The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—adopted by all member states of the United Nations—emphasizes “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.” Familiar alternative technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and lithium storage cannot, however, meet the challenge alone, in either capacity or equity.

Pursuing a sustainable energy agenda necessitates producing energy more efficiently, more locally, and less harmfully to the environment and our communities. Our energy future requires radical innovations in energy production and distribution, with an emphasis on the equitable division of benefits and burdens across global and local communities.

Fortunately, exciting new developments at the frontiers of science and engineering—from fusion and hydrogen fuel to micro-fission and decarbonized global shipping—are paving the way for an energy revolution. Technologies first imagined in science fiction are fast becoming practicable realities. These developments can also help overcome the geographic constraints, socioeconomic inequities, and disparate impacts of current energy policy. The 2024 Harvard Radcliffe Institute science symposium will bring together scientists, public officials, industry leaders, environmental justice advocates, and behavioral scientists to investigate an equitable energy revolution, critical to the future of our planet.

Join the Salata Institute and the Harvard Alumni Association for an informative and dynamic discussion as part of the Harvard Voices on Climate Change virtual series. An interdisciplinary panel of Harvard experts will tackle your most pressing questions on climate change, exploring the science, health impacts, design solutions, and policy strategies that shape our global response.

Register today to submit your questions and hear actionable insights from our panelists as they break down these complex topics and offer real-world solutions.