Robert Stavins
· A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy and Economic DevelopmentHarvard University · Urban Policy and Planning
Active 1979–2026
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About
Robert Stavins is the A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy and Economic Development at Harvard Kennedy School. He serves as the Director of Graduate Studies for the Doctoral Programs in Public Policy and in Political Economy and Government, and is cochair of the MPP/MBA and MPA/ID/MBA Joint Degree Programs. He is also the Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program and the Harvard Project on Climate Agreements. His research has examined diverse areas of environmental economics and policy, and has been published in various economics, law, and policy journals, as well as several books. Stavins has directed initiatives such as Project 88, a bipartisan effort to develop innovative approaches to environmental problems, and has served as a consultant to government agencies, international organizations, corporations, and advocacy groups. He holds a BA in philosophy from Northwestern University, an MS in agricultural economics from Cornell, and a PhD in economics from Harvard.
Research topics
- Computer Science
- Natural resource economics
- Business
- Neoclassical economics
- Economics
- Ecology
- Biology
- Environmental science
- Public economics
Selected publications
Keep climate policy focused on the social cost of carbon
Science · 2021 · 101 citations
A proposed shift away from the SCC is ill advised
An Unambiguous Consequence of the Durban Climate Talks
WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks · 2025-05-01 · 2 citations
book-chapter1st authorCorrespondingOne of the major outcomes of the Durban Climate Conference in 2011 was the 'Durban Platform for Enhanced Action' - a non-binding agreement to forge a new treaty by 2015 that will bring all countries under the same legal regime by 2020. This article will explain why the 'Durban Platform for Enhanced Action' has opened an important window in climate talks.
WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks · 2025-05-01 · 1 citations
book-chapterJournal of Wine Economics · 2026-01-22
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingFor readers of this Journal, Scotch whisky may occupy a conceptual space that is adjacent to-but distinct from-the familiar terrain of fine wine.Both are products of agriculture that have been transformed by fermentation, shaped by geography, and given value through narratives of place, tradition, and scarcity.But the institutional structures, regulatory frameworks, and sensory vocabularies of Scotch whisky differ in ways that are quite revealing, especially for economists and wine connoisseurs…
Journal of Wine Economics · 2026-01-06
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingGREG SWARZ (Director): The Water of Life Produced by Trevor Jones, Distributed by Indie Rights, 2021. 1 hour 28 minutes; available on Amazon Prime, $2.99. [https://www.amazon.com/Water-Life-Greg-W-Swartz/dp/B0DJWJQB48]
Frequent coauthors
- 186 shared
Richard G. Newell
- 131 shared
Joseph E. Aldy
- 97 shared
Adam B. Jaffe
Sydney Children's Hospital
- 59 shared
Robert W. Hahn
- 54 shared
Richard Schmalensee
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- 51 shared
Andrew J. Plantinga
- 44 shared
Sheila M. Olmstead
- 37 shared
Alexander F. Wagner
London School of Economics and Political Science
Awards & honors
- Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Resear…
- University Fellow of Resources for the Future
- former Chair of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's E…
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