Announcing the Raymond J. Kopp Award for Outstanding Contributions to Climate Economics and Policy

Date

July 2, 2026

News Type

Press Release

The Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC) and Resources for the Future (RFF), under the umbrella of their partnership, the European Institute on Economics and the Environment (EIEE), are proud to introduce an award to honor the memory and legacy of a colleague. Researchers from RFF and CMCC unveiled the award on Thursday during the 7th World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists in Portugal.

The Raymond J. Kopp Award for Outstanding Contributions to Climate Economics and Policy will recognize a research paper that advances policy discussions and fosters international collaboration. Nominations for the award will open in late 2027, and the inaugural award recipient will be announced at the 2028 conference for the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. A selection committee will grant the award biennially.

The award honors the interests and contributions of Raymond J. Kopp, a preeminent economist whose research influenced climate-related economic policy for decades. Kopp worked at RFF for 47 years, serving at various points as Vice President for Research and Policy Engagement and as director of the International Climate Policy initiative. Kopp passed away in August 2024 at the age of 75.

"Ray worked on many issues over the years, but he was particularly interested in international climate policy-he recognized that climate change was an international problem that required international solutions," said Massimo Tavoni, director of EIEE. "He played an essential role in the formation of EIEE in 2018; many of us at CMCC and RFF have benefited from his leadership and guidance. We hope to honor that spirit of collaboration with this award."

"We hope that this award will inspire people to do what Ray did best: conduct high-quality research, inform policy, and create new and lasting relationships with people who live far away," said Karen Palmer, a senior fellow at RFF. "While the award cannot fully show how grateful we are for Ray and his contributions, we hope that this award will at the very least help carry his work forward."

EIEE will publish more information about the award later this year.

Related

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