Research

Research Priorities: Economic effects of climate change, strategies against climate change, emissions trading, climate policy and scientific political consulting, theories of sustainability, environmental economics, game theory, inequality research

Ottmar Edenhofer is an economist. He researches strategies to contain climate change. This includes questions about economics growth and of theories of welfare and inequality. Furthermore, he is concerned with the conditions and costs of transforming the energy system.

The economic effects of climate change are at the centre of Ottmar Edenhofer’s inquiries. Here, he also applies concepts of social welfare to understand the long-term effects of climate change and climate protection on wellbeing and growth. He is concerned with climate policy and the political challenges of climate change. With the help of game theory, he wants to understand international negotiations about climate change. Applying concepts like market failure, external effects, and Pigouvian taxes, he studies the economics of climate protection as well as adaptational strategies.

Furthermore, Edenhofer asks how carbon emissions can be internationally reduced. To this end, he advocates a minimum price for carbon dioxide (CO2). In his view, the Certificates of pollution for private enterprises that emit CO2 ought to be priced higher. Besides, he calls for a change in the taxation of energy consumption. Brown coal for example should be taxed higher. The phase-out of coal is one of the key problems in international climate diplomacy.

In 2012 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produced its Special Report on Renewable Energy and Climate Change (SRRN) under the co-chairing of Ottmar Edenhofer, he was also jointly responsible for the 5th Assessment Report “Climate change 2014: Migration of Climate Change”.

Career

• since 2018 Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Impact (PIK). Potsdam, Germany
• since 2012 Director, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
• since 2008 Professor, Economics of Climate Change, Technische Universität (TU) Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• 2007-2018 Deputy Director, PIK, Potsdam, Germany
• 2007-2018 Head, Department III “Sustainable Solutions”, PIK, Potsdam, Germany
• since 2005 Chief Economist, PIK, Potsdam, Germany
• 2000-2005 Deputy Chair, Domain “Social Systems”, PIK, Potsdam, Germany
• 1999 PhD in Economics, Technische Universität (TU) Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
• 1994-2000 Assistant, Institute for Sociology, TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
• 1993-1994 Journalist
• 1991-1993 Founder and Director, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Berlin, Germany, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina
• 1991 BA in Philosophy, Munich School of Philosophy, Munich, Germany
• 1987 Diploma in Economics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany

Functions

• since 2023 Member, Forum #Zukunftsstrategie, Federal Ministry of Education and Research
• since 2023 Member, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW), Germany
• since 2023 Member, Scientific Committee, Climate Economics Chair, University Paris Dauphine-PSL, Paris, France
• since 2022 Chair, European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC), European Union (EU)
• since 2022 Member, Advisory Board, Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft (German CEO Alliance for Climate and Economy), Berlin, Germany
• since 2021 Advisor, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Vatican City, Vatican
• since 2021 Member, Plenary Assembly, Central Committee of German Catholicx, Germany
• since 2021 Member, Advisory Board on Sustainability, Government of Brandenburg, Potsdam, Germany
• since 2021 Member, Working Group on the Development of a Guideline for Policy and Societal Consultation, Section “Environmental Sciences”, Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
• since 2021 Member, High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable and Inclusive Recovery and Growth (HLAG), World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• since 2020 Co-Chair, Food System Economics Commission (FSEC)
• since 2019 Co-Chair, Steering Committee, “Climate Protektion Science Plattform”, Federal Government, Germany
• since 2019 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Laudato Sí Research Institute (LSRI), Oxford, UK
• since 2019 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Leibnitz Centre for European Economic Research, Mannheim, Germany
• 2016-2022 Member, Advisory Board on Sustainabilty, Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, Germany
• since 2016 Member, Advisory Board, Growth, Investment, and the Low-Carbon Transition, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• since 2016 Co-Editor, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy (REEP)
• since 2016 Editor, Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy (EEEP)
• since 2015 Member, Advisory Board, Carbon Mitigation Initiative, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
• since 2014 Member, Climate Change Advisory Council, Dublin, Ireland
• 2012-2019 Member, Advisory Board, Green Growth Knowledge Platform, Global Green Growth Institute, OECD, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Bank
• 2012-2016 Member, Board of Trustees, Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft, Munich, Germany
• since 2010 Member, Scientific Commission “Climate and Energy“, German National Academy of Science Leopoldina
• since 2009 Member, Scientific Advisory Council, European Energy Forum EUREF-Campus, Berlin, Germany
• 2009-2017 Member, Scientific Advisory Council, ifo Institute – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Munich Germany
• since 2008 Member, International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE)
• since 2008 Member, Committee of Environmental and Ressource Policy, Verein für Socialpolitik, Berlin, Germany
• 2008-2015 Co-Chair, Working Group III, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• since 2007 Advisor, Matters of Global Climate Change, Foreign Office, Federal Republic of Germany
• 2006 Guest Editor, Special Issue of the Energy Journal
• 2004-2008 Co-Author, Chapter 1 and 11, Working Group III, IPCC

Projects

• 2021-2031 FutureLab Ceres – Political Economy for Inclusive Wealth and Sustainability, Werner Siemens Foundation, Zug, Switzerland
• 2020-2023 Project “Evidence-based assessment for the design of the German energy transition, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
• 2020-2023 Next generation of AdVanced InteGrated Assessment modelling to support climaTE policy making, European Union
• 2023-2026 Project “Ariadne II”, BMBF, Germany
• 2013-2020 Applicant, Subproject “Contextualizing Climate Engineering and Mitigation: Illusion, Complement, or Substitute?”, Priority Programme (SPP) 1689, German Research Council (DFG), Germany
• 2012-2016 Head, Subproject “Macroeconomic Sustainability Assessment”, Collaborative Research Centres (SFB) 1026, DFG, Germany
• 2006 Head (together with Eberhard Jochem), Subproject “Mitigation”, Project “ADAM – Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies: supporting European climate policy“, Framework Programme 6 (FP6), European Commission (EC)
• 2004-2006 Head, Project “Innovative Modelling Comparison Project (IMCP)“, PIK, Germany
• 2003-2007 Head (together with Hermann Held), Project “Ocean Sequestration and the Transformation of the Global Energy System“, VolkswagenStiftung, Hannover, Germany
• 2003-2007 Head, Project “Strategic project management resource kit (SPARK)“, FP6, EC

Honours and Memberships

• 2022 Bayerischer Verfassungsorden, Presidium, Bavarian State Parliament, Munich, Germany
• 2022 Mercator-Professorship, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany and Essen, Germany
• 2021 Arthur Burkhardt Award, Arthur Burkhardt Foundation for the Promotion of Science, Bayreuth, Germany
• 2020 German Environmental Award, German Federal Foundation for the Environment
• 2018 Romano-Guardini Award, Catholic Academy of Bavaria, Munich, Germany
• since 2018 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Germany
• since 2015 Member, acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering, Germany
• since 2007 Member, Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany