The Misallocation of Climate Research Funding

Energy Research & Social Science 62 (April, 2020), 101349, pp. 1-13

13 Pages Posted: 27 Jan 2020

See all articles by Indra Overland

Indra Overland

NUPI - Norwegian Institute of International Affairs; NUPI - Norwegian Institute for International Affairs

Benjamin K. Sovacool

Science Policy Research Unit; Boston University - Department of Earth and Environment; Department of Business Technology & Development

Date Written: January 6, 2020

Abstract

The window of opportunity for mitigating climate change is narrow. Limiting global warming to 1.5 °C will require rapid and deep alteration of attitudes, norms, incentives, and politics. Some of the key climate-change and energy transition puzzles are therefore in the realm of the social sciences. However, these are precisely the fields that receive least funding for climate-related research. This article analyzes a new dataset of research grants from 333 donors around the world spanning 4.3 million awards with a cumulative value of USD 1.3 trillion from 1950 to 2021. Between 1990 and 2018, the natural and technical sciences received 770% more funding than the social sciences for research on issues related to climate change. Only 0.12% of all research funding was spent on the social science of climate mitigation.

Keywords: Climate mitigation, Research funding, Social sciences, Natural sciences

Suggested Citation

Overland, Indra and Sovacool, Benjamin K., The Misallocation of Climate Research Funding (January 6, 2020). Energy Research & Social Science 62 (April, 2020), 101349, pp. 1-13, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3514503

Indra Overland

NUPI - Norwegian Institute of International Affairs ( email )

Oslo
Norway

NUPI - Norwegian Institute for International Affairs ( email )

Oslo
Norway

Benjamin K. Sovacool (Contact Author)

Science Policy Research Unit ( email )

Falmer, Brighton BN1 9SL
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/373957

Boston University - Department of Earth and Environment ( email )

Boston, MA
United States

Department of Business Technology & Development ( email )

Nordre Ringgade 1
Aarhus C, DK-8000
Denmark

HOME PAGE: http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(fca10105-c4eb-4f0f-99a7-a354a8a8a47a).html

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