35 Under 35: Climate Tech Innovators Shaping the Future
Young minds tackling energy, materials, and AI efficiency challenges
1MIT's annual innovators list
MIT Technology Review's 2026 '35 Under 35' list features nine climate and energy innovators selected from global applicants. The team spent months evaluating researchers and inventors tackling critical environmental challenges. This year's categories included biotech, climate/energy, computing/robotics, and AI. The climate tech section highlights diverse approaches to sustainability, from material extraction to pollution tracking. These young leaders represent the vanguard of practical solutions for decarbonization.
2AI's dual role in climate
While AI dominates technology discussions, climate innovators are both addressing its energy demands and harnessing its potential. Jae-Won Chung developed software to measure energy consumption of open-source AI models. Meanwhile, Jing Wei uses machine learning to integrate pollution data from satellites and weather stations. Zhonghua Zheng created AI climate models specifically optimized for urban areas, overcoming limitations of traditional models. These applications demonstrate AI's capacity to both contribute to and help solve climate challenges.
3Critical materials innovation
The transition to clean energy requires new approaches to material extraction. Lithium demand is projected to outstrip supply this decade, with similar pressures expected for copper. Mohammad Alkhadra's startup Lithios focuses on efficient lithium extraction from brines, while Benjamin Mowbray's Rock Zero targets hardrock ore. Both methods aim to overcome environmental and cost barriers of current processes. These innovations address the looming bottleneck in battery production essential for EVs and grid storage.
4Steel production breakthrough
Laureen Meroueh developed a novel furnace technology that simplifies steel production chemistry, potentially reducing both costs and emissions. Steel manufacturing accounts for 7% of global greenhouse gases, making such innovations critical. Meroueh's approach exemplifies how decarbonization requires rethinking industrial processes beyond obvious targets like energy generation. Her work demonstrates that heavy industry, often overlooked in climate discussions, offers significant emission reduction opportunities.
5Sustainable material alternatives
Innovators are creating fossil fuel-free alternatives for ubiquitous materials. Joseph Nguthiru developed bioplastic packaging using invasive weeds, while Diana Orembe formulated aquaculture feed from food waste. Jinyoung Seo designed solid refrigerants that eliminate leakage risks and reduce energy use by 20% compared to conventional systems. These solutions address less visible but critical emission sources in packaging, food production, and cooling technologies.
6Urban climate modeling
Zhonghua Zheng's AI climate models specifically address the urban blind spot in traditional climate modeling. Cities present unique challenges due to heat islands, concentrated emissions, and complex airflow patterns. By optimizing models for urban environments, Zheng's work enables more accurate local climate projections and targeted mitigation strategies. This innovation bridges the gap between global climate models and city-scale planning needs.
7Energy-efficient AI development
Jae-Won Chung's software provides tools to measure and reduce AI's growing energy footprint. As AI adoption expands across industries, its energy demands threaten to offset climate benefits from other technologies. Chung's work establishes methodologies for quantifying AI's environmental impact, enabling developers to make efficiency-conscious design choices. This represents a crucial step toward sustainable AI development as the technology becomes ubiquitous.
8Holistic climate solutions
The 2026 innovators demonstrate that addressing climate change requires simultaneous advances across multiple fronts. From material science to industrial processes and digital tools, comprehensive decarbonization demands interconnected innovations. These young leaders exemplify the systems thinking needed to transform energy, manufacturing, and technology sectors. Their work collectively maps the emerging priorities and promising directions in climate tech development.
Original article: MIT Technology Review — 35 Under 35: Climate Tech Innovators Shaping the Future