Join us for a colloquium with Thomas Sterner, a leading environmental economist, who will examine how climate policy can be both economically efficient and socially fair. While carbon pricing is widely regarded as a cornerstone of effective climate policy, it remains politically contested and unevenly implemented.

Drawing on Sweden’s three decades of experience with carbon taxation, this talk explores why pricing emissions works, how it shapes innovation and behavior across sectors, and what determines public acceptance. The Swedish case offers concrete lessons for countries seeking to align ambitious climate targets with economic competitiveness, political feasibility, and social justice.

Following the presentation, there will be time for discussion and questions, and the event will conclude with an aperitivo, offering an opportunity for informal exchange.

About the speaker:

Prof. Thomas Sterner is Professor of Environmental Economics at the University of Gothenburg and one of the world’s leading scholars in environmental and resource economics. His research focuses on climate change, biodiversity conservation, environmental policy design, and the use of economic instruments such as taxes, subsidies, and regulation to address environmental challenges.

He has served as an advisor to numerous international organizations and governments, including the World Bank, OECD, UNEP, and the European Commission, and has contributed extensively to global climate and biodiversity policy debates. Prof. Sterner is also a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and has published widely in top academic journals and influential policy reports.