Research
Around the world, we know the threats: climate change, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, and so on. Since decades we know, too, the solutions - technologies and policies capable of turning the tide. Yet, year after year, the implementation gaps between needs and achievements persist. Now, deepened geopolitical tensions, and the rise of authoritarian governments make collective action even harder to achieve.
How is it possible to close implementation gaps between knowledge and action? The Resource Economics Group focuses on social dilemmas in climate change mitigation, climate adaptation, or the energy transition. We have sectoral expertise on the economics of climate change, the energy and water sector, and municipal climate governance. Our methodological toolbox contains, e.g., archetype analysis, game theory, qualitative comparative analysis, qualitative and AI-based document analysis, econometrics, and serious games.
Municipal climate governance
Cities and municipalities are key arenas for climate action: they are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, while simultaneously being increasingly exposed to the impacts of climate change, e.g. in the water sector or for infrastructure systems. Tackling climate change at its root yet requires global cooperation, including local actors and the energy sector. Recent years see the emergence of new forms of climate cooperation where subnational actors or transnational municipal networks seek to play a leading role. Why do these new forms emerge? When are they indeed effective? Our projects and publications study municipal climate action by analyzing large sets of municipalities, comparing selected city case studies, and by developing game-theoretical models.
The political economy of collective action
While the energy sector is heavily transforming across the globe, there are also barriers to change from a possible carbon lock-in. Organized interests shape, delay, or redirect action to serve their aims. These forces operate in parliaments and boardrooms, but also in town halls and city councils. Investment incentives, electricity markets and infrastructure regulation are not neutral. We want to explain mechanisms of how power dynamics unfolds to come up with science-based strategies for effective environmental policies. Our methods are game theory, serious games (like KEEP COOL), and political economy approaches that put specific attention on the interactions of powerful actors like lobbyists or governments, which re-distribute rents, thereby blocking or supporting sustainability transitions.
Archetype analysis of social-ecological systems
We are pioneering Archetype Analysis, a rising approach to comparative research that is increasingly used in interdisciplinary sustainability studies. The approach is particularly suitable for identifying common patterns, where general regularities that apply to all cases cannot be expected. Like building-blocks, archetypes can be combined in different ways to explain what is going on in individual cases. We serve as one hub of the growing archetypes community, which has hosted several international workshops and special issues. We contribute to improving archetype analysis methodologically, and apply it to study bottom-up approaches to global collective action, in particular from municipal actors.