Designing Climate Solutions: A Policy Guide for Low-Carbon Energy

With the effects of climate change already upon us, the need to cut global greenhouse gas emissions is nothing less than urgent. It’s a daunting challenge, but the technologies and strategies to meet it exist today. A small set of energy policies, designed and implemented well, can put us on the path to a low carbon future. Energy systems are large and complex, so energy policy must be focused and cost-effective. One-size-fits-all approaches simply won’t get the job done. Policymakers need a clear, comprehensive resource that outlines the energy policies that will have the biggest impact on our climate future, and describes how to design these policies well.

Designing Climate Solutions: A Policy Guide for Low-Carbon Energy is the first such guide, bringing together the latest research and analysis around low carbon energy solutions. Written by Hal Harvey, CEO of the policy firm Energy Innovation, with Robbie Orvis and Jeffrey Rissman of Energy Innovation, Designing Climate Solutions is an accessible resource on lowering carbon emissions for policymakers, activists, philanthropists, and others in the climate and energy community. In Part I, the authors deliver a roadmap for understanding which countries, sectors, and sources produce the greatest amount of greenhouse gas emissions, and give readers the tools to select and design efficient policies for each of these sectors. In Part II, they break down each type of policy, from renewable portfolio standards to carbon pricing, offering key design principles and case studies where each policy has been implemented successfully.

We don’t need to wait for new technologies or strategies to create a low carbon future—and we can’t afford to. Designing Climate Solutions gives professionals the tools they need to select, design, and implement the policies that can put us on the path to a livable climate future.

Hal Harvey is the CEO of Energy Innovation, a San Francisco-based energy and environmental policy firm. He was the founder of ClimateWorks Foundation and Energy Foundation, and served as Environment Program Director at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. He served on energy panels appointed by Presidents Bush (41) and Clinton, and currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board for several financial, science, and philanthropic groups. He is also a Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment at the Paulson Institute. Harvey has B.S. and M.S. degrees from Stanford University in Engineering, specializing in Energy Planning.

Robbie Orvis is Director of Energy Policy Design at Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology, LLC. Robbie has worked with numerous governments on climate and energy policy, including China, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Poland, among others. His work has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. Robbie holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University and a B.S. from UC Berkeley.

Jeffrey Rissman is the Industry Program Director and Head of Modeling at Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology, LLC. His work has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, The New York Times, and other publications. Jeffrey holds an M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Engineering and a Masters of City and Regional Planning from UNC Chapel Hill.