Measured Insights
The latest blog posts from our research projects.
DDL Receives National Science Foundation Grant To Develop an Empirical Model of Subnational Climate Action
Data-Driven EnviroLab’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Angel Hsu, has received a $503,819 grant from the National Science Foundation for a 3-year research project, “Catalyzing virtuous cycles of climate action: an empirical model of polycentric climate governance.” The...
Cities on the Sustainability Frontlines: Measuring Social Inclusion and Environmental Performance
The Data-Driven EnviroLab will be hosting the webinar "Cities on the Sustainability Frontlines: Measuring Social Inclusion and Environmental Performance" from 10:00 - 11:30 am EST on Thursday, July 14. This briefing will introduce key insights and highlights from the...
Director Angel Hsu appointed to National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine committee on Developing a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Framework for Decision-Making
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) announced the appointment of Dr. Angel Hsu, the Director of the Data-Driven EnviroLab and the assistant professor of Public Policy and the Environment at UNC-Chapel Hill, to an 11-person ad hoc...
#HeatHack2022 Recap: Teams collaborate to use data to hack heat solutions
On April 23, nearly 40 community members came together to hack solutions to urban heat in the Research Triangle as part of Data-Driven EnviroLab’s Heat Hack 2022. In partnership with the NC Museum of Life and Science and as part of the NC Science Festival, we opened...
DDL releases 2021 Chapel Hill #HeatWatch data report
On August 28, 2021, we sent nearly 40 volunteers armed with handheld sensors, smartphones, and smartwatches to help collect urban heat data around town. This citizen science campaign was in partnership with the NC Museum of Life and Science and the Town of Chapel...
DDL joining forces with UNC researchers to investigate heat, energy, and health equity
DDL is joining forces with other researchers across UNC to investigate the nexus of urban heat, electric grid infrastructure, and health equity with $5,000 in seed funding from a UNC Creativity Hub grant. The hottest days in the summer are exposing numerous...
DDL receives grant to study urban land teleconnections
Data-Driven EnviroLab has received a $10,000 Faculty Development Grant that will allow the group to assess how overseas infrastructure investments from China affect land use in Southeast Asia. Urban growth is rapidly advancing in Southeast Asia - nearly half of the...
Climate TRACE Offers Foundations for Live Emissions Tracking
by Varun Subramaniam Introduction: The Need for Live Emissions Tracking The need for climate accountability, i.e. holding various actors accountable to their climate pledges, was a key topic at the latest climate negotiations (COP-26) in Glasgow. However, to enforce...
COP26 Glasgow Climate Conference highlights need for greater accountability
At this year’s COP26 climate summit, a big theme was the need for improved accountability from corporate, state, and non-state actors. As we enter the decisive decade for climate action, having a comprehensive understanding of emissions and global commitments to...
Data-Driven Lab and Arboretica Team Up to Automate Tracking of Climate Action Data
With COP26 concluded, waves of new and updated climate action plans from countries across the world have been a welcomed (if still insufficient) sight. But the gap between country-level ambition and “safe” (<1.5°C) levels of global heating remains large. To address...
