Mathematica is applying its knowledge of how public policy influences individual and organizational decision making to environmental and climate policy. We are working, for example, with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation to evaluate the impact of the Global Protocol for Community-Level Greenhouse Gases (GPC) on the efforts of cities around the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Cities are a major source of emissions, so they are a critically important source of effective climate action.
This evaluation will underscore how the use of a robust measurement protocol can enable cities to report emissions accurately and how these reports can, in turn, help cities to both hold themselves accountable for promised reductions and target their mitigation efforts effectively.
Mathematica has also advanced the study of climate change through work that spans environmental health, agriculture policy, and urban economics. We have examined:
- The effects of environmental shocks, such as typhoons and hurricanes, on maternal and child health in South Asia
- How climate change affects crop yields in India and how microinsurance initiatives could improve the resilience of smallholder farmers
- The capacity of urban infrastructure in Bangladesh to support migrants from coastal areas that are threatened by rising sea levels
- Domestic land use and zoning laws that promote sustainable urban planning and green buildings
- The interplay of various monetary incentives and persuasive public communication on the use of energy-efficient lightbulbs in Brazil
- Lead-abatement efforts to promote child safety and development in low-income neighborhoods
- A statistical spatial-confounding methodology designed to examine health effects associated with air pollution exposure
Happy Earth Day from Mathematica Policy Research on Vimeo.
