Karen Pittel

Karen Pittel is a Professor of Economics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Director of the ifo Center for Energy, Climate, and Resources since 2010. She holds a habilitation from ETH Zurich (2010) and a doctorate from TU Chemnitz (2000, summa cum laude). Her academic journey includes research stays at the University of California, Berkeley, McGill University, and CICERO Oslo.

• Habilitation: ETH Zurich, 2010
• PhD: TU Chemnitz, 2000
• MSc: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Georg-August University Göttingen

Research interests center on Energy and Climate Economics, Long-Term Economic Development, and Environmental Policy. Her work addresses climate finance, carbon pricing, energy transition challenges, and the interplay between sustainability and economic growth.

Scientific Trends from her recent articles include EU energy policy post-crisis, CO2 pricing mechanisms, climate adaptation financing, and interdisciplinary studies on water, health, and carbon management. Keywords span Environmental Economics, Climate Change, Energy Markets, and Public Policy.

• Scientific Awards: 2017 Prize for outstanding success in contract studies management

Teaching includes courses on Growth and Natural Resources, Environmental Economics, and Climate Policy. She co-chaired the WBGU (2016–2022) and serves on the German Academy of Science and Engineering Presidium (2022–present).