portrait

Research Bio

Jonas Meckling is Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, where he leads the Energy and Environment Policy Lab and the Climate Program of the Berkeley Economy and Society Initiative. ​He also co-directs the Green Industrial Strategy Project, a joint initiative between UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School. 
 
His research examines the political economy of the energy transition, with a focus on how climate, energy, and economic policies interact in an era of geopolitical change. He is the author of two books and publishes his research in leading journals, including Nature and Science. He received multiple awards from the American Political Science Association. 

Previously, he was visiting professor at Harvard Business School (2023-25) and the Coleman P. Burke Distinguished Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University (2021). He has served as Senior Advisor to the German Minister for the Environment and Renewable Energy, was a Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, and worked at the European Commission. He holds a Ph.D. in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics.

Research Expertise and Interest

climate policy, energy policy, industrial policy, business and environment, political economy

In the News

Why Some Countries Are Leading the Shift to Green Energy

Oil and gas prices skyrocketed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in spring 2022, creating a global energy crisis similar to the oil crisis of the 1970s. While some countries used the price shock to accelerate the transition to cleaner sources of energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal, others have responded by expanding the production of fossil fuels.

New Study Examines Drivers of Government Investment in Energy Innovation

New analysis led by researchers from Rausser College of Natural Resources and the University of Cambridge offers insight into the trajectory of energy research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) that may help policymakers recalibrate their strategy to drive innovation. Published September 12 in the journal Nature Energy, the findings show that participating in Mission Innovation, a new form of international cooperation, and intensifying technology competition from China are the strongest drivers of funding for new clean energy RD&D.

Teaching

Courses taught during the three most recent terms
2026 Spring
  • Climate and Energy Policy  [ESPM 102D]  

  • Supervised Independent Study and Research  [ESPM 199]  

  • Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)  [ESPM 199S]  

  • Individual Research  [ESPM 299]  

  • Individual Research  [ESPM 299]  

2025 Fall
  • Senior Research Laboratory in Environmental Sciences  [ESPM 175L]  

  • Senior Thesis  [ESPM 195]  

  • Supervised Independent Study and Research  [ESPM 199]  

  • Supervised Independent Study and Research  [ESPM 199]  

  • Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)  [ESPM 199S]  

  • Political Economy of Climate Change  [ESPM 217]  

  • Individual Research  [ESPM 299]  

2025 Summer
  • Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)  [ESPM 199S]  

2025 Spring
  • Supervised Independent Study and Research  [ESPM 199]  

  • Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)  [ESPM 199S]  

  • Individual Research  [ESPM 299]  

  • Individual Research  [ESPM 299]