Joseph Feng ’22, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Joseph Feng ’22

Major

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Project Title

A Structured Risk Assessment of Net-zero Emissions Pathways

Certificate(s): Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Engineering Physics

Our research studied risks associated with American energy-transition programs intended to mitigate climate change. We applied a structured risk assessment framework to risks associated with different pathways to net-zero emissions that were laid out in the recently published Princeton Net-Zero America study. This framework enabled us to: identify, analyze and evaluate the execution, climate impact and complex risks of net-zero pathways; develop risk-reduction strategies in response; and draw parallels and distinctions between these pathways’ risk exposure and risk vulnerabilities. I learned to quantitatively assess risk using a structured framework that helped me evaluate the likelihood, consequence and severity of each risk. Working with a project as big as the American energy transition gave me an appreciation for not only how monumental climate change mitigation will be, but also how much effort and planning is necessary for any significant engineering project.