News

Harvard Workshop on the Economics of the Clean Air Act: In Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Act

January 15, 2021

In commemoration of the 50^th anniversary of the Clean Air Act of 1970, the Harvard Environmental Economics Program (HEEP) conducted a Workshop on the Economics of the Clean Air Act on January 8, 2021. The 23 participants were primarily economists who have conducted research on aspects of environmental policy directly related to the Act. Three topics were covered: (1) the environmental effectiveness and economic efficiency of the Act over the past 50 years, that is, its cumulative benefits and costs, with focus on specific sections of the...

The Biden Administration and International Climate Change Policy & Action

January 14, 2021

Author: Robert Stavins

Originally published in Lawfare -

On Jan. 20, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. He will face an unprecedented set of challenges, including global climate change—one of...

In Memoriam: Richard Cooper

January 11, 2021

Richard Cooper, Maurits C. Boas Professor of International Economics in the Department of Economics at Harvard University and HEEP Faculty Fellow, passed away on the evening of Wednesday, December 23^rd at the age of 86. Over the course of his long career, Professor Cooper served as an economist, policy advisor, and academic. Graduating from Oberlin College in 1956 and then from the London School of Economics and Political...

Revisiting the First Environmental Insights Podcast with Gina McCarthy, Newly-Appointed Climate Advisor to President-Elect Biden

January 5, 2021

The Inaugural episode of HEEP’s “Environmental Insights” podcast, featuring Gina McCarthy, gives a sense of what President-Elect Biden’s forthcoming climate-change-policy objectives might look like. Biden intends to appoint McCarthy as senior White House adviser on climate change, focusing on domestic policy.

Listen to the podcast here or...

NYU Law School Professor Richard Revesz Forecasts Biden Administration Climate Change Policy in Latest Episode of "Environmental Insights"

January 5, 2021

CAMBRIDGE MA. – Richard Revesz, the Lawrence King Professor of Law at New York University and co-founder of the Institute for Policy Integrity,...

BP Group Chief Economist Spencer Dale Shares Thoughts on Oil-and-Gas Industry 'Energy Transition' in Latest Episode of "Environmental Insights"

December 8, 2020

CAMBRIDGE MA. – Spencer Dale, group chief economist at BP, expressed his hopes for a strategic “energy transition’’ within the oil-and-gas industry in the latest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” a podcast produced by the ...

HEEP Director, Robert Stavins, Speaks to Oxford Economics Society

December 3, 2020

Robert Stavins, Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, addressed the Oxford Economics Society on December 2, 2020. Stavins spoke on the topic of the future of carbon pricing. A recording of the virtual event is available... Read more about HEEP Director, Robert Stavins, Speaks to Oxford Economics Society

New York Times Reporter Coral Davenport Analyzes Prospects for Climate Policy for Incoming Biden Administration in Latest Episode of "Environmental Insights"

November 19, 2020

CAMBRIDGE MA. – Even with a new presidential administration in place in January, Coral Davenport, climate desk reporter at the New York Times, says it will still be a heavy lift to pass any meaningful legislation on climate change anytime soon. Davenport shared her thoughts on how climate policy – both domestically and internationally – may be affected by the outcome of this month’s U.S. elections in the latest episode...

Former White House Advisor Jason Bordoff Analyzes Prospects for Green Energy Investments in the Biden-Harris Administration in HPCA Virtual Forum

November 13, 2020

Author: Doug Gavel

Former White House advisor Jason Bordoff, professor and founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), says the incoming Biden-Harris Administration will have the opportunity to both lift the nation out of recession and combat global climate change by crafting a thoughtful economic...

New York Times Climate Desk Reporter Lisa Friedman Offers Insights on the 2020 Election Impacts on Climate Policy in Latest Episode of "Environmental Insights"

October 30, 2020

CAMBRIDGE MA. – With the 2020 US presidential and congressional election quickly approaching, Lisa Friedman, climate desk reporter at the New York Times, shared her thoughts on how climate policy could be affected by the election results in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics...