Climate

10-15-2026

AI and the future of climate modeling

Artificial intelligence, longer observational records, and a growing understanding of Earth’s systems are giving scientists fresh ways to test and improve climate models, and inform efforts to adapt to climate change.

Adaptation

10-14-2026

Lessons from behavioral science for the next era of climate action (link is external)

Madalina Vlasceanu, professor of environmental social sciences, reflects on the connection between the climate crisis and systemic societal changes needed to address it after attending New York Climate Week.

Stanford Impact Labs

Climate change

10-14-2026

Satellites accurately detect methane emissions in large-scale test

Researchers analyzed spaceborne instrument observations of controlled methane releases in a yearlong experiment led by Stanford scientists. The results can inform efforts to identify major methane sources, eliminate leaks, and reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas.

Emissions

09-29-2026

Saltwater is seeping into Maryland’s coastal forests. This team is helping landowners prepare. (link is external)

Researchers are building an online tool to help woodlot owners and farmers navigate options for preserving their land and livelihoods.

Stanford Sustainability Accelerator

Forests

09-23-2026

Currents in an Arctic sea accelerate the sinking of carbon-carrying phytoplankton

Documenting the seasonal fate of these tiny marine organisms is a step toward understanding how ecosystems in the world's fastest-warming region may change as ice recedes.

Marine biology

09-22-2026

Emissions from the past decade have made Europe’s recent heat waves worse

Using artificial intelligence, climate models, and weather observations, researchers find strong evidence that greenhouse gases emitted since the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement have intensified Europe’s recent heat waves.

Heat waves

08-31-2026

Searching for the limits of life and the fate of carbon in ocean ‘dead zones’

Recent graduate Emily Paris, PhD ’26, studies Earth’s most extreme deep-sea environments to learn about the habitability of ancient Mars and inform carbon storage efforts.

Alumni

08-21-2026

Engineering resilient, engaged, and empowered communities across the globe

Civil and environmental engineer Khalid Osman seeks to change the world through infrastructure and create a future where all communities have access to safe and reliable services.

Honors & Awards

08-19-2026

Inside the race to prepare cities for extreme heat

Stanford researchers are working to help cities adapt to extreme weather and keep people and buildings cool during severe heat waves.

Heat waves

08-06-2026

What earthquake sensors can tell us about hurricanes

A new way to measure hurricanes using earthquake-monitoring equipment could improve storm forecasting, support public safety, and enhance understanding of Earth’s atmosphere.

Hurricanes

07-22-2026

Stanford and SLAC to lead Genesis Mission projects (link is external)

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the first phase of funding for projects using artificial intelligence to tackle the nation’s most complex science and technology challenges, including six led by Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

Stanford Report

Energy

07-16-2026

Understanding wildfires

Stanford-led research shows how wildfire risks are changing, illuminates connections to climate and health, and offers promising solutions.

Wildfires

07-08-2026

Hotter, drier weather could double water bills in some cities, study finds (link is external)

Hotter, drier conditions could leave millions of Americans struggling to afford tap water. The cost of drought resilience measures, such as desalination plants, will likely fall on ratepayers, with the greatest impact on low-income and minority communities, according to the research.

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Freshwater resources

07-01-2026

Clean air and power starts at home (link is external)

Electrification for Health is a new Stanford program that aims to accelerate the transition to safer, cleaner electric appliances to protect human health today and support sustainable energy for the future.

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Health and wellbeing

06-24-2026

4 key facts about what motivates climate action

What does behavioral science research show about why people join collective efforts related to clean energy and other climate solutions? Learn what studies suggest about how people weigh personal benefits and connect government policies to tangible outcomes.

Human behavior

06-18-2026

Three Nobel laureates on finding answers in unexpected places

Experts in physics, chemistry, and bioengineering discuss scientific revolutions, the importance of basic science, and new frontiers in biology and sustainability.

Biology

06-11-2026

Less grazing, more feed for livestock in some regions may benefit climate

Altering livestock grazing could allow soils to store billions more tons of carbon each year, depending on the region. But net climate benefits depend heavily on where supplemental feed comes from.

Carbon sequestration

06-10-2026

Hurricane rainfall and landslide risk on the rise in Southern California

Climate change could make historically rare tropical cyclones more common in Southern California, significantly expanding landslide risk across the region by 2050.

Extreme weather

06-04-2026

How to improve biodiversity, climate, and economic development outcomes all at once (link is external)

A new modeling approach applied to 146 countries shows how strategic land use can provide significant gains for climate and nature without economic losses.

Natural Capital Alliance

Biodiversity

05-21-2026

Stanford forum examines sustainability solutions

Researchers presented new methods for tracking wildfire pollution and recovering bleached corals while former government officials and leaders from business and civil society called for urgent responses to food security, climate risks, and AI energy demand.

Events

05-20-2026

‘We’re not alone’

Stephanie Fischer, a PhD student in Earth system science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and a PhD minor in the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford University, researches how identity and culture can not only help people get involved in climate action but also buffer against harm.

Graduate students

05-20-2026

Study finds UK’s first megafire unleashed nearly a year of fire emissions in four days

New analysis shows 85% of carbon emissions from the 2025 Dava Moor Fire in Scotland came from peat combustion, signaling a dangerous shift in how wildfires behave in historically boggy landscapes.

Wildfires

05-12-2026

Gaining ground (link is external)

With support from the TomKat Center and the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, scholars are working to scale a fast-acting fertilizer that captures carbon.

TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy

Agriculture

04-22-2026

How can we protect people and communities from the worst effects of climate change? (link is external)

As part of the Stanford Impact Labs Design Fellowship, Marshall Burke and Gabrielle Wong-Parodi each conducted research intended to equip governments, institutions, and communities with evidence and approaches to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.

Stanford Impact Labs

Adaptation

Site news

AI and the future of climate modeling

Lessons from behavioral science for the next era of climate action (link is external)

Satellites accurately detect methane emissions in large-scale test

Saltwater is seeping into Maryland’s coastal forests. This team is helping landowners prepare. (link is external)

Currents in an Arctic sea accelerate the sinking of carbon-carrying phytoplankton

Emissions from the past decade have made Europe’s recent heat waves worse

Searching for the limits of life and the fate of carbon in ocean ‘dead zones’

Engineering resilient, engaged, and empowered communities across the globe

Inside the race to prepare cities for extreme heat

What earthquake sensors can tell us about hurricanes

Stanford and SLAC to lead Genesis Mission projects (link is external)

Understanding wildfires

Hotter, drier weather could double water bills in some cities, study finds (link is external)

Clean air and power starts at home (link is external)

4 key facts about what motivates climate action

Three Nobel laureates on finding answers in unexpected places

Less grazing, more feed for livestock in some regions may benefit climate

Hurricane rainfall and landslide risk on the rise in Southern California

How to improve biodiversity, climate, and economic development outcomes all at once (link is external)

Stanford forum examines sustainability solutions

‘We’re not alone’

Study finds UK’s first megafire unleashed nearly a year of fire emissions in four days

Gaining ground (link is external)

How can we protect people and communities from the worst effects of climate change? (link is external)