies to optimize the relationship between environmental impact and socioeconomic benefit. Management strategies will be informed by socioeconomic and environmental models. A critical piece of this project includes understanding how local businesses in Kotor experience and depend on cruise tourism. By balancing environmental protection with economic and social considerations, the proposed strategies seek to center equitable outcomes for local communities and enhance residents’ quality of life while maintaining the long-term viability of the tourism sector. As global tourism continues to expand and place increasing pressure on natural and social systems, this project aims to develop evidence-based sustainable tourism models that can be applied to destinations worldwide.
This project aims to provide the Economic Research Institute (ERI) of the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan with a data-driven decarbonization strategy for Almaty and Astana. Specifically, the project seeks to establish baseline carbon and pollutant footprints for the residential heating and urban transport sectors; identify which policy interventions, such as coal-to-gas transition, heat pump adoption, or public transit electrification, yield the highest emission reductions per dollar invested; and develop a carbon-neutral roadmap that integrates these technical solutions within Kazakhstan's existing national policy framework.
Kelp Help aims to close critical gaps in kelp forest monitoring and restoration by leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology to improve the detection, monitoring, and analysis of kelp canopy coverage and condition.
Small-scale energy technologies like rooftop solar and electric vehicles are key to decarbonizing energy systems, but grid capacity to support these technologies may not be distributed equitably across communities. This project will develop an accessible workflow that combines grid infrastructure and socioeconomic data to help identify inequities and support a fairer transition to clean energy.
This project explores the potential to repurpose marine waste streams into sustainable, non-synthetic fertilizers or soil amendments for home gardeners and small-scale agriculture. Our initial business model centers on capturing and diverting marine waste before it is discarded, thus reducing environmental harm while creating a locally sourced, value-added product.
Wildfires are an increasing threat in the western U.S., and understanding community and ecosystem resilience is critical for reducing risk. This project will create an open-source tool that makes wildfire resilience data easier to access and use, helping researchers and practitioners support better preparedness and recovery.
The U.S. healthcare industry generates approximately 6 million tons of waste annually, which is nearly equivalent to the country of India’s entire annual waste production. SustainRx aims to equip hospitals and healthcare providers with a centralized way to track, reduce, and manage medical waste without compromising patient safety. The project will help eliminate waste at its source using a centralized, data-driven platform that enables healthcare organizations to monitor procurement and disposal patterns, assess inefficiencies, and receive actionable waste reduction recommendations.
Environmental reviews in California rely on accurate species data, but current workflows are time-consuming and difficult to reproduce. This project will create an automated system that streamlines species data management, helping biologists make more consistent and effective conservation decisions.
The project’s aim is to find a new, safe and sustainable alternative to the synthetic hair products sold in the beauty industry. Focusing on the intersection between public and environmental health, ReNew’s goal addresses the harms affecting the current consumer base, specifically Black and Black mixed-race women, girls and other femmes.
Hydropower is a key renewable energy source, but expanding it can harm rivers and ecosystems if not carefully planned. This project will estimate how much hydropower can be developed sustainably worldwide and share the results through an interactive tool to support climate and conservation goals.
