Environmental Insights: Conversations on policy and practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program

Kenneth Gillingham, Professor of Economics at the Yale School of the Environment, is the guest on this week's episode. Drawing upon his expertise in applied microeconomics, behavioral economics, industrial organization, and integrated assessment modeling of climate change, he and host Robert Stavins discuss carbon pricing mechanisms, energy policy, and the importance of distributional equity in de...

Matthew Kahn, Provost Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California (USC), and one of the world's leading authorities on the intersection of urban economics, environment, and climate change, expressed his support for climate adaptation policies in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” T...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to rescind the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding is drawing sharp rebuke from scientists and environmental advocates, but the decision may not withstand challenges in the courts. That’s the assessment offered by Jody Freeman, the Archibald Cox Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: D...

Esteemed energy economist Catherine Wolfram shared her thoughts on the 30th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) and on the prospects for climate coalitions to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions in this episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is pr...

Longtime national political advisor John Podesta shared his insights on climate policy, the challenges of securing bipartisan support, and the global push toward clean energy in this episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” Read the transcript of this episode: https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/j...

A rising star in the field of environmental economics, Anna Russo, a Junior Fellow with the Harvard Society of Fellows, shared her unique perspective on the collaborative environment at Harvard, her research methodology likened to solving puzzles, and the importance of combining diverse data sources to derive meaningful insights in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Poli...

In this episode, Rob speaks with Elaine Buckberg, Senior Fellow at Harvard's Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, about the future of the EV market, both domestic and international. Read the transcript of this episode: https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/elaine-buckberg-podcast-transcript-july-2025.pdf

In this episode, Rob speaks with Nicholas Burns, the Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard Kennedy School about his time serving as U.S. Ambassador to China and on his perspectives about bilateral efforts to address climate change. Read a transcript of the podcast: https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/nick-b...

Rob speaks with Joseph Aldy, the Teresa and John Heinz Professor of the Practice of Environmental Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, about the myriad ways in which the new Trump administration could impact domestic climate, energy, and environmental policy. Read a transcript of the podcast here: https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/2025-03/joseph-aldy-podcast-transcript-march-2025.pdf

Vijay Vaitheeswaran, the global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist, expressed his appreciation for bottom-up climate policy solutions in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program (HEEP) and hosted by HEEP Director Rober...

Max Bearak, energy policy and global climate negotiations reporter for the New York Times shared his perspectives on the recently concluded 29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is...

The use of economy-wide and integrated assessment modeling to better understand climate change impacts and policy was the focus of discussion in the latest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program” featuring Karen Fisher-Vanden, the Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics and Public Policy at Pen...

How climate change is impacting American agriculture and land use was the focus of discussion in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program” featuring Wolfram Schlenker, the Ray Goldberg Professor of the Global Food System at the Harvard Kennedy School. The podcast is produced by the Harvard Environmental Econo...

The ways in which land use and environmental policies intersect with natural resource sustainability and climate change was the focus of discussion in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program” featuring Charles Taylor, assistant professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School. The podcast is produced by...

The rise of political populism and economic protectionism are serious barriers impeding efforts to combat global climate change. Robert Lawrence, the Albert Williams Professor of International Trade and Investment at Harvard Kennedy School, expressed those concerns in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program....

International relations expert Meghan O'Sullivan, the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, expressed her hopes for achieving successful international climate policy solutions in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is produced by the...

Behavioral economist Hunt Allcott, Professor of Global Environmental Policy at the Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University, questioned the impact of new and used electric vehicle (EV) subsidies in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is produced by the Harvard Environmental Eco...

UCLA Law School Professor Kimberly Clausing gives the Biden Administration high praise for its climate policies in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Read a transcript of the podcast: https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/fil...

Eminent Harvard economist Richard Zeckhauser presented arguments for additional climate adaptation measures in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Read a transcript of the podcast: https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/f...

Amy Harder, the founding Executive Editor of the climate policy publication Cipher News, expressed her surprise with several positive outcomes from the recent 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) in Dubai during a special episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Pr...

With 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change well underway, Jonathan Banks, the global director of the Methane Pollution Prevention Program at the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), is the guest in a special mid-COP episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The pod...

With the start of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change just days away, environmental economist Nat Keohane is expressing optimism that the new global stocktake will incentivize participating nations to step up their collective efforts to slow the rise of global temperatures. Keohane is the guest in a special pre-COP episode of “En...

Economic historian Emma Rothschild, the Jeremy and Jane Knowles Professor of History at Harvard, lauded the efforts of young scholars to discover local solutions to mitigate the impacts of global climate change in the latest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is produced by the Harvard Environmental...

Michael Toffel, Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management and Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School (HBS), discusses the many ways in which business and governments can and are working together to address climate change in the latest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The...

Energy economist Severin Borenstein, Professor of the Graduate School at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, discussed the many significant challenges facing the nation’s electricity power sector in the latest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” The podcast is produced by the Ha...