Welcome to Climate Strategies

Climate Strategies is an international organisation that convenes networks of leading academic experts around specific climate change policy challenges. From this it offers rigorous, independent research to governments and the full range of stakeholders, in Europe and beyond. Our research covers a wide range of climate issues:

• International Mitigation
• Competitiveness and Carbon Leakage
• The Low-Carbon Economy
• Financing and Adaptation

Climate Strategies has developed rapidly since its foundation in 2006. Our mission is to influence and assist with the development of policy-making in relation to climate and energy policy and economic issues. Our work is directed at governments, and the range of stakeholders in business and elsewhere. A number of our reports – notably those covering EU emissions trading, and competitiveness and carbon leakage - have had considerable impact on the public policy debate. A landmark report in 2009 was the widely-publicised 'Climate Policy and Industrial Competitiveness: Ten Insights from Europe on the EU Emissions Trading System'.

 

Our research has mostly centred on international mitigation issues. In 2010 our agenda is evolving to encompass the broader low-carbon agenda and financing issues. Our research programme includes two highly topical and relevant projects: 'Why and How the EU should move beyond the 20% target in 2020'; and the 'Decarbonisation of the Power Sector in the EU'. The programme also includes a broad-based analytical project on' Competitiveness and Leakage issues', the continuation of the major ‘Sectoral Approaches’ project and continued work on ‘Climate Innovation Centres’ – a project being led out of India with global contributions, which promises to yield some fascinating results this year. Climate Strategies has just delivered a major piece on ‘Analytic Support for Target-Based Negotiations’, working with Project Catalyst and others on important post-Copenhagen work interpreting national emissions reductions pledges.

 

We retain a strong focus on European policy. We also seek to have global impact, using our expertise and insights to share in other parts of the world. A priority for us over the next 18 months will therefore be to develop our relationships with like-minded institutions in North America and Asia, so we can collaborate on pieces of research with them relevant to policy-makers in their constituencies. In parallel, our global network of researchers and experts continues to expand.

 

Finally, Climate Strategies is growing a more prominent profile in the media. In 2010 we have contributed commentary pieces to Point Carbon and the European Voice. The Financial Times carried a Climate Strategies op-ed on 15 June linking the handing-out of free emissions allowances in the EU with Europe’s troubled economy.