Prof. Dr. Anthony Patt

Prof. Dr.  Anthony Patt

Prof. Dr. Anthony Patt

Full Professor at the Department of Environmental Systems Science
Deputy head of Institute for Environmental Decisions

ETH Zürich

Professur Klimaschutz & -anpassung

CHN J 74.2

Universitätstrasse 16

8092 Zürich

Switzerland

Additional information

Research area

The goal of Professor Patt’s research is to identify successful governmental approaches for eliminating societal greenhouse gas emissions within a short timeframe, and to adapt to the changes in climate that are already occurring. A better understanding of societal processes associated with consumption patterns and the use of different technologies is typically necessary for identifying the public actions that can influence private behaviour in ways that will accelerate the needed changes. The work of his group encompasses empirical appraisal of people’s beliefs, attitudes, and decisions, as well as modelling the interactions of people, institutions, and technological systems. Professor Patt and the members of his group have published their findings in over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Science, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Anthony Patt has been Full Professor of Climate Policy at the Institute for Environmental Decisions since August 2013. 

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Landscape Design at Yale University, followed by a Juris Doctor from Duke University. After several years practicing as a lawyer and environmental planning consultant, he returned to academia to pursue a Master of Public Policy and then PhD in Public Policy at Harvard University. From 2000 to 2006 he worked as Assistant Professor at Boston University, with stays as visiting fellow at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Hanse Institute for Advanced Studies in Delmenhorst, Germany. From 2006 until 2013 he headed the Decisions and Governance research group at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria.

Anthony Patt served as a Lead Author of the chapter on Risk and Uncertainty for the Working Group III contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report (2014) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He currently serves as Coordinating Lead Author of the chapter on International Cooperation for the WGIII Sixth Assessment Report.

CV PDF

Additional information

Website of the Climate PolicyGroup

Course Catalogue

Autumn Semester 2024

Number Unit
701-0029-00L Environmental Systems II
701-1563-00L Climate Policy
701-1565-00L Quantitative Policy Analysis and Modeling