Mathias Kirchner

Mathias Kirchner is a Researcher at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), affiliated with the wZGWN Centre for Global Change and Sustainability. Currently on parental part-time status (available Mondays and Wednesdays), he contributes to teaching and research in climate change economics, with a focus on policy-relevant modeling for Austrian sustainability transitions.

His research spans:

• Climate Change Economics (CO2 pricing, decarbonization pathways)
• Environmental Policy (land use, stakeholder integration)
• Social Equity (distributional impacts, poverty assessments)
• Integrated Assessment Modeling (system dynamics, multi-model approaches)

Work emphasizes Austrian contexts while addressing global challenges like SDG implementation and climate justice.

Recent publications (2022-2025) reveal three dominant trends: (1) Economic modeling of carbon taxation with focus on revenue recycling and triple dividends, (2) Social equity analyses of decarbonization in housing/mobility sectors, and (3) Stakeholder-driven methodologies for SDG pathway validation. Key subfields include distributional impacts across income groups, land-use change under climate scenarios, and causal loop diagram applications.

Dr. Kirchner operates within the wZGWN Centre for Global Change and Sustainability, an interdisciplinary hub at BOKU addressing climate adaptation, resource management, and policy coherence through integrated modeling approaches that bridge natural and social sciences.