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Professor Dr. Gunnar Luderer

Gunnar Luderer leads the Energy Transition Lab at PIK, and is the Lead Scientist for the REMIND Integrated Energy Economy Climate Model, and serves as Deputy Chair of Research Department 3 - Transformation Pathways. He is also Professor of Global Energy Systems Analysis at the Technical University of Berlin. Gunnar Luderer also serves as deputy leader of the BMBF-funded Kopernikus-Projekt Ariadne. He was a lead author of the 2013 and 2018 UNEP Emissions Gap Reports and a contributing author to the Sixth Assessment Report, Fifth Assessment Report, the Special Report on Warming of 1.5°C as well as the Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He was appointed to serve as a Lead Author for the upcoming IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities. He studied Physics, Economics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Heidelberg and Oregon State University. He performed his doctoral studies at the MPI for Chemistry in Mainz. Gunnar Luderer has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has been regularly recognized as one of the World's most Highly Cited Researchers by the Web of Science Group since 2019. Click here for a more detailed CV.

Bluesky: @gunnarenergyclima.bsky.social

Department

Transformation Pathways

Lab

Energy Transition

Contact

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

T +49 (0)331 288 2671

gunnar.luderer[at]pik-potsdam.de

P.O. Box 60 12 03
14412 Potsdam

Personal Assistant:

Nicole Krüger
T +49 (0)331 288 2476
nicole.krueger[at]pik-potsdam.de

Integrated, model-based analysis of energy transformations and climate change mitigation pathways (REMIND model)
Low stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations and cost-efficient mitigation strategies
Interrelation between near-term climate policies and the achievability of long-term climate targets
Energy-Climate-Environment Nexus

Full list of publications
Google Scholar: https://goo.gl/sSbIk4
Researcher ID: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/G-2967-2012

Past and current projects

Ariadne - Evidenzbasiertes Assessment für die Gestaltung der deutschen Energiewende - Deputy Project Leader
Transformation towards Sustainable Transport Systems – The Next Generation Policies - Work Package Leader
Kopernikus Project Energy Transition Navigation System (Enavi) - Work Package Leader
Australian-German Energy Transition Hub (START) - Co-Director
Advanced Model Development and Validation for Improved Analysis of Costs and Impacts of Mitigation Policies (ADVANCE) - Project Director
Global greenhouse-gas emission pathways until 2050 (commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency) - Project Leader
Linking Climate and Development Policies: Leveraging International Networks and Knowledge Sharing (CD-LINKS) - Work Package Leader
Roadmaps Towards Sustainable Energy Futures (RoSE)
EMF-27 study by the Stanford Energy Modeling Forum (EMF)
Scenarios on the feasibility of emission reductions towards limiting climate change to 2°C (commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency) - Project Leader
Mitigation potential of renewable methane and hydrogen (commissioned by the German Association of Gas and Water Utilities DVGW) - Project Leader
Report on Energy and Climate Policy in Europe (RECIPE) - Scientific Coordinator and Leader of Model Intercomparison Project
Development of the Integrated Assessment Model REMIND
A Global Contract Based on Climate Justice (project webpage) - Project Coordinator
Exploring National and Global Actions to reduce Greenhouse gas Emissions (ENGAGE)
Next generation of AdVanced InteGrated Assessment modelling to support climaTE policy making (NAVIGATE)
Bioenergy's role in a sustainable future: An assessment of environment, technology, supply chains and uncertainty (BEST)
Citizens Acting on Mitigation Pathways through Active Implementation of a Goal-setting Network (CAMPAIGNERS)
European Climate and Energy Modelling Forum (ECEMF)
Global Hydrogen Futures - Modelling of Global Hydrogen Futures (Modellierung globaler Wasserstoffszenarien)
Norwegian Centre for Hydrogen Value Chain Research (HyValue)

Prof. Gunnar Luderer offers a lecture course Energy and Climate Change, focusing on the fundamentals of climate physics, key elements of sustainable energy system transformations and related policy processes.

Summer Semester: Energy and Climate Change

Time: Monday 2:15 pm - 5:45 pm; the course starts on 14 April 2025.

Location: The lecture will be held in room FH316 at TU Berlin.

Language: The lecture will be held in English.

Objective: The overall objective of this course is to equip students with the systemic understanding to evaluate energy technologies, business planning and energy policies in the context of the climate change mitigation challenge. Students will acquire a basic understanding of the fundamentals of climate physics, key elements sustainable energy system transformations and related policy processes.

Target audience: The lecture addresses masters students and graduate students with a background in engineering (in particular energy and process engineering, environmental engineering), natural science or economy. Basic knowledge of energy systems is an asset. No further formal requirements.

Examination: Final written or oral exam.

Registration: Registration is required via ISIS. If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Krüger.

Credits: 6 ECTS

Topics covered: The individual lecture classes will cover the following topics:

Climate physics I: Basic concepts
Climate physics II: Feedbacks and tipping points
Greenhouse gas emission trends and drivers
Energy systems: Basics and concepts
Scenarios of the energy system transformation
Decarbonization of energy supply and demand
Bioenergy, carbon dioxide removal and negative emissions
Hydrogen and synthetic efuels
The economics of climate change
Climate change, air pollution and other environmental impacts of energy
International climate policy
Energy transformation and policies for Germany and Europe

Winter Semester: New Research in Energy Systems Modeling

Time: TBD

Location: TBD

Language: The lecture will be held in English.

Content: The seminar topics (research papers) cover novel developments in the research fields of energy systems modelling, energy economics and optimization. The list of papers will be offered by supervisors of the seminar. The research papers cover a broad range of concepts, issues and problems, such as energy transition, greenhouse gases, renewable electricity, energy efficiency, security of supply, transmission infrastructure, energy storage, capacity markets, economic effects, energy innovations, etc.; as well as various methods of quantitative analysis, such as applied optimization and econometric modelling.

Target audience: Basic knowledge of energy systems and energy markets is required. The course builds on the content taught in the courses “Energy Systems” and “Energy Economics”.

Examination: Presentation + short discussion

Registration: The registration of the module is done via the examination office. Further information is at www.ensys.tu-berlin.de and in the ISIS course of the event. The date of the first event will be published in the ISIS course.

Credits: 3 ECTS

Learning Outcomes: In this seminar, students develop expertise in current research in energy systems modelling and energy economics. The seminar design facilitates an in-depth analysis of a selected research article, which teaches students a scientific approach to convey analysis, including a conduction of a literature research, formulation of research questions, conduction of quantitative/qualitative analysis, presentation of results, and drawing conclusions. Students achieve examination-relevant study achievements by giving a presentation. This teaches a skill of preparing and giving a talk an audience and moderating a professional discussion.

[February 2025] PIK researchers involved in IPCC Special Report on Cities

[February 2024] Electrification or hydrogen? Both have distinct roles in the European energy transition

[December 2023] Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits PIK and GFZ

[November 2023] More new fossil gas heating systems, only tentative progress: energy transition update

[November 2023] Highly Cited: PIK scientists among top 1% of the world's most cited researchers

[June 2023] Bioenergy-induced land-use-change emissions with sectorally fragmented policies

[January 2023] Federal Research Minister visits PIK

[November 2022] Potsdam researchers amongst top 1% most cited worldwide

[August 2022] Green hydrogen: Short-term scarcity, long-term uncertainty

[June 2022] Emissions Trading for building and transport - new Ariadne analyses

[June 2022] New PIK Podcast: Energy security crisis. Cost of living crisis. Climate Crisis. What's the way out?

[November 2021] Accelerated renewables-based electrification paves the way for a post-fossil future: study