Economists have traditionally recommended economic policies that are as “efficient” as possible. However, they are often criticized for failing to take account of the political constraints that shape what is feasible—and, therefore, what is relevant to recommend.
The ERC project "Environmental Exploitation of Political Economics" (EXPLOIT), led by Bård Harstad (Stanford GSB and UiO), is motivated by the following questions:
1. What are the most important political constraints that need to be taken into account?
2. Must these constraints be respected, or can—and should—they be challenged through clear explanations of why more efficient policies nevertheless make sense?
3. How can climate and environmental policy not only accommodate political forces, but also exploit them to its advantage, so that policy is stronger because of, rather than in spite of, those political forces?
Panel discussion: 09:30-11:00
To mark the project’s launch, help ensure that it develops in the most relevant direction, and shed light on these questions, the project’s first conference will open with a panel discussion with the following guests:
- Sigrun Aasland, Minister of Climate and the Environment
- Nikolai Astrup, member of Høyre, and former minister of three ministries
- Roger Bjørnstad, Chief Economist, LO
- Nina Lillelien, Chief Economist, Norsk Industri
Rector Ragnhild Hennum will open the conference, the panel discussion will be moderated by Bård Harstad, and there will be plenty of time for questions from the audience at the end.
It will take place in Ragnar Frischs auditorium 1 (Eilert Sundts Hus, block A).
The panel discussion will be followed by an academic program in room 1204 (ESH, block B). Both parts will be in English.
Program for the academic part of the conference: 12:15-17:15
12:15-13:15
Keynote and joint department of economics seminar
Armon Rezai (University Professor and Head of the Institute, Vienna University of Economics and Business):
"The Politics of Carbon Pricing: Young vs. Old, Debtors vs. Creditors"
13:30-14:15
Mikael Mäkimattila (University of Oslo; PhD Aalto University):
"Pigouvian Income Taxation"
14:30-15:15
Rosanne Logeart (University of Oslo; PhD Paris School of Economics):
"Does Access Mean Success? Political Connections and Influence"
15:30-16:15
Devis Decet (University of Oslo; PhD Northwestern University):
"Unmaking Environmental Capacity"
16:30-17:15
Hyungmin Park (University of Oslo; PhD University of Warwick):
"The Choice of Political Advisors"
Please register here
EXPLOIT is funded by the European Union and the European Research Council (ERC) through an advanced Grant (grant agreement No 101055353).
The Principal Investigator, Bård Harstad, is the David S. Lobel Professor in Business and Sustainability and Professor of Political Economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Professor of Environmental Social Sciences at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. With the ERC grant, he is also affiliated as a researcher at Department of Economics, University of Oslo, where he was a professor 2012-2023.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.