Catherine Wolfram's Avatar

Catherine Wolfram

@cwolfram.bsky.social

Climate and energy economist at MIT Sloan. Former DAS at Yellen Treasury.

4,049 Followers  |  152 Following  |  238 Posts  |  Joined: 14.11.2024  |  2.1674

Latest posts by cwolfram.bsky.social on Bluesky

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EU-India trade deal leaves bloc's carbon border tariff intact A landmark trade deal struck by India and the European Union on Tuesday will not trigger any changes to the bloc's carbon border tariff, EU officials said, despite India's concerns over the scheme.

Good news re #CBAM in the EU-India trade deal: It's intact, and, even better, the EU committed not to give other countries a break. They also committed to support decarbonization in India to the tune of 500 million euros.

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

27.01.2026 15:20 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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New EU carbon tariff pushes India toward green steel Europe’s pioneering tax on polluting imports presents India’s coal-reliant steelmakers with a choice: Decarbonize or risk losing customers.

Yes, EU CBAM pushing Indian steel producers toward greener production processes.

I only wish people would stop referring to #CBAM as a tariff. Tariffs treat foreign and domestic producers differently, while a CBAM levels the playing field. More like a VAT.

www.canarymedia.com/articles/gre...

26.01.2026 20:39 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Anyone in #Canada selling swag off @mark-carney.bsky.social speech yet? A "Take Down the Sign" hat? Or too American?
@blakeshaffer.bsky.social

23.01.2026 18:23 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Read and watch Carney’s full speech from Davos Prime Minister stands behind Greenland, offers veiled criticism of Trump in blunt Davos speech

Yes, totally agree!

Or at least read the transcript: www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

21.01.2026 12:00 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Keeping an eye on this and hoping the EU holds firm on #CBAM. My read is that there's some chance of a fertilizer exemption but that's just the kernel of an idea right now.

www.spglobal.com/energy/en/ne...

16.01.2026 18:13 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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McCormick, Warren, Husted, and Coons Co-Lead Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen and Sustain Pressure on Russian Oil Revenue, Help Achieve Just Peace | United States Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban... The Official website of The United States Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

DROP Act here:
www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/min...

08.01.2026 02:04 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump has β€˜greenlit’ Russia sanctions bill, Lindsey Graham says The South Carolina Republican said the Senate could vote as soon as next week.

Graham sanctions bill may be moving forward. Ideally, Graham would work with McCormick and adopt parts of the DROP Act.

www.politico.com/live-updates...

08.01.2026 02:04 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
How an international agreement on methane emissions can pave the way for enhanced global cooperation on climate change Under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the United States has for the first time implemented a methane emissions fee as a backstop to new methane regulations in the oil and gas sectors. The European U...

2. Actions the US takes to influence others’ emissions can be as important as actions we take to influence our own. Ideally we do both.

(Here's the whole document with the figure above: www.piie.com/publications...

04.01.2026 19:30 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

There are a lot of questions about what just happened in VZ and where things will go, but this is a specific example of two general points:

1. Governance matters. Corrupt regimes wreak lots of havoc, including to the environment.

04.01.2026 19:30 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

On the other hand, if oil production from VZ increases without addressing the methane intensity, this will be very bad for GHG emissions.

04.01.2026 19:30 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

If we take the 20-year global warming potential, it’s like reducing over 300 mmt, comparable in magnitude to some early assessments of the damage done to US emissions by the OBBBA, but helpful this time!

04.01.2026 19:30 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

If new investment in the VZ oil sector helps capture some of that CH4, this will be HUGE for the climate.

If VZ could achieve the same intensity as other countries (100 Gg/Gj instead of 2100), that would be like reducing over 100 mmt of CO2, using the 100-year global warming potential of CH4.

04.01.2026 19:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Figure showing methane emissions intensity by country, with Venezuela at the top by far.

Figure showing methane emissions intensity by country, with Venezuela at the top by far.

Here’s an interesting fact about the Venezuelan oil and gas sector: it’s ridiculously, off-the-charts dirty when it comes to methane emissions.

In some earlier work, we had to change the scale to show Venezuela’s methane emissions per unit of energy produced.

04.01.2026 19:30 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Europe Wanted Its Carbon Border Tax To Go Global -- Is It Working? The EU's carbon border tax was designed to do more than clean up its own economy: it hoped to encourage trading partners to put a price on pollution as well.

I'd say the article answers the headline with a "yes", including quotes from @gzachmann.bsky.social at @bruegel.org.

www.barrons.com/news/europe-...

29.12.2025 18:29 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New York's Congestion Pricing Is Working. Five Charts Show How Nearly a year ago, New York City embarked on a controversial program to toll drivers entering some of Manhattan’s busiest streets. The goal of the congestion pricing plan, the first of its kind in the...

Looks like the initial data on NYC congestion pricing say it’s working. πŸ‘ πŸ”ŒπŸ’‘

#TalkAboutClimate

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

22.12.2025 17:27 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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EU to extend carbon border levy to new products, drafts show The European Union plans to expand its upcoming carbon border tariff to cover imported products including car parts, refrigerators, and washing machines, draft European Commission documents seen by Re...

More news on CBAM expansion plans.

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

16.12.2025 10:38 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Really enjoyed this conversation with @robertstavins.bsky.social!

11.12.2025 14:00 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Article notes that "Both China and India are in the process of establishing or expanding their own emissions trading systems. Several countries in Latin America, including Brazil, have also acknowledged that CBAM is a factor in recent decisions to embrace carbon pricing."

08.12.2025 15:08 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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EU expands carbon border tax to garden tools and washing machines Changes are intended to close loopholes in law to prevent carbon-intensive imports

EU expanding CBAM to cover several goods made with steel and aluminum.

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

08.12.2025 15:08 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Households face annual costs of roughly $400–$900 from climate changeβ€”mainly from disasters, higher insurance, and energy costsβ€”with lower-income families and certain regions hit disproportionately, from @kclausing.bsky.social, Knittel, and @cwolfram.bsky.social www.nber.org/papers/w34525

07.12.2025 14:01 β€” πŸ‘ 62    πŸ” 37    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 7
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New international coalition aims to strengthen carbon markets "Carbon pricing is not dead," expert says of group led by Brazil with 18 members including China and the EU that have carbon markets.

Faculty member @cwolfram.bsky.social efforts at #COP30 helped lead an international effort to strengthen and coordinate carbon markets reminding the U.S. carbon-pricing is "alive and well" globally.

02.12.2025 17:21 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New international coalition aims to strengthen carbon markets "Carbon pricing is not dead," expert says of group led by Brazil with 18 members including China and the EU that have carbon markets.

An @eenews.bsky.social report on the Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets. (People who have heard me talk about these issues recently won't be surprised that I'm the expert in the subtitle!)

www.eenews.net/articles/new...

01.12.2025 15:03 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Awesome, thanks for the insight! Cheering for the latter.

From down here, even a $12/ton price is enviable.....

28.11.2025 18:28 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Pipeline pledge anchors Carney’s sweeping deal with Alberta Ottawa pulls back from Trudeau-era climate policy in a landmark deal with Premier Danielle Smith.

Canada's pipeline deal seems poised to strengthen industrial carbon pricing in Alberta (though "weak" carbon pricing in Canada is ~USD 65/ton on the margin).

Go @mark-carney.bsky.social!

www.politico.com/news/2025/11...

28.11.2025 17:58 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Really enjoyed this conversation with @jc-econ.bsky.social and Seth Carpenter. Thanks to @wendyedelberg.bsky.social for expert moderation and @brookings.edu for hosting!

The event has passed, but you can still watch the video.

25.11.2025 15:20 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Climate Inaction is an Affordability Problem - Legal Planet This post is authored by UCLA Law’s Kimberly A. Clausing along with guest contributors Christopher R. Knittel and Catherine Wolfram. Many of us have seen large increases in our homeowner’s insurance p...

Climate inaction is ALREADY a big expense affecting US households' costs. One of the biggest? The impact of climate-related natural disasters on housing costs. New post and research by @kclausing.bsky.social @knittelmit.bsky.social @cwolfram.bsky.social

legal-planet.org/2025/11/20/c...

20.11.2025 17:28 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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πŸͺ΄ Bruegel at COP30 Brazil
πŸ—“οΈ 20 November 2025 17:00-18:00 (CET)

Join us at COP30 with @jzettelmeyer.bsky.social, Alissa M. Kleinnijenhuis, @tagliapietra.bsky.social, Ottmar Edenhofer, @cwolfram.bsky.social, @estellecantillon.bsky.social, @simonmundy.ft.com and Juliano AssunΓ§Γ£o

πŸ”— buff.ly/kseprVU

19.11.2025 12:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Africa and Europe Must Turn Tensions over Carbon Trading Into Climate Opportunity At the COP30 Leaders Summit last week many countries endorsed a declaration on the β€œOpen Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets.” The AU and EU should seize this momentumβ€”jointly championing a new mod...

Beautifully said by Daouda Sembene, PhD in this @cgdev.org blog post.

Im so happy to have Daouda on our Global Climate Policy Project at Harvard and MIT climate coalitions working group!

www.cgdev.org/blog/africa-...

13.11.2025 15:54 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The leaders’ endorsement of the Open Coalition, including the EU, China, Canada, Mexico, Zambia and other countries, lays an important foundation, but there’s a lot of work to be done to build the house on top of that foundation. Time to get to work!

12.11.2025 12:23 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Using a building analogy, I would describe myself as a contractor more than a creator. Nordhaus was certainly one of the central architects with his work on climate clubs, I'm just helping to get that vision in place.

12.11.2025 12:23 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

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