Lab Exercise

En-ROADS Climate Simulation

Overview

En-ROADS is a global climate simulation developed by Climate Interactive and MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. It allows you to explore the long-term impacts of policy decisions on global energy, land use, and greenhouse gas emissions to see what it takes to limit global warming.

In this assignment, you will use En-ROADS to design a comprehensive policy scenario that limits global warming to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels (ideally 1.5°C), while balancing economic, social, and environmental goals.

Introduction Video

Watch this overview before starting the simulation:

Resources

En-ROADS Simulator Climate Interactive Guided Assignment Intro Video

Your Steps

1
Open the En-ROADS simulator and review the overview and one-page guide to familiarize yourself with the interface and available policy levers.
2
Develop a scenario that limits global warming to less than 2°C (ideally 1.5°C) by adjusting policies across energy supply, transport, buildings, growth, land use, and carbon removal.
3
Submit a written analysis of your scenario following the write-up structure below.

Five Goals to Balance

Your scenario should attempt to address all five goals simultaneously. There are trade-offs — part of the assignment is grappling with them honestly.

1
Climate
Limit warming to <2°C, ideally 1.5°C
2
Economy
Preserve and create a healthy economy
3
Equity
Promote equity and a just transition
4
Environment
Protect the environment
5
Realism
Be realistic but not cynical

Write-Up Structure (100 points total)

Section 1: Your Plan 15 pts

Component Details Points
Plan Name Give your plan a creative, descriptive name 2
Screenshot Screenshot of the main En-ROADS interface showing your scenario 2
Key Policies Bullet point summary of the key policies you chose and why 5
Actions & Outcomes Paste the Actions & Outcomes text from the simulator 3
Scenario URL Paste the shareable URL for your scenario 3
Additional Graphs Up to 3 additional graph screenshots showing key outcomes +3 bonus

Section 2: Meeting the Goals 50 pts

Goal Guiding Questions Points
Climate How well does your proposal meet the Paris Agreement goals? What temperature does your scenario achieve? What are the key drivers of emissions reductions? 10
Economy What are the economic impacts of your scenario at 2030, 2050, and 2100? How does GDP change? What happens to energy costs? 10
Equity How does your scenario affect different nations and peoples? Who bears the costs? Who benefits? Does your plan promote a just transition? 10
Environment Beyond climate, what other environmental challenges does your scenario address or create? Consider biodiversity, land use, pollution, and resource depletion. 10
Realism What are the barriers to implementing your plan? How would you address political, social, and technological obstacles? Is your plan achievable? 10

Section 3: Reflections 35 pts

Component Details Points
Winners & Losers Create a table identifying who wins and who loses under your scenario. Consider different countries, industries, communities, and generations. 10
Surprises What surprised you about how En-ROADS responded to your policy choices? What was counterintuitive? 7.5
Feelings & Emotions How did working with the simulation make you feel? What emotions came up as you explored different scenarios? 7.5
Hope & Personal Action After this exercise, what gives you hope? What personal or professional actions do you want to take? How does this connect to your path in engineering? 10

Grading

Full Credit
Thorough, thoughtful responses that go beyond the main interface. Demonstrates deep engagement with the simulation and meaningful reflection.
100%
Partial Credit
Incomplete or superficial responses. Missing sections or lack of depth in analysis.
50–75%
Zero Credit
Not answered or entirely off-topic.
0%

En-ROADS Simulator

Use the interactive simulator below to develop your scenario. You can also open it in a new tab for a full-screen experience.