Energy, Climate, New Economic Thinking​

"Nature never breaks her own laws."

The challenge

Climate change is a very complex challenge. What might be obvious at a first glance – the need to embark in a global effort for radical reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce current and future climate risks by massive adaptation investments – turns out to be an extremely controversial issue.

These controversies echo above all major inequalities. Developed countries are responsible for about four fifths of historical greenhouse gas emissions but at risk are the majority of global population living in non-sustainable conditions.

Searching for credible answers

New research efforts aim at connecting the need for restructuring our economies and for reshaping our lifestyles to other emerging challenges, as breakthrough technologies linked to digitalization and artificial intelligence.

This comprehensive view on transition challenges requires more than scientists. It involves forward looking investors, changing business models and an open-minded community sector. This is probably the lesson we have learned from a first generation of climate policy efforts that was mainly focused on renewables and carbon prices.

Building blocks for rethinking and redesigning climate policies

Stefan Schleicher, Angela Köppl and Margit Schratzenstaller

The most relevant outcome of the Paris Climate Conference might be that there is an agreement at all

The decisive role of China, the United States, and the European Union

What could be the impact of the MSR mechanism in the EU ETS?

Andrei Marcu, Emilie Alberola, Jean-Yves Caneill, Matteo Mazzoni, Stefan Schleicher, Wijnand Stoefs, Charlotte Vailles and Domien Vangenechten

European Roundtable on Climate Change and Sustainable Transition (ERCST) (2018).

Lessons already learned and maybe to be learned

Climate Policy Design

European Commission
2050 long-term strategy

European Commission
Paris Agreement

European Commission
EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)

Climate Action Tracker
European Union

Climate Home News
From Brazil to Davos

Climate Policy Initiative
Climate and Energy Finance

Sandbag
Recent reports