22 January 2025
Tracking our global footprint: how our happiness is affecting climate change
When Mengyu is not buried deep in her research, she can generally be found on the tennis court, or any court for that matter. She uses sport as a distraction from the “crisis” she says is staring at her each day when she delves deeper into climate change.
Motivated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Mengyu's research calculates the true cost of global consumption, including food and energy, and its impact on climate.
She has developed advanced quantitative computer modelling to track the flow of goods through complex international supply chains, revealing the far-reaching consequences of wealth-driven consumption on communities and the environments in poorer regions.
That, Mengyu says, is one of the key points of her research. Naturally, we view climate change and its impact from a ‘western’ perspective. Her goal is to find a pathway towards a resilient and environmentally sustainable future for all members of society.
“As the climate change crisis deepens, we urgently need tools to monitor resource use to guide sustainable production and consumption. Technology is not the only answer, because in some ways we are fighting ourselves. My research is aimed at developing a greater understanding of our connection to the world in every hemisphere, not just more developed regions,” Dr Li says.
The next step in her research is perhaps even more thought-provoking. Does happiness play a part in the world’s sustainability goals? Mengyu will explore the link between increased well-being, less consumption and a more sustainable future.