I am an experienced researcher on economic, finance and policy aspects of climate change and related energy issues. Since I started my PhD, my works investigated questions related to financial barriers of low-carbon investments.
Currently, I am a Principal Research Fellow with a proleptic Academic Appointment at UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources (UCL ISR). I have recently been awarded an ERC starting grant (LINKS) focusing on the role of climate finance to meet the Paris goals (2019-2024).
I joined UCL ISR in 2016 to lead the finance work of two EU Horizon2020 projects, entitled GREEN-WIN and RIPPLES. Both projects explore the cross-cutting role of finance in overcoming barriers to climate adaptation, mitigation and sustainability action with a particular emphasis on exploring avenues for integrating climate/sustainability public policies with mainstream finance framework and system.
While at the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab, UC Berkeley together with Prof Daniel Kammen, we explored an innovative approach, namely the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), to link private funding to public financing mechanisms to facilitate citizen’s access and affordability to low-carbon projects. Demonstrating the success and novelty of this scheme, PACE was awarded #1 World Changing Idea of 2009 by Scientific America.
I am also bringing research insights into policymaking and practical experience to bear upon academic studies. I have co-organised with 2° Investing Initiative (2ii), two workshops on climate finance in London, and supported the research work at several international public policy organisations, including the OECD, the European Commission (EC) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
I completed my PhD in Business Administration at Polytechnic University of Marche and University of California, Berkeley (co-tutorship of doctoral thesis) with a focus on energy financing policy. My research interests include climate finance, financial networks, policy evaluation methods, financing schemes, low-carbon investments and energy policy.