New Environmental Economist at the Department of Economics

Welcome to the Department of Economics, Wolfgang Habla. You are about to start a two-year postdoc position. So, who are you?
'I am an applied theorist working at the intersection of Environmental Economics, Political Economics and Public Finance.'

What is your research focus?
'My research focuses on the question why some environmental policies have been implemented successfully while others have fared poorly in terms of abating environmental damage. I am particularly interested in how national politics form international environmental and climate policies. In my PhD thesis, I analyzed the political influence of lobby groups on the emergence of international emissions trading systems, the electoral incentives of politicians in implementing ecotax packages and the constraints faced by welfare-maximizing governments due to capital and environmental tax competition.'

What do you hope to achieve during your time at the Department of Economics?
'I want to gain a better understanding of how environmental policies need to be designed in practice to be effective and at the same time politically feasible.'

Why did you chose to work in Gothenburg?
'I chose Gothenburg because of its stimulating research environment and the opportunity to collaborate with empiricists and experimental economists in the fields of Environmental and Development Economics.'