Energy and environment

Our community recognizes the urgent global climate crisis and is working on interdisciplinary policy solutions rooted in community engagement, economics, political science, psychology, and urban planning.

It's been described as one of this generation's greatest threats and it bleeds into every facet of our lives. Finding ways to address the climate crisis affects housing, education, immigration, agriculture, tax policy, and many other cross-cutting issues—and at local, state, national, and international levels. Energy and environmental policy influences individual behavior and corporate practices and can be felt by families and communities across the globe.

The Ford School is consistently ranked as a top-10 public affairs program for environmental policy. Our faculty conducts research and informs policy change related to energy regulation, personal sustainability practices, government cooperation and collaboration, corporate investments, international climate agreements, and more.

Students are involved in and out of the classroom. The Psychology of Climate Change seminar brings together undergraduates, graduate students from SEAS and the Ford School, and Engineering PhDs. Students in the Fall 2020 Strategic Public Policy Consulting course provided analysis for Resource Recycling to help industries reduce waste and recover valuable resources. And this year's Integrated Policy Exercise addressed climate change migration.

Student experience

Ford School represented in U-M student delegation at COP26

University of Michigan graduate students and their faculty adviser are attending the two-week COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. The students...

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The Michigan Local Energy Survey was conducted by CLOSUP to better understand local officials' perceptions of the costs, benefits, and their likelihood of developing energy policies.

Marc Jaruzel (MPP ‘20) and Jaclyn Kahn (MPP ‘21) provide analysis and recommendations in the final report to President Schlissel to reduce carbon emissions.

Barry Rabe argues that methane fees are an effective first step for carbon taxing in a recent article for the Milken Institute.

Faculty expert

Catherine Hausman: Understanding Carbon Tax

Sep 22, 2020| 03:02

Catherine Hausman, PhD, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy and a faculty research fellow...

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Featured video from Catherine Hausman: Understanding Carbon Tax

Using research from his summer internship, VanSteel's report analyzed the electric vehicle fee structure as the state of Michigan seeks to support road infrastructure.

Through a virtually simulated UN General Assembly meeting, MPP students considered issues related to the rights of climate migrants and refugees.

Hosted by Lecturer Daniel Raimi, Resources Radio is a weekly podcast, featuring interviews with leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more.

North American Colloquium on climate policy

A collaborative effort of the Ford School's International Policy Center, in partnership with the University of Toronto's Munk School and the National Autonomous University of Mexico's Center for North American Research, to bring together scholars, policymakers, and students from all three North American countries. NAC seeks to strengthen policy conversation and contribute to trilateral cooperation between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. (Photo credit: U.S. Department of Labor / CC0)

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Close up photo of the flags for Canada, Mexico, and the United States

Ann Lin on how environmental issues affect migration.

Faculty Expert

Barry Rabe

J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy; Arthur F. Thurnau Professor; Professor of Environmental Policy; Professor of Political Science; Professor of the Environment

A political scientist, Professor Rabe examines environmental policy adoption and implementation at the local, state, federal, and international levels in areas such as state coordination in environmental management, hazardous waste disposal, public opinion with respect to climate policy, and carbon pricing.

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Energy economist Catherine Hausman and co-author Lucas Davis (UC-Berkeley) find poor urban and rural areas bear the financial burden of legacy natural gas.

Daniel Raimi aids energy transition with a map of the U.S. energy economy.

Screen cap of Shobita Parthasarathy testimony

Parthasarathy testified before a key Congressional committee with other experts in a discussion on "Fostering Equity in Energy Innovation."

Brechtelsbauer is the director of stakeholder relations, strategy, and operations at the Energy Impact Center where she conducts research and explores solutions to climate change.

Self-described "friendly neighborhood lobbyist" is the government affairs director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.

Hartman serves as the director of stakeholder strategy & engagement at the Nuclear Energy Institute, where manages research and outreach to state officials and utility regulators.

Faculty expert

Jennifer Haverkamp

Graham Family Director, Graham Sustainability Institute; Clinical Professor of Public Policy

An internationally-recognized expert on climate change, international trade, and global environmental policy and negotiations, she has led U.S. climate negotiators to a successful international agreement under the Montreal Protocol and facilitated a successful agreement by the International Civil Aviation Organization to adopt the first-ever global market-based measure to address aviation carbon emissions. She also recently co-chaired the University of Michigan's Carbon Neutrality Taskforce.

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Faculty Expert

Kaitlin Raimi

Assistant Professor of Public Policy

As a social/environmental psychologist, her research focuses on: (1) how climate change communication affects people’s understanding, behaviors, and support for climate policies and technologies, (2) how people compare their own beliefs and behaviors to others, and (3) how adopting one pro-environmental behavior affects later action.

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Bishop is the Commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency for the State of Minnesota.

Now with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, McFarlane used the MPA to jumpstart a new career.

As a policy analyst at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fernandes sees where multiple sides of policy issues.

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Local Public Officials at the Ford School

Energy and environment

Ford School represented in U-M student delegation at COP26

More than half of Michigan's local governments have developed energy plans

Students address food waste as part of U-M Carbon Taskforce

Feasibility of a methane tax

Catherine Hausman: Understanding Carbon Tax

James VanSteel (MPP/MURP '21) co-authors electric vehicle report for The Ecology Center

Students address climate change migration in Integrated Policy Exercise

Resources Radio podcast

North American Colloquium on climate policy

Barry Rabe

Hidden costs for a clean energy transition

A new timeline to shift away from fossil fuels

Equity considerations must be an integral part of energy research and development

STPP alum Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16) works to impact zero-carbon energy

Nick Occhipinti (MPP ‘08) works across differences for the environment

Kristy Hartman (MPP ‘13) informs and supports state energy policy

Jennifer Haverkamp

Kaitlin Raimi

Laura Bishop (MPA ‘99) ‘leans in’ on environmental sustainability in the public and private sectors.

Kenneth McFarlane (MPA ‘14) pivoted from highest profit to greatest outcome

Interdisciplinary studies and applied learning prepare Fernandes (MPP/MS ‘08) to protect environment

News

Michigan local leaders report widespread support for community recycling programs

Governor Gretchen Whitmer to speak at the University of Michigan, in conversation with CNN Anchor Chris Wallace

Ford School welcomes local and state elected officials to boost collaborative work