People

Simone Gingrich, PI

Simone works on long-term dynamics of sustainability challenges from energy and land use, with a particular focus on greenhouse gas emissions. In FOCAL-points she is particularly interested in political options for shaping a just and effective reduction in emissions. 

Christian Dorninger

Christian studies human-nature interactions across scales and with a focus on change for sustainability and equality. In FOCAL-points he contributes particularly to household GHG footprints modelling and to the integration of these footprint results with insights from the policy analysis using a leverage points perspective.

Willi Haas

Willi investigates society-nature interactions across time and space and draws insights on past transitions to better understand the option space for the envisaged transformation to a post-fossil and more circular society. While there are many biophysical options, there are at least as many barriers to change. Consequently, I am also interested in transformative and transdisciplinary research. My contributions to FOCAL-points are mainly regarding the stakeholder interaction.

Dominik Wiedenhofer

Dominik’s research utilizes a socio-ecological systems perspective towards understanding the potentials and barriers for more sustainable society-nature interactions, integrating supply- and demand-side perspectives. In his research on consumption issues for FOCAL-points, he models how resource use and emissions across international supply chains are linked to households, affluence and inequality, to better understand structural and individual potentials for emissions reductions, barriers and rebounds.

Alina Brad

Alina has a background in political science and political ecology, focusing on environmental and climate policy. In her current research, she specifically works on the politics of carbon dioxide removal technologies and demand-side mitigation strategies in the context of social-ecological transformation. In FOCAL-points, she contributes to the analysis of demand-side mitigation policies and options in Austria.

Etienne Schneider

Etienne has a background in political science and political economy, focusing on industrial and climate policy. In his current research, he specifically works on the politics of carbon dioxide removal technologies, demand-side mitigation strategies and EU industrial policy in the context of social-ecological transformation. In FOCAL-points, he contributes to the analysis of demand-side mitigation policies and options in Austria.

Carolin Hirt

Carolin is a student of political science and meteorology at the University of Vienna. Her interest lies in the intersection of social and natural science, especially in environmental politics and climatology. In FOCAL-points she will contribute to identify and assess climate policies in Austria relevant for demand-side mitigation.

Dave Abson, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Dave is an interdisciplinary sustainability scientist, with a particular focus on sustainable land use, scenario development and the environmental and socio-economic impacts of resource use. I largely take a systems perspective in my research, with a particular emphasis on where to intervene in complex systems for transformative change. My contributions to FOCAL-points are mainly regarding the leverage points analysis.