With these new members FSR Climate aims to expand its activities and enhance the department’s research on the environmental, economic, and social evaluation of EU climate policies. Alessia Casamassima will focus her research on topics related to the acceptability of climate policies, while Lea Heinrich and Marie Raude will support ongoing research on emissions trading. Furthermore, Jacopo Cammeo will join the team after the summer break to support the research in the field of sustainability transitions.
These arrivals come at the time of the launch of three new projects in 2023. The projects indicate the increasing need for broader collaboration in the realm of climate policy research, aligning with a heightened international commitment to reducing emissions. FSR Climate will concentrate on conducting a comprehensive evaluation of climate policy, encompassing not only its economic implications but also going beyond them.
Diverse effects of the zero-gas emissions target
Achieving the EU's target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will require lasting changes in human lifestyle: from housing and mobility to food and consumption. And policymakers will need to take this into account to guarantee social fairness as well as economic efficiency.
Achieving a balance between economic, social, and climate goals is among the top concerns of the Horizon project SPES - Sustainability Performances, Evidence and Scenarios. The project looks at the nexus between economic growth, human flourishing, and environmental sustainability.
The activities of the FSR Climate team will mainly concentrate on two aspects: the analysis of the efficiency and fairness of European climate policies and suggestions on changes to better foster the green transition.
Evaluation of climate policies
The second Horizon project CAPABLE - ClimAte Policy AcceptaBiLity Economic framework will develop methodological and empirical advances in climate policy evaluation by integrating economic and social sciences. The project will provide recommendations for the design of socially and economically acceptable climate policy measures from 2030 and beyond.
The team will mainly focus on assessing the effectiveness of the EU ETS, the role of scientific advisory boards in climate policies, as well as the possible obstacles to the ecological transition at the regional and local levels, using different approaches such as surveys and interviews. Further, citizen engagement in climate actions will be also addressed.
Assessment of the EU Emissions Trading System
Lastly, the project LIFE COASE - Collaborative Observatory for ASsessment of the EU ETS, which is co-funded by the EU LIFE Programme, prepares tools for policymakers and academics to evaluate the diverse impacts of the EU ETS as a key EU policy instrument to reach climate neutrality.
FSR Climate will lead the work on this project, which, among others, aims to make the data from the EU ETS more user-friendly and overcome barriers to research on the EU ETS. To this end, LIFE COASE will generate datasets and information on installations in the EU ETS, on climate-related investments and behaviour of European firms, as well as on model-based assessments of emissions trading schemes worldwide.
During the project, an annual Policy Dialogue will be organised between the European Commission and regulators of other emission trading systems (e.g., California, China, New Zealand, Quebec, Switzerland, UK, Mexico, and Korea).
This work will build on what has been achieved in the past years and the team will also be complemented by several new collaborations with, among others, the University of Siena, the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK), and the University College London (UCL). Previous projects, such as LIFE DICET, INNOPATHS, and LIFE SIDE have contributed to the creation of a strong international network of academics, policymakers, companies, and NGOs. Expanding this network further will be central to delivering applied research results that are policy-relevant and directly accessible to all climate stakeholders - including civil society.
All projects can be followed via the FSR website.