Our approach
From life cycle to systems change
Sustainability questions fail when the boundary is drawn too small. Our work starts by drawing it correctly, then measures what crosses it.
01
Observe
Define the system boundary. Before anything is measured, the Center maps what is inside the system, what crosses its edges, and which decisions are actually on the table.
02
Analyze
Apply methods, models and metrics. Life cycle assessment and systems modeling turn a boundary into comparable evidence, including the trade-offs that single-issue analysis hides.
03
Transform
Translate evidence into use. Findings are published, taught and shared with policymakers, industry and the public so analysis reaches the decisions it was built for.
How we analyze systems
The methods behind the matrix
Four practices recur across every research area, whichever system is under study.
Life cycle assessment (LCA)
A structured accounting of the environmental consequences of a product or system across its whole life — materials, manufacturing, use and end of life — so that improvements in one stage are not mistaken for improvements overall.
Systems modeling
Representing a system's parts and their connections so that the effect of a change can be traced through the whole, including feedback that single-component analysis cannot capture.
Metrics & indicators
Choosing what to measure is an analytical decision. The Center develops and applies metrics that make performance comparable across technologies, sectors and time horizons.
Interdisciplinary practice
Engineering, environmental science, planning and policy are combined because system boundaries rarely respect disciplinary ones.
Why it matters
Trade-offs are the finding
Systems analysis rarely produces a single winner. It produces a clear account of what improves, what worsens, and under which conditions — which is exactly what a decision needs.
Existing state
- Energy
- Mobility
- Cities
- Food
- Water
Enhanced state
Sustainable Systems
Research mission
The CSS research team — faculty, research staff and students — works through four linked activities. Select one to see what it produces.
Develop dynamic models and sustainability metrics.
Transformation mechanisms
- Technology
- Design
- Behavior
- Markets
- Policy
Applied with stakeholders and collaborators across business, government, NGOs, the public and academia.