HCP Highlights: Academic Year 2023-24

As the academic year 2023-24 draws to a close, we congratulate Harvard's newest class of graduates! We also pause to reflect on a year chock-full of research, knowledge exchange, and connection with our network of collaborators in Cambridge, China, and beyond. We look forward to fall 2024, and building upon more than 30 years of research at the forefront of climate change, air quality, energy systems, economic development, public health, and policy.

HCP Hosts U.S-China Workshop on Climate Change with ICON of Tsinghua University

The U.S.-China Scientific Workshop on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Change workshop, held December 1-2, 2023 at Harvard University, gathered faculty and researchers from five schools of Harvard University, five schools of Tsinghua University, MIT, Nanjing University, and others to explore current and potential U.S.-China collaborations on climate change research. Welcome introductions were given by Professor Michael B. McElroy, Chair of the Harvard-China Project and Gilbert Butler Professor of Environmental Studies, and HE Kebin, Academician; Dean, Institute for Carbon Neutrality (ICON); and Professor, School of Environment, Tsinghua University. The workshop also included separate side meetings between key faculty and Harvard Vice Provosts Mark Elliott, John Shaw, and James Stock.

Warming Arctic Reduces Dust Levels in Parts of the Planet

New research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences led by Visiting Professor Meng Gao of HKBU and Michael B. McElroy, the Gilbert Butler Professor of Environmental Studies at SEAS, and including HCP Visiting Ph.D. Fellow Fan Wang of HKBU, found that the decrease in dust can be attributed to the Arctic warming much faster than the rest of the planet, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. This process destabilizes the jet stream and changes storm tracks and wind patterns over the major sources of dust in West and South Asia.
Read the news article by the SEAS Communications.

HCP's Tribute to Nien Dak Sze

The life and legacy of Dr. Nien Dak Sze (December 10, 1946 - February 25, 2023) were honored by friends and family during a tribute at the Harvard Faculty Club this past November, hosted by HCP in coordination with his family. Dak was a key advisor of the Harvard-China Project from its inception and a longtime HCP Research Associate. He earned his Harvard Ph.D. in 1974 as Prof. Michael McElroy’s first doctoral student, and with his wife Cecilia Sze founded and led the renowned research firm Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER). Family and friends, including Prof. McElroy (pictured at left), remembered his legacy in atmospheric research and Sino-U.S. cooperation, but foremost as a beloved friend and family man. The event included a video tribute by Hong Kong luminaries and a panel of early-career scientists who reflected on Dak’s mentorship and lasting influence in environmental research. The loss of Dak’s infectious enthusiasm and thoughtful guidance has left a hole in the Harvard-China Project community.

HCP Community of Research Scholars

For over 30 years, our program has conducted exchanges and fostered collaborations with scholars and professors from China and beyond, who engage in research at the intersection of climate, environment, energy, economy, and health. This year's cohort in our Cambridge offices exemplifies this interdisciplinary focus, including economists specializing in climate economics and policy; electrical engineers expert on power systems; geographers specializing in climate-resilient development; energy scientists modeling production and use of green fuels; risk analysts assessing health impacts of air pollution; vehicle engineers analyzing the grid impacts of electric vehicles; and more. Upon their return to China or elsewhere, these researchers will join a robust network of active HCP alumni, strengthening ongoing Harvard-China collaborations on the pressing climate, energy and environmental challenges of our time.

• Mun S. Ho, Senior Research Associate, Harvard-China Project
• Xi Yang, Research Associate, Harvard-China Project
• Huan Liu, Professor, School of Environment, Tsinghua University
• Feng Song, Professor, School of Applied Economics, Renmin University of China
• Jing Cao, Associate Professor, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University
• Liang Emlyn Yang, Senior Researcher and Lecturer, Department of Geography, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Germany
• Liu Sheng, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University
• Haiyang Lin, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-China Project
• Jingran Zhang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-China Project and Salata Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development
• Yang Zhao, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-China Project
• Jiarong Li, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-China Project
• Ernani Choma, Research Fellow, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Yinan Zhao, Ph.D. Student, School of Environment, Tsinghua University
• Fan Wang, Ph.D. Student, Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University
• Naixin Huang, Ph.D. Student, Department of Economics, Tsinghua University
• Qiang Liu, Ph.D Student, Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy, Tsinghua University
• Caomingzhe Si, Ph.D Student, Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University

Undergrads Travel to China for Summer Research Program

The Harvard-China Project has annually supported summer undergraduate research assistantships since 2017, with most of these projects based in China. Our university faculty collaborators have mentored students on research ranging from exploring pathways to carbon neutrality, to measuring NOX emissions, to modeling drought frequency. This summer, three students will set off for Tsinghua University in Beijing, where they will work under Professor Xi Lu at the Institute for Carbon Neutrality. The students, Emily Xing '27, Ethan Kiang '27, and Sophie-An Kingsbury Lee '26, gathered for a pre-departure orientation with Prof. Michael B. McElroy, Executive Director Chris Nielsen, Communications Director Kellie Nault, postdoctoral fellow Jingran Zhang, and 2023 undergrad summer program participant Shawn Mobley '26. 
Learn more about our summer program

HCP Hosts Interdisciplinary Research Seminars 

This academic year, the Harvard-China Project hosted Research Seminars on topics ranging from mapping behavior and incentives for electric vehicle charging to the adoption of emissions trading schemes in China. Some event highlights include:

• "Vehicle Emissions in China: Bridging Science and Regulation" with Huan Liu, Professor, School of Environment, Tsinghua University; Visiting Scholar, Harvard-China Project
• "Progress in China’s electricity market reform and assessing its impact on generation efficiency" with Feng Song, Associate Professor, Renmin University of China and Harvard-China Project Visiting Scholar
• "Political signaling drives China’s pilot emissions trading scheme" with Chen Xiang, Assistant Professor in the School of International and Public Affairs at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Alumna (Visiting Fellow) and Associate, Harvard-China Project
• "Transitioning from fast to ultrafast charging stations for electric vehicles: Insights into charging behavior, grid load, and upgrade costs" with Yang Zhao, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-China Project
• "International Mitigation Finance: Carbon Mitigation, Welfare, and Optimal Recipient Design" with Naixin Huang, Lecturer, Department of Economics at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Tsinghua University and Alumna (Visiting Fellow), Harvard-China Project
• "Unlocking the flexibility of electric vehicle charging: Combining plug-in behavior, control strategies, and incentives" with Christine Gschwendtner, Postdoctoral Fellow, Environment and Natural Resources Program (ENRP) and the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program (STPP) at Harvard Kennedy School

Academic Year Publications

Qiang Liu, Fei Teng, Chris P Nielsen, Yuzhong Zhang, and Lixin Wu. 2024. “Large methane mitigation potential through prioritized closure of gas-rich coal mines.” Nature Climate Change. Publisher’s Version.

Xinyang Guo, Xinyu Chen, Xia Chen, Peter Sherman, Jinyu Wen, and Michael McElroy. 2023. “Grid integration feasibility and investment planning of offshore wind power under carbon-neutral transition in China.” Nature Communications. Publisher’s Version.
 
Meng Gao, Fan Wang, Yihui Ding, Zhiwei Wu, YangYang Xu, Xiao Lu, Zifa Wang, Gregory R. Carmichael, and Michael B McElroy. 2023. “Large-scale climate patterns offer pre-seasonal hints on the co-occurrence of heat wave and O3 pollution in China.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Publisher’s Version.

Yu Zhao, Yutong Wang, Yiming Liu, Yueqi Jiang, Bo Zheng, Jia Xing, Yang Liu, Shuai Wang, and Chris Nielsen. 2023. “Sustained emission reductions have restrained the ozone pollution over China.” Nature Geoscience. Publisher's Version.
 
Jing Cao, Mun S Ho, Rong Ma, and Yu Zhang. In Press. “Transition from plan to market: Imperfect regulations in the electricity sector of China.” Journal of Comparative Economics. Publisher’s Version.
 
Saiwen Zhang, Yiliang Jiang, Shaojun Zhang, and Ernani F Choma. 2024. “Health benefits of vehicle electrification through air pollution in Shanghai, China.” Science of The Total Environment. Publisher’s Version. 
 
Jialin Liu, Fangyan Cheng, Róisín Commane, Yi Zhu, Weiwen Ji, Xiuling Man, Chenghe Guan, and J. William Munger. 2023. “Quantifying an overlooked deciduous-needleleaf carbon sink at the southern margin of the Central-Siberian Permafrost Zone.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. Publisher’s Version. 

Jianglong Li and Mun Sing Ho. 2024. “End-year China wind power installation rush reduces electric system reliability.” Energy Economics. Publisher’s Version. 

Fan Wang, Yangyang Xu, Piyushkumar N Patel, Ritesh Gautam, Meng Gao, Cheng Liu, Yihui Ding, Haishan Chen, Yuanjian Yang, Yuyu Zhou, Jianglong Li, Jinfeng Gao, and Mun Sing Ho. 2024. “Causal effect of aviation on air pollution: An instrumental variable from faraway COVID-19 restrictions in China.” China Economic Review. Publisher’s Version. 

Fan Wang, Yang Yang Xu, Piyushkumar N Patel, Ritesh Gautam, Meng Gao, Cheng Liu, Yihui Ding, Haishan Chen, Yuanjian Yang, Yuyu Zhou, Gregory R. Carmichael, and Michael B McElroy. 2024. “Arctic amplification–induced decline in West and South Asia dust warrants stronger antidesertification toward carbon neutrality.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Publisher’s Version.

Yang Zhao, Ziyue Jiang, Xinyu Chen, Peng Liu, Tianduo Peng, and Zhan Shu. 2023. “Toward environmental sustainability: data-driven analysis of energy use patterns and load profiles for urban electric vehicle fleets.” Energy. Publisher’s Version.

Jing Cao and Rong Ma. 2023. “Mitigating agricultural fires with carrot or stick? Evidence from China.” Journal of Development Economics. Publisher’s Version.

Jing Cao, Mun Ho, and Qingfeng Liu. 2023. “Analyzing multi-greenhouse gas mitigation of China using a general equilibrium model.” Environmental Research Letters. Publisher’s Version.

Yu Fu, Haiyang Lin, Biao Feng, Cuiping Ma, Qie Sun, and Ronald Wennersten. 2023. “Off-design characteristics of energy conversion equipment in integrated energy systems.” Journal of Cleaner Production. Publisher’s Version.

Faan Chen, Yaxin Li, Qianqian Feng, Zehao Dong, Yiming Qian, Yi Yan, Mun S. Ho, Qianchen Ma, Dashan Zhang, and Yuanzhe Jin. 2023. “Road safety performance rating through PSI-PRIDIT: A planning tool for designing policies and identifying best practices for EAS countries.” Socio-Economic Planning Sciences. Publisher’s Version.

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