A major initiative of the lab is the climate-smart commodities project, which is focused on developing the systems and policies to bring these low-carbon agriculture feedstocks and products to the marketplace across the country. This includes strategies and technologies to improve and better track greenhouse gas mitigation and carbon sequestration while also creating and expanding markets. The undertaking—part of a $60 million multi-institutional grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture—involves several DSL teams.

• Bioplastics: Jacob Snelling ’24, a biology and environment, sustainability and policy (ESP) major, is researching the emerging bioplastics industry, which uses biological materials, such as wood chips, to create sustainable polymers for use in construction, consumer goods and other products. “There are definitely some substantial obstacles,” he says. “But there’s plenty of room for innovation with a lot of the different sustainable industries.”

• Data Needs: Sophie Creager-Roberts ’24, a history and ESP major, and Framke Vitale ’24, a marketing management major, are investigating the data and technology needs for producers and other value chain members. The idea is to track the value chain or lifecycle of a product, from inception to disposal. This includes measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying data to create trust in the marketplace. Through their work, they’ve published a technical bulletin that describes the drivers for climate-smart commodities and challenges for producers.

  

• Blockchain Technology: One way to monitor products is through blockchain technology, which documents and tracks transactions. Lahari Chowtoori G’24, an applied data science graduate student, Vrushali Lad G’25, an information systems graduate student, and Jonah Komosinski ’25, a business analytics and information management and technology major, are part of a team looking to introduce the technology. Blockchain, for instance, can be used to monitor, report and verify carbon emissions throughout the timber supply chain. “By using blockchain labels, we can track the origins of all products, trace their journey through processing and use in manufacturing, and quantify the carbon emissions incurred throughout the process,” Chowtoori says.

• Community Connections: As part of the underserved communities team, master of public administration (M.P.A.) students Calista Albring ’23, G’24 and Sydney King G’24, who’s also pursuing a master’s in international relations, are creating two-page information sheets (in English and Spanish) on forestry, agriculture, and brand and manufacturing. They are learning about the challenges underserved foresters face and identifying businesses to connect them with. They also want to ensure foresters are educated about sustainable practices and have access to blockchain and other emerging technologies. “It’s important for foresters to have the resources they need and know who they can reach out to,” King says.

The lab established the Syracuse University Climate Corps team as a way for students from across the University to help local communities address pressing climate, energy and sustainability issues. Last November, for example, the team hosted a workshop for local municipal leaders to learn about issues that impede their progress toward sustainability. Team member Kaai I ’24, an international relations and policy studies major, has initiated a collaboration with the Village of Pulaski, N.Y., to assess the environmental impact and risks of its housing stock. As he points out, many local governments are understaffed and don’t have the resources to properly address costly environmental issues. “Sustainability is emphasizing sustainable actions beyond our environment,” he says. “We need to be sustainable in the way we employ and treat people in the workforce, and in the way we help municipal governments and ensure they have the resources and manpower they need."

Navigating the Electric Vehicle Transition

The EV transition team is producing a guidebook designed to help local and state government officials and industry leaders across the country understand the different implications involved in the transition, including fuel tax and lottery revenues, road and vehicle maintenance and the importance of public-private partnerships that embrace innovative technologies. “One of the most integral parts of the EV transition is local governments can’t take on the construction of thousands of EV charging stations by themselves,” says M.P.A. student Michael Garzone-White G’24.