After the classes and thinking I did last semester, I roughly decided on the direction of my dissertation — focusing on my university’s Net Zero actions and related initiatives. At that time, I was mainly interested in the “how” part of it, like what kinds of building upgrades were done and what sustainable measures had been implemented. I was really excited about this topic, and it matched my interest in climate change and sustainability.

However, as this semester’s courses went deeper, I started to realize some practical challenges. Since I don’t have a background in architecture or engineering, I have very limited understanding of areas like building systems, energy infrastructure, and sustainable technology. Compared with experts in these fields, the way I think and the knowledge I have are quite different. If I keep focusing on the technical details of building retrofits and sustainability measures, I might end up in over my head and struggle to produce meaningful or in-depth research.

Besides the gap in technical knowledge, I also ran into other real-life difficulties. For one, getting access to relevant data isn’t as easy as I imagined. Key information like building energy use and space usage often isn’t public and might require special access. Even though I’m a student here and might be able to get some of this data, I’m not sure I’d be able to fully understand or analyze it, or draw meaningful conclusions from it. That would make my dissertation lack depth and impact.

I looked through the university’s official website and saw that the University of Edinburgh has done a lot to work towards Net Zero. From building retrofits and renewable energy, to waste management and green travel policies, the school has implemented a wide range of sustainable actions. But while there’s a lot of information, it also made me realize how broad and challenging this topic really is. It’s hard to know where to focus, and there’s a risk of just listing what’s been done without offering any deep analysis — something I really want to avoid.

Another issue is that the university has many buildings spread out across the city, which makes it difficult to conduct a thorough investigation. Even just focusing on the EFI building, where I have most of my classes, there’s already a lot to unpack. I originally planned to do field visits and record things like building design and energy use, but I soon realized this kind of work is far beyond what one student can handle. Even if I could gather some data, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that it’s comprehensive or representative.

Challenges and Reflections on My Initial Research Topic / Yunyi Yang / Future Infrastructure, Climate Change and Sustainability: KIPP & Futures Project (2024-25) by is licensed under a