Hsu is the founder and principal investigator[8] of the Data-Driven EnviroLab (Data-Driven Lab), an interdisciplinary and international group of researchers working to strengthen environmental policy,[9] founded in 2015.[10]
Research
Hsu's research deals with environmental decision-making.[6] and she uses quantitative methods to study the impact of policy, transparency and accountability and the actions of individuals, companies, cities and countries.[11][12]
Hsu develops metrics and programs that aggregate "third wave data" and uses it to measure and monitor progress towards reducing carbon emissions. For example, the Urban Environment and Social Inclusion Index (UESI) can be used to track progress on both environmental conditions and social equity in cities.[13] Her goals include identifying and filling gaps in information,[13][14] and improving communication between scientists and policy-makers.[15]
Hsu was the lead author of a 2020 study which investigated racial disparities in urban heat island exposure, which were exacerbated by redlining and other unfairness in urban planning that led to the hottest neighborhoods housing predominantly poor people of color.[16] Hsu was also a lead author of the fifth chapter on the role of non-state and sub-national actors in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Emissions Gap Report of 2018.
In 2021, Hsu testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on “Examining Global Climate Trends and Progress in addressing Climate Change”. [17] In 2022, she said the geopolitical rivalry between the U.S. and China made cooperation between the two countries on global issues like climate change all the more important.[3]
Hsu, Angel; Widerberg, Oscar; Bakhtiari, Fatemeh; Chan, Sander; Lütkehermöller, Katharina; Roelfsema, Mark; Weinfurter, Amy (2018). "Chapter 5. Bridging the gap: The role of non-state and subnational actors". The emissions gap report 2018(PDF). Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme. ISBN978-92-807-3726-4.