Each generation inherits the world, its climate, and a choice — to either ignore or restore it.

Restoring the planet may seem like the sole choice in a world confronting a climate crisis. But it’s a daunting decision and a time-consuming commitment, not a test drive but a long ride ahead. You must believe the purpose is essential, the decades of effort worthwhile, and each incremental step will collectively leave a better world behind.

The Class of 2025 embodied this optimistic and determined outlook as they explored designing for decarbonization. Students chose a specific set of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as reference points for their project. Within this frame, SDG No. 13, Climate Action — and its three key pillars focused on adaptation, mitigation, and restoration – was prioritized.

Tackle climate change and its impacts through education, innovation, and adherence to our climate commitments

Adaptation resists the damaging effects of climate change by deploying more resilient solutions

Mitigation reduces the carbon-emitting sources in the built environment that are accelerating the pace of climate change

Restoration removes the excess carbon that has been accumulating in our atmosphere and continues to warm our planet

The MFA Industrial Design Global Studio is a rigorous class – led by adjunct professor and curriculum designer Shaun Fynn with part-time lecturer Zac Feltoon. As the course advisor and collaborator, I watched how the climate action framework informed and guided the students’ research, creative thinking, and design for decarbonization solutions. This framework provided a coherent structure with a science-based foundation, each pillar being very understandable and actionable by design.

Given the whole semester to explore solutions, this cohort applied the three pillars to decarbonization through research, prototypes, and iterating and refining concepts. Some of their concepts could be commercialized today because the materials and manufacturing processes are readily available. Other concepts that rely on new applications of existing technologies would naturally require further prototyping, piloting, and validating to test their market readiness. Altogether, the course generated highly original and viable approaches, demonstrating what’s possible when a deeper understanding of climate impacts comes together with design.

With the curriculum’s relevance and the class’s success, we look forward to offering this MFA course again at Parsons next fall. In the meantime, you can sample three exemplary student projects selected for this newsletter: ADAMA — the future of regenerative agriculture; Bioshoe – biochar-made children’s footwear; and EOS — capturing airborne particulates. You’ll find more selections in Academia, our newest content category, described in How To Participate below.

Every new generation will have to design for decarbonization. So will all the interconnected disciplines that shape the built environment. The more we level up their climate literacy, the better informed their decisions will be, and each generation will be more prepared than the ones before them. Then, deciding whether to restore or ignore the world they inherited will no longer be a choice; it will become an expectation — sustained by a growing community of prepared participants — for the sake of the public good.

With you, we can do a lot more!

Lew Epstein

Founder / CEO

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How to Participate

We’re excited to launch Academia this quarter, a new category on Lot21. You’re invited to explore Academia’s exemplary projects — illustrating how the next generation of talent is envisioning and advancing climate action by designing for decarbonization.

We welcome leading academic programs to participate with other institutions on Lot21. Here, we will proudly showcase graduate-level projects with peers and prospective employers.

If you’re interested in advancing climate action, visit our archives, where you’ll find more QUARTERLY newsletters with guidance on how to participate. Be sure to see our Reading & Listening Suggestions at the end of each newsletter, making it easier to stay informed.