Climate risk is financial risk
“Diversifying risk is nigh impossible when it affects the entire planet.”
Writing
My columns, essays, books, as well as research and teaching materials like case studies.
Transatlantic divergence
U.S. and European companies vulnerable to the clean energy transition have seen their stock prices go very different ways since Russia invaded Ukraine.
New Energy Imperative
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlights the crisis and opportunity of the energy transition
Zoning for emissions cuts
Building dense, mixed-use and largely car-free neighborhoods cuts carbon — and the benefits don’t stop there.
The heat-pump fix
To ditch fossil fuels for good, we must combine a range of technologies and approaches.
Geoengineering: the Gamble
Book excerpt
U.S. Environmental and Health rules pay for themselves—and then some
The regulations’ benefits outweigh their costs. That means we’re not maximizing their potential.
Private-sector progress accelerates
New carbon removal funds show the private sector is stepping up on climate, and that’s reason for optimism.
Helping people hurt from high energy prices
Hint: Reducing them isn’t the answer.
Oil and hamburgers
Hamburgers and fossil fuels are both dense sources of energy, and society has made them convenient. That doesn’t mean they’re good for us.
Zeit für solares Geoengineering?
Solares Geoengineering ist riskant – sehr riskant sogar. Dasselbe gilt aber auch für die Abhängigkeit von fossilen Brennstoffen und den Klimawandel. Trotzdem emittieren wir weiterhin CO2. Nehmen wir das richtige Risiko in Kauf?
Cut off Russian gas
Instead of waiting until 2030, Europe should rip the Band-Aid off now
Daily Climate Damage Should Feel More Like a Disaster
One-off events like Deepwater Horizon leave a lasting impression, but the normal burning of fossil fuels has an even worse impact.
The Cost to Reach Net Zero By 2050 Is Actually a Bargain
A multi-trillion-dollar global investment seems massive. But the closer you look, the smaller the numbers become.
Fear of Nuclear Power Should Not Stop Carbon Cuts
The severity of the climate crisis necessitates a new look at nuclear power
Is Nuclear Power Part of the Climate Solution?
Investing in the next generation of nuclear reactors could give the world an important tool for reducing carbon emissions.
Timing is everything
Acting early can change the entire trajectory of a pandemic — or the global climate crisis
'Degrowth' won't work
Arguments to limit economic growth are all too tempting, but effectively fighting climate change implies more growth, not less.
Auch kleine Schritte gegen den Klimawandel zählen
von Gernot Wagner
Why COP27 Needs a Bigger Circus and More Solar Panels
Four ways to improve UN climate conferences