Energy and environmental policy research is at a crossroads. It becomes increasingly evident that
interdisciplinary approaches are required in order to assist governments and
societies in making informed decisions to meet the global challenge for
environmentally and socially sustainable economic development. Purely
technological or purely economic approaches are useful but have clear
limitations. Policy analysis in a globalised world can become realistic and
meaningful if it takes into account knowledge from both natural sciences /
engineering and socio-economic sciences.
Our research group performs policy analyses of energy and
environmental issues in an essentially interdisciplinary manner. Its staff and
collaborators comprise engineers, economists, physicists, hydrologists and
climate modellers. Through our work we try to answer questions such as:
ØWhat are the trade-offs of different policy
instruments that can be used to decarbonise the European road transport sector?
ØHow can environmental tax reforms contribute
to sustainable economic welfare?
ØWhat are the economic impacts of climate
change in the Eastern Mediterranean? More
broadly, what are the real costs of unsustainable development and what
combination of technological incentives and market-based instruments can help
change path in an economy?
ØHow can conventional and renewable energy
technologies be combined in order to attain an environmentally sustainable
building sector?
ØHow can the agricultural sector adapt to
climate change in semi-arid regions in an economically optimal manner, taking
into account water availability, land use and social constraints?
ØWhat is the optimal energy mix for a country
like Cyprus
and the associated costs of attaining it in a carbon-constrained world?