Randomized evaluations have the potential to address important questions related to poverty reduction and environment and energy. The use of these evaluations is still relatively new in this field, and J-PAL affiliates have begun to conduct some randomized evaluations of programs in environment and energy. These include studies on the impacts of poor environmental quality on human health and well being, how to design effective industrial regulations, the behavioral factors that affect the adoption of energy efficiency investments and the returns on these investments, and the costs of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change.

The Environment and Energy Program’s immediate research priorities focus on understanding the complex relationship between human welfare, the environment, and energy consumption. 

J-PAL’s Environment and Energy Program will focus on three key areas:

• The benefits of environmental quality in terms of human health and welfare

• The costs of producing environmental quality through reducing pollution

• Climate change, with a particular focus on the costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the costs of adaptation in response to climate change

The long-term vision of the Environment and Energy Program is to conduct randomized evaluations and disseminate the resulting policy lessons to answer questions at the intersection of environment, energy, and poverty reduction. To achieve this, the Environment and Energy Program will launch special initiatives, host conferences with leading researchers in the field to identify knowledge gaps, and work with J-PAL’s policy group to disseminate the results and lessons from studies to policymakers, stakeholders, and development organizations around the world.

J-PAL's Environment and Energy Program is chaired by Michael Greenstone and the Program Manager is Mary Ann Bates, supported by Dina Grossman. For further inquiries, please contact mbates@mit.edu.