The USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, as part of the USC Price School of Public Policy, has developed an international energy transition collaborative reaching across the United States, China, and Germany, devoted to systematically identifying the best research, policy, and practices to advance the energy transition evolving in the three countries. The collaborative is a partnership between three internationally recognized schools of public policy – the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy in the USA, the School of Public Policy and Management, at Tsinghua University, in China, and the Hertie School of Public Policy in Berlin, Germany.
Over a three year period, researchers at the three schools will analyze the performance of each country’s pioneering climate change policy innovations at the national, state or regional level, focused especially on policies designed to achieve near-term greenhouse gas reduction goals that will carry forward well into the future. The collaborative will identify successful behavioral incentives that advance sustainable practices in energy usage, transportation, water, and food consumption. Special attention will be paid to behavioral changes at the level of the household, and corresponding facilitating public policy needs.
The goals of the forums are to create research collaboration across the three schools, create synergy across three leading state actors in the energy transition, and facilitate policy dialogues with practitioners in furtherance of the demanding greenhouse gas reduction goals being articulated around the globe.
This first of three annual forums was hosted by Tsinghua School of Public Policy November 5-7, 2015, bringing together more than two dozen prominent scholars, Deans Jack Knott (Price), Xue Lan (Tsinghua) and Helmut Anheier (Hertie), and several Chinese policy practitioners, to exchange their research and deliberate on joint projects for the 2016 Forum and beyond.
Reflecting the energy transition work underway at the Price School, Price faculty and graduate student panel presentations included:
Research Professor Hilda Blanco: “The role of land use and urban form in emissions and climate change scenarios: California's SB 375”
Research Professor Adam Rose and Assistant Research Professor Dan Wei: “The Economics of Emissions Trading between China, the EU and California”
Professor Detlof von Winterfeldt and graduate student Blake Cignarella (not present): “Comparison of Household Carbon Footprints in China, USA, and the United Kingdom”
Assistant Research Professor Nicole Sintov: “Unlocking the potential of smart grid technologies with behavioral science”
PhD. candidate Lee White: “Looking at Drivers of EV Adoption: the Power of Image”
Professor Dan Mazmanian: “The Political Economy of California’s Comprehensive Carbon Reduction Strategy and Prospects for National and International Dissemination”