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Focus Areas

Climate Change Solutions

Securing a sustainable climate future by reducing climate impacts

RTI’s scientists, engineers, and economists are working actively on several fronts to develop meaningful and cost-effective solutions to the many hazards posed by climate change.  Our team understands that securing a sustainable climate future will require a generous mix of GHG mitigation and removal technologies, adaptation and resilience measures to reduce climate impacts – especially on vulnerable populations, informed by a thorough understanding of uncertainty related to possible and probable future scenarios.  Our diverse and fully engaged team of experts helps our clients identify holistic solutions to generate better climate futures.

Clean Energy Technology

Our teams of engineers and research chemists are working actively on the development of carbon capture technologies in RTI’s state-of-the-science laboratories.  Carbon capture and removal technologies will offer invaluable flexibility in limiting our carbon emissions and actively reducing ambient concentrations.  Our economists and engineers have extensive experience supporting US and foreign governments in promoting and analyzing the adoption of more energy efficient technologies and expanding renewables through hydropower. 

Vulnerability, Mitigation, and Adaptation

We’ve developed comprehensive methods to assess the vulnerability of ecosystems, communities, and society at large to climate-related risks. Our experts help clients understand the specific nature of risks for their sector or community, such as the extent to which extreme heat, floods, droughts, or wildfires are projected to increase in their region. Based on an understanding of the risks, we develop innovative methods to quantify and communicate vulnerability to enable more targeted, and effective, planning that address issues such as equity and environmental justice.

Preparedness and Resilience

We have decades of experience in helping organizations prepare for and become more resilient to extreme events. RTI’s water resources team includes some of the nation’s leading experts in hydrometeorological monitoring, flood forecasting and warning, hydrological risk and consequences assessment, and future water availability analyses.  This expertise is further strengthened by our economists who have evaluated the broader benefits of real-time flood and earthquake warning systems. Beyond water-related events, RTI economists and urban planners support efforts to examine resilience of urban areas to climate change and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) events. 

Climate Mitigation Policy

Our teams have supported the development, evaluation, and implementation of air regulations for decades.  We have supported clean air act regulatory work such as new source performance standards for electric utilities, oil and gas, metals, cement, and other emissions-intensive sectors.  Our economists have evaluated the land use, emissions, and market impacts of renewable fuels and portfolio standards in transportation and electricity.  Our economy-wide modeling team have done extensive legislative analysis and research on national cap-and-trade and carbon tax bills, examining the distribution of costs and co-benefits throughout the economy.