We are CARL, the Climate Action Research Lab at the University of Freiburg.

We have a dual mission: to conduct rigorous scientific research and to foster an exceptional environment for ambitious researchers.

Our overarching goal is to provide policymakers with data-driven insights to support climate change mitigation and adaptation. We aim to facilitate a smart and just transition to a clean energy future while enhancing resilience to climate impacts. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods, we analyze how individuals and organizations adopt green technologies, assess infrastructural investment needs, and evaluate the benefits, costs, and distributional effects of government interventions.

Climate Change Mitigation

We investigate the drivers and implications of technology adoption across three key areas: clean energy generation, infrastructure, and energy end-use. Our research explores topics such as the co-adoption of solar PV and battery storage, success factors for community microgrids, grid and storage investment needs, and cross-sectoral electrification. Using revealed and stated preference data, we examine how factors like profitability, socio-economics, and political ideology influence technology adoption.

Climate Change Adaptation

We study how cities can protect residents from climate-related risks and how homeowners safeguard against natural disasters. Our research generates insights for effective urban planning and identifies government interventions that enhance disaster prevention and resilience.

Across all research areas, we assess current trends and project future scenarios to deepen the socio-technical understanding of climate solutions. Justice implications and adoption behaviors are recurring themes in our work. Leveraging advanced machine learning and causal inference techniques, we provide descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive insights to support evidence-based decision-making for firms and policymakers.

Collaborative & Interdisciplinary

CARL thrives on collaboration and interdisciplinarity. We bring together engineers, economists, social scientists, and mathematicians to tackle complex climate challenges from multiple perspectives. Our research is embedded in a strong international network, with close ties to leading institutions in Europe and the United States, including Stanford University, Berkeley Lab, and Leiden University. These partnerships enable us to engage in cutting-edge, globally relevant research while fostering an exchange of ideas across disciplines and borders.