James Edmonds

James 'Jae' Edmonds is a College Park Professor of Public Policy at the University of Maryland and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Sustainability (CGS). He is also Chief Scientist and Battelle Fellow at the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI), a collaboration between the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the University of Maryland. Dr. Edmonds is a pioneer in integrated assessment modeling of global change, focusing on energy, economy, climate, and environmental interactions.

His research emphasizes climate mitigation strategies, policy analysis, and climate finance. Notable contributions include developing the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM), a leading tool for analyzing climate and energy transitions. He has been a lead author in all five IPCC Assessment Reports and actively participates in global policy initiatives like the NGFS Climate Scenarios project for central banks.

Recent work examines climate finance risk, decarbonization pathways for industries like steel, and the interplay between trade constraints and climate impacts on agriculture. His publications span scenarios for global energy transitions, non-CO2 emissions management, and the role of carbon removal technologies in net-zero pledges.

Edmonds has over 33,000 citations and serves on committees for the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium and Energy Modeling Forum. His work bridges scientific rigor with policy relevance, informing decision-makers on climate resilience and sustainable development.