Closing the Racial Wealth and Emissions Gaps
Increased investment in climate at the federal level – including the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS, and Infrastructure bills – is already transforming our country. We need to center marginalized communities so they can both benefit from and lead the fast-emerging decarbonization economy.
Our Solution
MIT and leading industry players are developing and sharing models for communities seeking to build ownership and wealth-generating strategies from just transition investments.
Our work includes research development, knowledge exchange, and community projects to bring together MIT research, students, and community leaders on core innovation opportunities, and use resources from the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS, and Infrastructure bills.
Throughout this program, we’ll be seeking out opportunities for collaboration, and developing partnerships to advance community projects across the country.
Key Program Initiatives
Climate Justice
Community leaders and industry are working together to ensure federal climate investments create economic opportunities for communities of color. Through technical assistance, innovation research, and strategic partnerships, we aim to ensure that minority-owned businesses and community ownership models succeed in emerging clean energy sectors.
HBCU-MIT Climate Collaboration
We're collaborating with HBCUs to create powerful hubs for equitable clean energy development. This collaboration leverages MIT and HBCU technical expertise and leadership to connect campus innovations with community wealth-building, demonstrating how academic institutions can lead inclusive clean energy transitions that create lasting economic opportunities.
Our Just Transition: Nation-Building for the 21st Century
Through research, policy development, and strategic dialogue, we're positioning Just Transition as America's core nation-building priority. We're creating frameworks to ensure federal climate investments transform both our economy and society while centering marginalized communities.
Climate Industry Priorities for Community Wealth-Building
Building Decarbonization
Minority-owned businesses can meet this moment of transformation in the construction sector for a clean energy future, and we’re creating pathways to help. Through innovative financing models, shared business services, and technical support, we're developing strategies to support MBEs top capture opportunities from unprecedented federal investments in energy efficiency and electrification across America’s buildings.
Battery Manufacturing
As the U.S. reshores clean energy manufacturing, we’re working to ensure the emerging Battery Belt creates inclusive economic opportunities. Our research and industry partnerships focus on connecting minority entrepreneurs, manufacturers, universities, and community enterprises to shape the future of battery technology and the domestic supply chain to center local economic opportunities.
Virtual Power Plants
We're developing community-owned models for virtual power plants that integrate local energy resources into smart, resilient networks. This work demonstrates how distributed energy systems can reduce costs, build community wealth, and create new ownership opportunities in the clean energy transition.
MIT CoLab Resources and Reports
Discover research, reports, and publications for climate outcomes in our communities that are just and equitable.
Powering Progress: Inclusive Innovation Economies in the Battery Belt
This report explores how strategic collaboration between industry, HBCUs/MSIs, and minority entrepreneurs can create inclusive pathways for innovation and business ownership in battery technology and supply chains.
Constructing a Just Transition: MBEs and the Future of Building Decarbonization
This report examines the unique challenges MBEs face in the building retrofit and electrification sectors, from accessing capital to navigating complex certification requirements.
Relevant Resources
Webinar
Whether you work in green finance, decarbonization, climate tech, or real estate, this webinar will offer innovative resources to support MBEs across building decarbonization initiatives. Panelists will offer insights from real-world implementation of MBE development programs and initiatives and share the tools to tackle the climate crisis while centering equity in implementation.
