The role of strategic lobbying and political feedbacks in climate policy implementation

How climate damages, economic shocks, and policy responses jointly shape political dynamics remains poorly understood. In the seminar, I present ongoing work on two topics. 
First, I develop a political economy model to study how political power, uncertainty, and technological transition shape climate policy outcomes over time. Lobbying is most effective when policy costs are uncertain and credibility constraints are weak. The study provides a first step toward understanding why firms increasingly align themselves with climate goals while continuing to obstruct or delay specific policies.
Second, I synthezise the recent wealth of empirical contributions on political outcomes from damages and policy costs to analyse under which conditions climate impacts reinforce public acceptability of ambitious policy rather than catalyze opposition.

Linus Mattauch is an economist with expertise on climate policy, economics of sustainability, wealth inequality and welfare theory. His research agenda covers a range of topics at the intersection of inequality, climate policy and sustainable development. He holds the Robert Bosch Junior Professorship on Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in the Faculty of Economics and Management at the Technical University of Berlin. He also co-leads the Research Lab “Societal Transition and Well-being” at the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research. Linus is also an Associate of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, University of Oxford and recipient of the European Award for Researchers in Environmental Economics under the Age of Forty

Moderation: Keith Williges