Beyond Paris: Building a Practical Climate Coalition (with Arathi Rao, Dustin Tingley, and Catherine Wolfram)
Show notes
Aluminum, steel, and concrete are some of the most carbon-intensive industries, and many countries already have a tax on them. But not the United States. That fact hasn’t stopped the social scientists in the Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global Climate Policy from spearheading worldwide cooperation on carbon pricing.
In this episode, we speak to three scholars in the cluster to learn about their progress at COP30—the thirtieth UN Climate Change Conference held last fall in Brazil—and also about the state of renewable energy technology in the US.
Catherine Wolfram recounts the launch of the Declaration on the Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets (the Open Coalition), a pact with middle- and lower-income countries to collaborate on carbon pricing. Launched at COP30 last fall, the coalition currently has eighteen member countries signed on.
Arathi Rao explains the challenges and opportunities of bringing together countries with different capacities and industrial policies to the table. She describes the willingness of middle-income and low-income countries to become larger players in what she hopes to be a growing coalition.
Reflecting on the process of bringing theory into practice, Dustin Tingley notes the kinds of expertise and strategy needed to approach world leaders in person and truly understand their needs. He notes that offering help elicits more collaboration than imposing a predetermined formula.
The scholars also recognize China’s leadership in renewable energy and point out the technologies that could move the US more prominently into the renewable energy technology market.
GuestsArathi Rao, Director, Global Climate Policy Project, The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, Harvard University.
Dustin Tingley, Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global Climate Policy. Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy, Department of Government, Harvard University and Harvard Kennedy School; Deputy Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard University.
Catherine Wolfram, Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global Climate Policy. William Barton Rogers Professor in Energy; Professor of Applied Economics, MIT Sloan School of Management.
HostJessica Barnard, Administrator, Weatherhead Research Clusters on Global History and on Global Climate Policy.
Related Links- “America’s Surprising Energy Advantage: How to Beat China on Clean Power,” by Joseph E. Aldy, Motoy Kuno-Lewis, and Dustin Tingley (Foreign Affairs, July 29, 2026)
- “How Will Energy Demand Develop in the Developing World?” by Catherine Wolfram, Orie Shelef, and Paul Gertler (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2012)
- “Building a Climate Coalition: Aligning Carbon Pricing, Trade, and Development,” a Global Climate Policy Project flagship report
“Soft Calm Background Music” by Inplusmusic. Source: Pixabay (Content License Summary)
This episode was produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center.
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