Curtain up for excellent researchers

Nina Knittel deals with the costs of climate change and the economic effects of climate change adaptation. A particular focus is often on the resilience of public budgets and how vulnerable economies are to climate risks in trading partners. Find out more!

If we want to slow down climate change, CO₂ emissions must be drastically reduced. This requires a radical reorientation of the economy and society. Together with her team, Ilona M. Otto is researching which measures are suitable for rapidly bringing about sustainable change. “Among other things, we need more efficient climate policy instruments that target the richest. After all, 0.5 percent of the world's richest people cause more CO₂ emissions than 50 percent of the poorest,” says the sociologist and resource economist. This is not so much about the relationship between the Global North and South, but about social groups on all continents who have enormous wealth, similar lifestyles and a great deal of power to change things.