معرفی
Thomas Bernauer is a Full Professor at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (D-GESS) at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, where he maintains his office at Haldeneggsteig 4, 8092 Zurich. His research focuses on the intersection of environmental governance, political institutions, and public opinion, with particular emphasis on climate policy implementation and international regulatory frameworks.
Bernauer's research program investigates how democratic systems influence environmental outcomes, with groundbreaking work on pollution offshoring, public acceptance of climate policies, and cross-national variations in environmental governance. His methodology combines experimental designs with large-scale survey data, notably through leadership of the Swiss Environmental Panel and Swiss Mobility Panel projects that track citizen attitudes and behaviors on sustainability issues. Recent studies demonstrate how democratic accountability affects emissions patterns and how policy design elements like revenue recycling influence public support for carbon pricing.
His publication record reveals strong trends toward experimental analysis of policy instruments (especially carbon taxes and electric vehicle regulations), international comparative studies of environmental attitudes, and investigations into the political economy of pollution shifting. Work increasingly focuses on Global South contexts, examining air pollution governance in emerging economies and the role of state capacity in environmental protection.
Bernauer directs major longitudinal research initiatives including the Swiss Environmental Panel (tracking CO2 removal attitudes and circular economy preferences) and Swiss Mobility Panel (analyzing transport behavior and road pricing acceptance). These projects employ sophisticated survey methodologies across multiple waves to capture evolving public opinion on sustainability transitions in Switzerland.
