Marc Hafstead
Fellow; Director, Carbon Pricing Initiative; Director, Climate Finance and Financial Risk Initiative
Marc Hafstead joined RFF in 2013 from Stanford University. He is an RFF fellow and director of the Carbon Pricing Initiative and the Climate Finance and Financial Risk Initiative. His research has primarily focused on the evaluation and design of federal and state-level climate and energy policies using sophisticated multi-sector models of the US economy. With Stanford Professor and RFF University Fellow Lawrence H. Goulder, he wrote Confronting the Climate Challenge: US Policy Options (Columbia University Press) to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of federal carbon taxes, cap-and-trade programs, clean energy standards, and gasoline. His research has also analyzed the distributional and employment impacts of carbon pricing and the design of tax adjustment mechanisms to reduce the emissions uncertainty of carbon tax policies. His paper “Impacts of a Carbon Tax across U.S. Household Income Groups: What Are the Equity-Efficiency Trade-Offs?” (with Larry Goulder, GyuRim Kim, and Xianling Long) won the Journal of Public Economics 2021 Atkinson Award for best paper published in the journal between 2018 and 2020. Hafstead has been cited in the popular press, including the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Axios, and CNNMoney.
Education
- PhD in Economics, Stanford University, 2011
- BA in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences & Economics, Northwestern University, 2004
Featured Content
- Highlights
- Publications
- Events
- Editorial
- News
Common Resources — Feb 22, 2024
Modeling Deep Decarbonization in the Industrial Sector: Opportunities and Challenges for Modelers and Policymakers
Decarbonizing the industrial sector is a growing priority. To help produce models with high-quality data that inform policy, transparency and dialogue should be fostered among modeling colleagues, policymakers, and the modeling community.
Common Resources — Feb 2, 2024
Verification Standards for Carbon Offsets: Breaking Down the New Proposed Guidance
In this Q&A, Alex Rau of Environmental Commodity Partners discusses new proposed guidance for verifying the quality of carbon offsets, the implications for voluntary carbon markets, and what the verification standards will look like for offsets.
Common Resources — Jan 23, 2024
Bill That Would Help Track Emissions Associated with Traded Goods Receives Bipartisan Support
A new bill passed recently by a US Senate committee would require the federal government to study the greenhouse gas emissions associated with products from selected industries and US trade partners.
Report — Aug 16, 2023
Industrial Deep Decarbonization: Modeling Approaches and Data Challenges
This report presents an overview of decarbonization options for six key industrial sectors and reviews the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to modeling industrial emissions reductions.
Report — Aug 16, 2023
Industrial Deep Decarbonization: Modeling Approaches and Data Challenges
This report presents an overview of decarbonization options for six key industrial sectors and reviews the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to modeling industrial emissions reductions.
Journal Article — Jan 13, 2022
Environmental Policy, Full-Employment Models, and Employment: A Critical Analysis
Environmental Policy, Full-Employment Models, and Employment: A Critical Analysis
Issue Brief — Sep 16, 2021
Emissions Projections under Alternative Climate Policy Proposals
In this issue brief, RFF researchers estimate the projected energy-related carbon dioxide emissions under different climate policy proposals.
Explainer — Jun 21, 2021
Video Explainer: Carbon Pricing 101
Video Explainer: Carbon Pricing 101
RFF Live — Mar 10, 2022
The Future of Carbon Pricing: Policy in Action
A review of trends and trajectories in carbon pricing around the world
Workshop — Apr 15, 2021
US Climate Ambition in 2030: Insights from Recent Modeling
US Climate Ambition in 2030: Insights from Recent Modeling
RFF Live — Oct 20, 2020
The Future of Carbon Pricing: 2020 and Beyond
The Future of Carbon Pricing: 2020 and Beyond
Workshop — Mar 13, 2020
Adding Mitigation Certainty to a US Carbon Tax: A Workshop on the REEP Symposium (Postponed)
Adding Mitigation Certainty to a US Carbon Tax: A Workshop on the REEP Symposium (Postponed)
Common Resources — Feb 22, 2024
Modeling Deep Decarbonization in the Industrial Sector: Opportunities and Challenges for Modelers and Policymakers
Decarbonizing the industrial sector is a growing priority. To help produce models with high-quality data that inform policy, transparency and dialogue should be fostered among modeling colleagues, policymakers, and the modeling community.
Common Resources — Feb 2, 2024
Verification Standards for Carbon Offsets: Breaking Down the New Proposed Guidance
In this Q&A, Alex Rau of Environmental Commodity Partners discusses new proposed guidance for verifying the quality of carbon offsets, the implications for voluntary carbon markets, and what the verification standards will look like for offsets.
Common Resources — Jan 23, 2024
Bill That Would Help Track Emissions Associated with Traded Goods Receives Bipartisan Support
A new bill passed recently by a US Senate committee would require the federal government to study the greenhouse gas emissions associated with products from selected industries and US trade partners.
Resources Magazine — Oct 19, 2022
Climate Change Risk in the Financial System
Resources for the Future will identify and improve the measurement of climate risks associated with financial assets and the financial system, so we can support financial stability, a thriving economy, and a healthy environment.
Press Release — Mar 18, 2022
RFF Fellow Marc Hafstead and University Fellow Lawrence Goulder Receive Award for Best Paper
RFF Fellow Marc Hafstead and University Fellow Lawrence Goulder Receive Award for Best Paper
Media Highlight — Dec 21, 2021
US Climate Commitments Abroad Thrown into Confusion
RFF scholars Billy Pizer and Marc Hafstead are quoted in an E&E News article about the international implications of the Build Back Better Act's roadblock.
Media Highlight — Nov 9, 2021
Will 'Green Energy' Produce More Jobs? Three Experts Discuss
Will 'Green Energy' Produce More Jobs? Three Experts Discuss
Media Highlight — Oct 16, 2021
Biden Cannot Declare Victory on Climate Without One of These Policies
Biden Cannot Declare Victory on Climate Without One of These Policies