Policy & Governance
Effective policies and leadership at the local, national, and international levels are necessary to drive meaningful action on climate change and create a more sustainable future.
Penn State Law is one of the nation’s preeminent energy law schools, supporting research on energy transitions and how regulation can help facilitate our transition to more renewable sources.
Shaping Tomorrow
Governments can implement regulations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, and improve energy efficiency. Policymakers can offer financial incentives to encourage sustainable practices and investments in climate-friendly technologies. Governments can also encourage sustainable consumption and more environmentally friendly practices.
Additionally, governments can play a vital role in fostering international cooperation on climate change. By working together through agreements like the Paris Agreement, countries can set global targets, share knowledge and resources, and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Policy & Governance Climate Solutions Accelerator Projects
Co-Design Climate Resilient Community Health and Climate Justice in Harrisburg, Pa.
Designing the Future of Recovery: Catalyzing Conversations on Community-Centric Resilient Housing Solutions in Rural Appalachia
Furthering Indigenous-Led, Nature-based solutions through Rights and Onsets in the Global South
Integrated CO2 Mineralization and Critical Mineral Recovery for Sustainable Urban and Transportation Systems
Augmenting Climate Transition across the Atlantic Transect: Extension-driven Solutions to Implementing Socially Responsible, High-Integrity Forest Carbon Offsets
Biomaterials and Nature-Based Solutions: Achieving a Sustainable, Decarbonized, and Climate-Resilient Built Environment
Building Capacity for Subnational Climate Action
Carbon Management: Capture, Transport, and Geological Storage
Scaling One Health Approach through Multistakeholder Engagement in Arthropod Adaptations to Ecosystem Plasticity Associated with Climate Change
Research Program for Assisted Subnational Climate Planning
Climate-Driven Pluvial Flooding: Impacts on Environmental Non-Migrants in Central Pennsylvania
Developing and Evaluating Climate Solutions Educational Strategies through Leave No Trace
Developing Transformative Youth-Centered Research Agendas & Intergenerational Collaborations to Foster Climate Justice Solutions
Implementing State-Level Climate Change Policy and Management for Water Resources
The Penn State – Belizean Foundation for Research and Environmental Education Consortium Workshop
Penn State Mineral Dust and GeoHealth Workshop
Protecting Indigenous Lands and Promoting Ethical Conservation Practices Through Design of a Sustainable Environmental Monitoring Network
Resilience and Equity in Addressing Climate Health
Impact
Adapting to climate change: Individuals take action while governments plan
While governments may take the lead in planning and financing climate change adaptation measures, such as incentivizing green infrastructure, individuals currently are most often the ones implementing actions to adapt to climate change, according to new research.
Political polarization may slow legislation, make higher-stakes laws likelier
Partisan politics may explain why, with polarization potentially causing enough friction to slow down the legislative process and make the passage of fewer, farther-reaching public laws likelier, according to researchers.