Fulbright NZ Good Works presents: The climate is changing, should we? Behaviour and technology on the road to net zero, with Sarah Nelson.

On April 13, 2022, Fulbright NZ alumna Sarah Nelson gave a fascinating talk about the role our behaviour plays in affecting climate change.

Many countries, including New Zealand and the UK, have set ambitious targets to reach net zero carbon emissions. They have been less forthcoming about their plan to get there. Sarah Nelson (Fulbright NZ Graduate awardee, 2017) conducts research that combines historical evidence with contemporary policy analysis to assess the pace, risk and disruption of different paths to net zero. She will discuss the opportunities to accelerate decarbonisation by bolstering existing technologies with ambitious behavioural policies. Her talk will draw out lessons for the New Zealand context, and discuss the implications of current world events on the net zero transition.  

Sarah’s research spans the disciplines of economics and engineering to assess opportunities to accelerate climate policy. In 2017, Sarah completed a MA in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Fulbright NZ Scholar. She went on to do a PhD in climate policy and economics at the University of Cambridge. Alongside her PhD research, Sarah worked on carbon forecasts for the Cambridgeshire County Council and analysis of social inequality for a local charity. She has recently moved to London for a role in an environmental economic consultancy, where she will continue her work on climate and energy transitions.

In case you missed it, you can watch Sarah’s talk here.