# Esteemed Urban Economist Matthew Kahn Expresses his Hopes for Climate Adaptation in the Newest Episode of “Environmental Insights” April 20, 2026 **CAMBRIDGE MA. –** [Matthew Kahn](https://sites.google.com/site/mek1966/), Provost Professor of Economics at the [University of Southern California](https://www.usc.edu/) (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](https://soundcloud.com/environmentalinsights/).” The podcast is produced by the [Harvard Environmental Economics Program](http://www.heep.hks.harvard.edu/). Listen to the interview [here](https://on.soundcloud.com/II05ZnaREU6LnmCVKG). Hosted by [Robert N. Stavins](https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/robert-stavins), A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy and Economic Development at [Harvard Kennedy School](http://www.hks.harvard.edu/) and director of the [Harvard Environmental Economics Program](http://www.heep.hks.harvard.edu/) and the [Harvard Project on Climate Agreements](https://www.belfercenter.org/project/harvard-project-climate-agreements), Environmental Insights is intended to promote public discourse on important issues at the intersection of economics and environmental policy. Kahn, whose academic career has included stops at Columbia, Tufts, and UCLA before he landed at USC, said he was drawn into urban economics at a young age. “I was thinking some deep thoughts of what is the good life, and that at least for me and for many others, it's not just how much money you make, of what is quality of life,” he remarked. “And this has been relevant for my China \[research\] also – of the importance of raising happy, healthy children, good mental health, feeling strong, and the fundamental role of clean air and clean water in having a great day. And so, this commonsense observation has actually been the bedrock of much of my research.” Kahn spent several years working with Mary Nichols at California’s Air Resources Board, which was instrumental in piloting new projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “California often gets mocked in the *Wall Street Journal* for piloting policies, but I've argued that I'm proud that California has enacted things such as the cap-and-trade \[policy\] because this offers valuable guinea pig lessons that Texas and other states can adopt if they prove to be cost effective,” he stated. “It's been exciting to be part of California's laboratory of the democracy. I want to believe that economists have played an important role in designing state policy, but that's open to debate.” Although the concept of climate adaptation is controversial, Kahn told Stavins that he feels it is an essential part of an effective climate policy that isn’t detrimental to economic growth. “The reason that I started to work on climate change adaptation and city adaptation by firms and workers was my pessimism that global greenhouse gas emissions can flatten. I have worried that we need, and… the rest of the world needs economic development. And I've worried that the carbon intensity of our economy won't decline sharp enough. And so, I have worried that global greenhouse gas emissions will continue to rise. And I love it that we're bending that curve, but this is the reason that I pivoted to urban climate change adaptation,” he said. Kahn expressed his belief that climate adaptation is progressing so quickly that the need for geoengineering climate solutions like Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and Solar Radiation Management (SRM) will become less necessary. “Excellent scholars like David Keith at the University of Chicago have used estimates of how many people might die from future heat waves to justify the benefits of geoengineering,” he remarked. “I, being a tough guy, have said because of adaptation progress, fewer people will face mortality risks from the heat, and so, these business-as-usual estimates overstate the benefits of geoengineering because they understate the upcoming adaptation.” Kahn also spoke of his interest in climate risk report cards which use AI and big data to predict climate risks such as fires, floods, heat, hurricanes, and tornadoes. “With these forecasts, these become known unknowns and begin to inform insurance decisions, mortgage underwriting decisions, hopefully zoning decisions… If we can identify geographic areas that face less heat and flood risk, I want to live in a world where we upzone in those areas and allow for taller buildings,” he said. “If we upzone in relatively safer places in terms of risks and heat, that would allow more people and more middle-class people to live in relatively safer places. So, it's this combination of better risk modeling and public policy that allows more people to live in relatively safer, low carbon areas.” Kahn’s interview is the second episode released in 2026 in the [Environmental Insights](https://soundcloud.com/environmentalinsights/) series, with additional episodes scheduled to drop each month. “Environmental Insights is intended to inform and educate listeners about important issues relating to an economic perspective on developments in environmental policy, including the design and implementation of market-based approaches to environmental protection,” said Stavins. “We speak with accomplished Harvard colleagues, other academics, and practitioners who are working on solving some of the most challenging public problems we face.” Environmental Insights is hosted on [SoundCloud](https://soundcloud.com/environmentalinsights) and is also available on [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cd70f458-c1f4-4f11-bf64-c9e0dc71ee5b), [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/environmental-insights-conversations-on-policy-practice/id1482761966), [Pocket Casts](https://pca.st/keck3o78), [Podcast Addict](https://www.podcastaddict.com/podcast/3374959), and [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6WBWmeXTH90a3DoOYpXlhX). **LINK TO PODCAST:** [**https://on.soundcloud.com/II05ZnaREU6LnmCVKG**](https://on.soundcloud.com/II05ZnaREU6LnmCVKG) See also:- [ 2026 ](/news-year/2026) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)