Lucas Bretschger
Born
Peter Lucas Bretschger

August 12, 1958 Zurich, Switzerland
NationalitySwiss, French
EducationUniversity of Zurich

Lucas Bretschger (born on August 12, 1958) is a Swiss and French economist working in the field of environmental and resource economics. His primal research area is resource use and endogenous growth theory, he also works in the fields of development economics, green innovation, stock pollution, climate shocks, international trade, and population growth. He took part in shaping Swiss and international Climate Change policies as an advisor to the Swiss Government and a member of the Swiss Climate delegations at the United Nations Climate Change conferences, including the COP21, where the Paris Agreement was negotiated. Lucas Bretschger organized the EAERE-ETH Winter School.[1] and founded the SURED Conference[2][3] on Monte Verità.

Currently, Lucas Bretschger is a Professor of Economics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, where he co-founded and led the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics[4]. He acts as Director of the Center for Economic Research[5] and Associated Chair at the Center for Energy Policy and Economics of ETH Zurich[6] and and holds the title of Professor at the University of Zurich[7][8]. Since 2009, Lucas Bretschger is also an External Research Associate at Oxford Center for the Analysis of Resource-Rich Economies[9], UK.

Biography

Lucas Bretschger was born in Zurich, Switzerland.[5] He pursued economics at the University of Zurich and received a Master of Science degree between 1977 and 1982. Afterward, he worked as a financial analyst at Zürcher Kantonalbank from 1983 to 1984 before returning to the University of Zurich to complete his PhD in 1988[5]

During this time, he also became a Research Fellow at the Institute of Empirical Research in Economics (IEW). Later, in 1990-1991, he spent a year at Princeton University as a visiting scholar. After returning to Switzerland, the University of Zurich awarded him a venia legendi at the University of Zurich, leading to visiting professor roles at the Universities of Konstanz, La Paz, and Greifswald, being elected a full Professor of Economics at the latter in 1999.[8].

In 2003, Bretschger joined the faculty of ETH Zurich as a full professor and Head of the Resource Economics group[4]. From 2005 to 2007, he served as the head of Management, Technology, and Economics Department at ETH Zurich[5] and established the SURED conference of Monte-Verita[10]. Bretschger is also the organizer of the EAERE-ETH Winter School[11][12]. In 2016, he was elected and served as the president of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) for a period of two years[13]

Policy

He contributed to shaping Swiss climate policy by participating in several Conferences of the Parties as a member of the Swiss delegation, in particular, in the Paris Climate negotiations in 2015 (COP21), as well as COP 15 (Copenhagen, 2009), COP 17 (Durban, 2011), COP 20 (Lima, 2014), COP 23 (Bonn, 2017), and COP 25 (Madrid, 2019)[14][15][16].

Research interests

Lucas Bretschger's research interests include among others dynamics of resource use, endogenous growth models, trade and economic development, environmental and regional economics, innovation, technical change, and sustainable development.

The primer focus of his work since the start of his career has been resource use. Most of his work relates to the dynamics of resource use and society’s sustainable management of finite resources to ensure a prosperous future[17][18]. Moreover, his work on endogenous growth models has shed light on the intricate connections between economic growth, technological progress, and environmental concerns, improving the understanding of the drivers of green growth[17][19]

The nexus between trade, economic development, and the environment is another area impacted by Lucas Bretschger's work[20][21]. His research in environmental and regional economics explores how regions and nations can balance economic development with environmental protection[22][23]

Bretschger's papers have offered insights into the economics of innovation and biased technical change models, providing policymakers with information on how technological advancements can be harnessed to promote sustainable development[24][25]

Lucas Bretschger has published numerous articles in international journals and is the author of several economic textbooks. Hiswork[26] is featured in European Economic Review, International Economics and Economic Policy, Environmental and Resource Economics, Ecological Economics, Macroeconomic Dynamics, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Journal of Banking and Finance, Resource and Energy Economics, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, and Annual Review of Resource Economics.

Editorial, referee and expert work

Lucas Bretschger is a member of the Editorial Board of Environment and Development Economics[27], International Economics and Economic Policy[28] and Guest Editor for Environmental and Resource Economics[29], International Economics and Economic Policy, Environment and Development Economics[30], Journal of Environmental Economics and Management[30], European Economic Review[31][14]

Teaching and mentoring

At ETH Zurich, he has engaged in teaching and mentoring undergraduate, doctoral students, and PostDocs. He has mentored many economists, including Karen Pittel, Thomas Steger, Alexandra Brausmann, Christa Brunnschweiler, Simone Valente, among others[32].

Awards and recognition

Bretschger has received several awards for his contributions to economics, including the EAERE Fellow award in 2019[33], and two from the Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics and the Swiss Society for Business Cycle Research. In recognition of his teaching excellence, ETH Zurich awarded him the Golden Owl Award[34]

References

  1. ^ "Organisers". eaere-eth-european-winter-school.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  2. ^ "Home | SURED | University of Basel". sured.unibas.ch. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  3. ^ "SURED Conference". resec.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  4. ^ a b "ETH Zürich - Lucas Bretschger". www.bi.id.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  5. ^ a b c d Management, Address ETH Zürich Dep of; Technology; Switzerland, Ec Prof Dr Lucas Bretschger Ökonomie/Ressourcenökonomie ZUE F. 7 Zürichbergstrasse 18 8092 Zürich. "Prof. Dr. Lucas Bretschger | ETH Zurich". mtec.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-12.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Members". cepe.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  7. ^ "Sustainability and climate change - Innovation, costs, and impact". www.ubscenter.uzh.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  8. ^ a b Management, Address ETH Zürich Dep of; Technology; Switzerland, Ec Prof Dr Lucas Bretschger Ökonomie/Ressourcenökonomie ZUE F. 7 Zürichbergstrasse 18 8092 Zürich. "Prof. Dr. Lucas Bretschger | ETH Zurich". resec.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Lucas Bretschger". www.holcimfoundation.org. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  10. ^ "SURED 2022 - Monte Verità Conference on Sustainable Resource Use and Economic Dynamics". resec.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  11. ^ "Homepage". eaere-eth-european-winter-school.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  12. ^ "EAERE-ETH Winter School on "Natural resources and development in resource-rich countries" – EAERE". Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  13. ^ "Council – EAERE". Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  14. ^ a b Management, Address ETH Zürich Dep of; Technology; Switzerland, Ec Prof Dr Lucas Bretschger Ökonomie/Ressourcenökonomie ZUE F. 7 Zürichbergstrasse 18 8092 Zürich. "Prof. Dr. Lucas Bretschger | ETH Zurich". resec.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Lucas Bretschger". www.holcimfoundation.org. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  16. ^ "Lucas Bretschger". www.cesifo.org. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  17. ^ a b Borissov, Kirill; Bretschge, Lucas (2022). "Optimal Carbon Policies in a Dynamic Heterogenous World". European Economic Review. 148: 104–253. doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2022.104253 – via Elsevier Science Direct.
  18. ^ Bretschger, Lucas; Smulders, Sjak (2012). "Sustainability and Substitution of Exhaustible Natural Resources; How Resource Prices Affect Long-Term R&D-Investments". Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control. 64 (3): 536–549. doi:10.1016/j.jedc.2011.11.003 – via Elsevier Science Direct.
  19. ^ Bretschger, Lucas; Lechthaler, Filippo; Rausch, Sebastian; Zhang, Lin (2017). "Knowledge Diffusion, Endogenous Growth, and the Costs of Global Climate Policy". European Economic Review. 93: 47–72. doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2016.11.012.
  20. ^ Bretschger, Lucas; Valente, Simone (2018). "Productivity Gaps and Tax Policies Under Asymmetric Trade". Macroeconomic Dynamics. 22 (6): 1391–1427. doi:10.1017/S1365100516000729. S2CID 217593792 – via Cambridge University Press.
  21. ^ Bretschger, Lucas; Valente, Simone (2012). "Endogenous Growth, Asymmetric Trade and Resource Dependence". Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control. 36 (4): 536–549. doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2012.01.008.
  22. ^ Bretschger, Lucas; Soretz, Susanne (2022). "Stranded Assets: How Policy Uncertainty affects Capital, Growth, and the Environment". Environmental and Resource Economics. 83 (2): 261–288. doi:10.1007/s10640-021-00632-3. S2CID 92981021.
  23. ^ Bretschger, Lucas (2017). "Is the Environment Compatible with Growth? Adopting an Integrated Framework". Annual Review of Resource Economics. 9: 185–207. doi:10.1146/annurev-resource-100516-053332.
  24. ^ Bretschger, Lucas (2005). "Economics of Technological Change and the Natural Environment: How Effective are Innovations as a Remedy for Resource Scarcity?". Ecological Economics. 54 (2–3): 148–163. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2004.12.026. hdl:10419/171471. S2CID 153911039.
  25. ^ Smulders, Sjak; Bretschger, Lucas; Hannes, Egli (2011). "Economic Growth and the Diffusion of Clean Technologies: Explaining Environmental Kuznets Curves". Environmental and Resource Economics. 49 (1): 79–99. doi:10.1007/s10640-010-9425-y. hdl:20.500.11850/37781.
  26. ^ "Lucas Bretschger". scholar.google.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  27. ^ "Editorial board". Cambridge Core. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  28. ^ "International Economics and Economic Policy". Springer. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  29. ^ "Environmental and Resource Economics | Volumes and issues". SpringerLink. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  30. ^ a b "Environmental and Resource Economics | Volumes and issues". SpringerLink. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  31. ^ "European Economic Review | Article collections | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  32. ^ "Former Staff Members". resec.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  33. ^ "Fellows – EAERE". Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  34. ^ "Golden Owl of the VSETH". ethz.ch. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
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