Leon Clarke

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Research Professor
Affiliations:
Curriculum Vitae
  • IPCC and National Climate Assessment Coordinating Lead author
  • Almost two decades of experience in integrated assessment modeling and research
  • Expert in long-term energy and mitigation strategy

Dr. Clarke is the Research Director for the Center for Global Sustainability (CGS), a Research Professor in the School of Public Policy, and a Research Scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI), a collaboration between the University of Maryland and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Dr. Clarke is an expert in energy and environmental issues, with a focus on climate change, climate change mitigation strategies, energy technology options, and integrated assessment modeling. At CGS, Dr. Clarke focuses on the use of quantitative methods and modeling in support of policy and other decisions. Current activities include low-emissions development strategies in China, India, and Latin America, energy-water-land planning in Latin America, and climate mitigation by U.S. cities, states and businesses. As Research Director, Dr. Clarke oversees the development and execution of CGS’s research portfolio.

Dr. Clarke formerly led the Integrated Human Earth System Science Group and directed a range of integrated assessment modeling activities at JGCRI. Dr. Clarke has served as an author and coordinating lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the National Climate Assessment, and the National Research Council. He is currently a coordinating lead author in the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report. He has also led a number of multi-institution modeling studies on climate mitigation. He is the Co-Editor and Chief of the Energy and Climate Change. Dr. Clarke’s has worked at two U.S. national laboratories, in energy consulting, and at an electric and gas utility. He holds a Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering and a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Building a Comprehensive U.S. Climate Policy

After the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017, CGS led the analysis of commitments from the more than 4,000 cities, states, businesses, universities, communities of faith, and more who pledged to support the goals of the Paris Agreement in their own capacity. Since the U.S. officially rejoined the Paris Agreement in March 2021, CGS has continued working with U.S. subnational and international partners to deliver analysis that informs how an "all-of-society" ambitious and achievable U.S. climate strategy can drive actionable and feasible policy. CGS informs U.S. climate policy from the local to global through developing integrated modeling and climate scenarios for the federal government, advising on international discussions to ramp up ambition, and collaborating from the bottom-up to move the resources necessary to set and achieve ambitious climate goals.

Learn More about Building a Comprehensive U.S. Climate Policy
View All Publications
Can updated climate pledges limit warming well below 2°C?

School Authors: Gokul Iyer, Leon Clarke, James 'Jae' Edmonds, Nathan Hultman, Yiyun 'Ryna' Cui, Sha Yu, Haewon McJeon

Other Authors: Yang Ou, Allen A. Fawcett, James R. McFarland, Matthew Binsted, Claire Fyson, Andreas Geiges, Sofia Gonzales-Zuñiga, Matthew J. Gidden, Niklas Höhne, Louise Jeffery, Takeshi Kuramochi, Jared Lewis, Malte Meinshausen, Zebedee Nicholls, Pralit Patel, Shaun Ragnauth, Joeri Rogel J., Stephanie Waldhoff

NGFS Climate Scenarios Portal

School Authors: Leon Clarke, Yiyun 'Ryna' Cui, James 'Jae' Edmonds, Sha Yu, Alicia Zhao

Other Authors: Cornelia Auer, Ryan Barrett, Antoine Boirard, Renaud Concordet, Jérôme Hilaire, Otso Manninen, Thessa Beck, David Bresch, Christoph Bertram, Molly Charles, Dawn Holland, Ian Hurst, Elmar Kriegler, Chahan Kropf, Iana Liadze, Theresa Löber, Franziska Piontek, Jihoon Min, Edo Schets, Inga Sauer, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, Bas van Ruijven