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Center for Environmental Policy

The Center for Environmental Policy aims to improve the nation's ability to address environmental challenges through effective governance.

The Center informs and educates future environmental leaders, while promoting innovative technologies, policies and practices in order to strengthen environmental, energy, climate, sustainability and environmental justice practices.

George McGraw and Vernice Miller-Travis receive the 2024 Reilly Awards April 17, 2024

Vernice Miller-Travis and George McGraw

The Center for Environmental Policy, American University School of Public Affairs, presentedthe William K. Reilly Awards for Environmental Leadership to George McGraw, Founder and CEO of DigDeep, and Environmental Justice Pioneer, Vernice Miller-Travis on April 17, 2024.

Co-sponsored by the WCL Program on Environmental and Energy Law and E&W Law.Award winners George McGraw and Vernice Miller-Travis with scholarship winners Aidan Black and Lily Kincannon with Bill Reilly

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The Inflation Reduction Act:
Climate and Energy Progress and Opportunities

March 21, 2024Hope Cupit Michelle Moore and Raksha Vasudevan at IRA symposium, March 21, 2024

TheCenter for Environmental Policy, in partnership with ICMA, the World Resources Institute and the Security and Sustainability Forum convened the “Inflation Reduction Act: Climate and Energy Progress and Opportunities" symposium at ArentFox Schiff on March 21.Speakers focused on the ways in which communities of all sizes and in all locations are working towards a clean energy transformation and climate resilience.Ava Richardson, City of Baltimore, John Morrill, Fairfax County

Keynote speaker Tonantzin Carmona, Senior Advisor for Policy and Implementation at the Department of Treasury discussed elective pay, the innovative tool that allows local governments and nonprofits to take advantage of IRA benefits quickly and with limited red tape. She outlined the criteria and avenues for accessing federal tax credits using elective pay.Lacey Shaver, WRI, and Thomas Bartholomew, DOEE

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WaterPitch! The Water Startup Matching Extravaganza, March 19, 2024

Co-hosted by CEP, this one day event matches water startup founders & entrepreneurs, investors & funders, clients & entrepreneur support organizations throughout North America and around the world to advance innovative solutions for water challenges.

A Sectoral Approach to Climate Mitigation

Alternative Tuesdays February-May 2023 at 1pm EST

This webinar series, sponsored by American University’s Center for Environmental Policy (CEP) and the not-for-profit think tank Energy Innovation, reframes causes and solutions of climate change as “sectoral” issues. Over six 75-minute webinars, experts introduced the problem and presented the challenges and successes of efforts to cut emissions in the energy, industry, transportation and buildings, and land use sectors. The final session featured a roundtable discussion on possibilities for implementing a more “sector-based” analysis to complement extant theories of change in the climate mitigation space.

Neither mitigator nor adapter: Climate neglect and denial in a vulnerable Brazil (2013-2021)

April 28, 2022, 1:30-3:00 pm (ET)

In this installment of theseries,Joana Castro Pereira, Instituto Português de Relações Internacionais (IPRI) and Eduardo Viola, of the University of Brasilia will share their research on thepolitics of climate change neglect and denial in Brazil. Asone of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters (accounting for approximately 3% of global emissions), Brazil is also highly vulnerable to climate change.

Presenters will share the main policies implemented in the country’s major emitting sectors, and the potential and limitations of the national climate change adaptation plan as well as the challenges to its implementation. Focusing on the 2013-2021 period, presenters will discuss the policies implemented in the country’s major emitting sectors, the potential and limitations of the national climate change adaptation plan as well as the challenges to its implementation.

A Conversation with Tom Jorling

Center DirectorDan Fiorino chattedwithTom Jorling, who served on the Minority Counselforthe Senate Committee on Public Works that produced the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the Clean Water Act of 1972. Participants learnedabout the factors that contributed to the passage of landmark USenvironmental laws, the roles of various stakeholders in the process, and whether and how suchenvironmentalprogress could be achieved again.

The European Union as Exemplary Mitigator: Best of a Bad Lot

Watch the second event from the webinar series "Ideas, Interests, Institutions, and Nation-state Climate Politics: Mitigators, Adapters, and Mitigator-Adapters," featuring Professors Claire Dupont, Dave Huitema, and Lisa Dellmuth on the European Union’s declaration that it is a global leader on climate change and its dual leadership role that includes implementing climate mitigation policies domestically while engaging in climate diplomacy internationally to encourage, persuade, coerce, and assist others to adopt similarly ambitious climate mitigation policies.

Understanding China’s Approach to Climate Mitigation

This chapter explored the political, economic, and technical contradictions in China’s approach to reducing emissions. We demonstrated that while China has made many strides toward decarbonization, its recent energy and emissions trends and its near-term targets are insufficient to meet global climate stabilization goals that avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change. As a result, we discussed opportunities for increased action on mitigation and continued international engagement with China on climate change.

Looking Ahead: A Roadmap for Healthy Air & Equitable Climate Action for the Biden Administration

Thursday February 4, 2021 | 3:00pm- 4:30pm EST

This event was featured a conversation about opportunities for the Biden-Harris Administration to advance climate action and the promise of the Clean Air Act - healthy air for all communities. On this virtual panel we heard the perspectives of an environmental justice leader, a state air regulator, a legal expert and a utility industry official.In order to ensure healthy air, immediate action on climate change is critical. In this discussion, subject matter experts explored ways the Administration can help to deliver equitable and health-focused climate solutions by supporting full implementation of the Clean Air Act, improving air quality monitoring technologies and reporting, fostering the growth of clean, non-combustible energy and low-emission and zero-emission vehicles, and other promising approaches.

This event was hosted by The American Lung Association and American University's Centers for Environmental Policy and Environmental Filmmaking

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A Good Life on a Finite Earthwins Charles Levine Prize

Each year, the International Political Science Association’s Research Committee on the Structure of Governance sponsors the Levine Prize, named in honor of Charles H. Levine, an acclaimed member who served on the editorial board of its official journal, Governance. A distinguished committee awards the prize to the best book on comparative administration or public policy published in the previous year.

This year’s committee has selected “A Good Life on a Finite Earth: The Political Economy of Green Growth,” by CEP Director Daniel J. Fiorino, as the 2019 recipient of the Levine Award.

Meet the 2024 Reilly Scholars

Aidan Black (MPA, 2025)

Reilly Scholar Carsen Lennon

Lily Kincannon (MPP, 2025)

A Future Inspired By the Past

This video history, produced by the Center for Environmental Policy, honors William K. Ruckelshaus, for his tenure as EPA Administrator and his many contributions to federal, state, and local environmental governance.

Reflection on U.S. Environmental Policy

This video history, produced with support from the , honors William K. Reilly’s tenure as EPA Administrator and his many contributions to federal, state, and local environmental governance.

Cows on rural landscape

Environment ·

Bridging the Rural-Urban Divide on Environmental Issues

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Faculty

A Good Life on a Finite Earth

Daniel Fiorino, distinguished executive in residence at the American University School of Public Affairs, argues that policymakers need to protect the environment if they want the economy to grow in the long-term.

In his new book, A Good Life on a Finite Earth: The Political Economy of Green Growth, which was published in December by Oxford University Press, Fiorino links academic research with policy analysis.

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More News & Announcements

Community by ocean

Environment ·

The Challenge of Protecting the Environment Amid Populist Opposition

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Todd Eisenstadt

Environment ·

Climate Change Lessons from Some of the World's Most Vulnerable Communities

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Looking Ahead: A Roadmap for Healthy Air & Equitable Climate Action for the Biden Administration

Environment ·

SPA Center for Environmental Policy Co-Hosts Panel on Biden Climate Priorities

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Baehler and McGraw Lead Pipe Research News

Environment ·

Timely Study by SPA Researchers Provides Roadmap for Equitable Lead Pipe Replacement

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Boy catching frisbee.

Celebrating 50 years of the Clean Air Act: Looking back and moving forward to provide Clean Air for All

by Paul Billings and Dan Fiorino

Latest Environmental News


  • Read about this project by lead AU researcher Dr. Karen Baehler.


  • Read an opinion article written by Adjunct Professorial Lecturer Paul Bledsoe in the New York Times.

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    Read an opinion article written by Adjunct Professorial Lecturer Paul Bledsoe in USA Today.