Professor Dr. Andreas Löschel
Alfried Krupp Senior Fellow
(October 2021 - September 2022)
Studied economics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, doctorate at the University of Mannheim
Professorships at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Münster
- Professor of Environmental/Resource Economics and Sustainability at the Ruhr University Bochum
Fellow project: Climate protection not just for the sake of the climate - The role of co-benefits of climate protection for climate neutrality
he research project focuses on the question of how the goal of climate neutrality can be achieved when climate protection is a global public good and therefore individuals have little incentive to reduce emissions. To answer this question, a broader understanding of demand-side behavior for climate protection will be developed. In doing so, the research project focuses on regional preferences and, more generally, the co-benefits of climate protection at the local level. Co-benefits are positive impacts of climate protection on other objectives, such as impacts on air pollution, health, or economic activity. In a broader perspective, co-benefits may arise from moral motivations or social norms. These co-benefits provide private benefits to individuals that can justify higher contributions to climate mitigation. The expansion of renewable energy or the use of forests and peatlands as carbon sinks are examples for analyzing the role of co-benefits of climate action in achieving the goal of climate neutrality.