ELEVATE webinars
ELEVATE develops webinars based on key ELEVATE outputs, which are open to all.
Who is affected and why? Distributional effects of carbon pricing and the Carbon Pricing Incidence Calculator (CPIC)
April 23, 2026 | 14:30 - 15:30 (CET)
Online

Carbon pricing is increasingly used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the transition to low-carbon economies. But its success depends not only on environmental effectiveness, but also on how the costs are shared across households and whether policies are perceived as fair. While carbon pricing can encourage cleaner choices and investment, it may also place a greater burden on some groups depending on their income, location, and patterns of energy and transport use.
Can carbon pricing be designed in a way that is socially equitable and just? In this webinar we introduce an open-source tool the Carbon Pricing Incidence Calculator to provide insights for a broader policy dialogue on design and implementation of carbon pricing schemes. The tool calculates the additional costs to households after a carbon price is introduced, i.e. the carbon pricing incidence. Currently, the CPIC allows users to analyze the distributional consequences effects of carbon pricing and various compensation measures in an accessible manner for almost 90 countries.
In this webinar, researchers will address the following key questions:
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What factors determine the acceptability of carbon pricing?
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Who is most affected by carbon pricing, and how do the distributional effects differ across households?
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What types of compensation or revenue-recycling measures can reduce burdens on vulnerable households?
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How can CPIC help policymakers, practitioners, and researchers assess carbon pricing scenarios and their distributional effects?
Join us for an interactive session on designing and implementing carbon pricing strategies that advance fairness and equity within climate policies.
Explore the tool here: https://cpic-global.net/
Register in advance for this webinar here
Speaker: Jan Steckel is Professor of “Political Economy of Climate Change” at the Technical University Munich and Head of the “Political Economy” working group at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). His research focuses on the political economy of climate policy and energy transitions, in particular carbon pricing and compensation design, the distributional and welfare effects of climate policy reforms, and socially viable transition strategies such as coal phase out pathways. A central emphasis of his work lies on low and middle income countries and the governance of global commons, combining climate, development and public economics to design effective and socially acceptable climate policies.
Moderator: Theda Vetter is a Policy Analyst in the Political Economy Working Group at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Working at the interface of research and policymaking, she leads the group’s policy engagement at the national and international levels. She is particularly interested in how evidence-based dialogue and multilateral cooperation can help countries design just climate policies that fit their own contexts. Theda holds a Master of Development Practice from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science in Urbanism from Bauhaus University Weimar. Before joining PIK, she worked as a consultant for Climate Focus and Rainforest Foundation US.
ELEVATE Annual Net Zero Report 2025: Holding the Course in a Shifting World
This webinar took place on 21 January, 2026
January 21th, at 3:00 pm an online ELEVATE webinar was held by Lara Aleluia and Detlef van Vuuren. Leading ELEVATE experts and scientists discussed the key findings from the ELEVATE Annual Net Zero Report 2025. The report provides policymakers with evidence-based insights on the current state of global climate efforts towards net-zero goals. This year’s edition offers a comprehensive assessment of the progress toward net-zero targets consistent with the Paris Agreement. Published during a time of increasing geopolitical tensions, it explores timely topics, including the growing focus on trade barriers, the implications of market-based instruments, and the role of justice.
The webinar explored the main research takeaways in relation to the latest developments at COP30, delving into the role of international cooperation in upholding and implementing ambitious climate targets.
Speaker: Lara Aleluia, CMCC Foundation & Detlef van Vuuren, The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Moderator: Gintare Zinkevičiūté, The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Reducing cost of capital to finance the energy transition in developing countries: a multi-model analysis
This webinar took place on July 2nd, 2024
Climate stabilisation requires mobilising significant investments in low- and zero-carbon technologies, especially in emerging and developing economies. However, access to stable and affordable finance varies dramatically across countries. Models used to evaluate the energy transition do not differentiate regional financing costs and therefore cannot study risk sharing mechanisms for renewable electricity generation. Here, we incorporate empirically estimated cost of capital differentiated by country and technology in an ensemble of five climate-energy-economy models. We quantify the additional financing cost of decarbonization borne by developing regions, and explore the implications of policies towards international convergence of country risk premia in energy investments. We find significant climate and equity benefits in alleviating financial constraints regarding increased renewable penetration and more affordable energy in the developing world. The exercise shows the importance of fair finance for energy availability, affordability, and sustainability, and the necessity to include financial considerations in model-based assessments.
Speaker: Matteo Calcaterra, CMCC Foundation
Moderator: Stephanie Solf, The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
