Nikolaus Hastreiter

Nikolaus Hastreiter is a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a Policy Fellow at the TPI Global Climate Transition Centre, conducting research on sustainable finance's impact on corporate carbon emissions. His work is funded by the TPI Centre’s Scholarship and FIR-PIR Finance and Sustainability Awards PhD research grant, focusing on investor impact mechanisms and quantitative evidence for corporate decarbonization.

Education

• MSc in Development Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science, with Distinction and Best Overall Performance Prize
• Franco-German Double Degree in Political and Social Sciences, Sciences Po Bordeaux and University of Stuttgart, with Distinction

Research Interests

Hastreiter investigates how investor coalitions drive corporate climate action through carbon accounting, climate risk assessment, and sectoral decarbonization pathways. His work applies institutionalist theory to analyze sustainable finance mechanisms, emphasizing quantitative evidence for emission reductions in high-impact sectors like banking, oil and gas, and shipping. This research bridges finance theory with practical climate policy implementation.

Publication Trends

His 2024 working paper on Climate Action 100+ demonstrates how investor coalitions increase corporate ambition in emission targets, reflecting a focus on finance-climate intersections. Publications emphasize empirical analysis of investor influence, sector-specific decarbonization strategies, and institutional frameworks for sustainable finance, with growing attention to quantitative impact measurement.

Scientific Awards

• TPI Centre’s Scholarship
• FIR-PIR Finance and Sustainability Awards PhD research grant
• Best Overall Performance Prize (MSc in Development Studies, LSE)

Advising and Funding

As a doctoral candidate, Hastreiter has no supervisees. His research is exclusively grant-funded through the TPI Centre’s Scholarship and FIR-PIR grant, supporting data collection and analysis on sustainable finance mechanisms without external institutional partnerships.

Research Teams

Previously serving as TPI Centre’s sector lead for banking, oil and gas, cement, autos and shipping, he now contributes to the Grantham Research Institute’s climate policy initiatives. His work involves cross-sectoral collaboration with investor coalitions and industry stakeholders to develop transition pathways.