Detlef F. Sprinz

Detlef F. Sprinz is a Senior Scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and a Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Potsdam, Germany. During 2024-2025, he leads the project "AMaReNa - A Market for the Restoration of Nature", focusing on carbon removals. His academic background includes a Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Economics from the University of the Saarland.

• Research Interests: Climate policy at multiple levels, long-term policy design, evaluation of international/national institutions, European/international environmental policy, and modeling political decisions for sustainability.
• Notable Projects: Tandem Fellowship (2020-2022) for interdisciplinary course development, Visiting Researcher at University of Lund (2022-2023), and coordination of research at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg (2017).

Publications emphasize climate cooperation under the Paris Agreement, effectiveness of environmental regimes, and predictive modeling for climate negotiations. His work spans empirical analyses of acid rain regulation, Kyoto Protocol implementation challenges, and bioenergy accounting errors.

Scientific Awards & Memberships:

• Tandem Fellowship (German Stifterverband)
• Member, European Academy
• Co-founder, Ecologic Institute

Teaching includes courses on global climate governance, political decision modeling, and environmental policy at the University of Michigan, Yale, University of Oslo, and University of Potsdam. He has contributed to IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report as a Lead Author.

Advisory Roles: Chairmanship of the European Environment Agency’s Scientific Committee (2009-2012), Senior Research Fellow at CICERO (2011-2013), and consultancy for governments, corporations, and think tanks.