Forestry students receive Lawson Climate & Sustainability Award

The Lawson Climate Institute (LCI) at the University of Toronto accelerates the university’s capacity to advance the technologies, policies, and incentives needed to make the global transition to net zero. The Institute is named in honour of Brian Lawson and Joannah Lawson for their transformative gift, establishing the Institute.

LCI announced awardees of the Lawson Climate and Sustainability Awards. Generously supported by the Brian and Joannah Lawson Family Foundation, the awards support world-class multidisciplinary research within LCI pillars of Sustainable Innovation and Technology, Climate Policy and Sustainable Finance and Leaders for a Sustainable Future.

Recipients join a growing network of Lawson Climate Institute Scholars and receive support for programming, experiential learning opportunities and internships. Awardees represent more than 10 different fields across U of T’s three campuses.

Awardee Khandaker Mohammed Rezaul Karim, PhD student of forestry says:

“My research examines how rising temperature and atmospheric CO₂ alter methane exchange between leaves and the atmosphere. Using controlled experiments with plants leaf, I measure CH₄ flux responses and identify the physiological and microbial processes driving them. This work addresses a major gap in methane budgets by determining whether leaves act as sources or sinks under future climate conditions, improving predictions of biosphere–climate feedbacks and informing global methane mitigation efforts.”

Undergraduate awardee Adele Furman, who is also studying forestry, is pursuing a project alongside U of T researchers that test hybrid white-green roofs that combine biochar amended substrates with recycled porcelain mulch. By integrating circular waste materials into green roof systems, the research examines how these hybrid white-green roofs influence albedo, temperature, water retention, and plant performance. The project aims to develop scalable strategies for urban heat-island mitigation and sustainable rooftop design.

For more information, visit the Lawson Climate Institute (LCI) website.