Harald’s research interests are at the intersection of sustainable development and climate change mitigation. His approach is transdisciplinary, seeking to understand how to accelerate mitigation and shifting development pathways towards sustainability. Specific focus areas for future research include equity and inequality between and within countries; just transitions; the global stock-take; and low emission development strategies.

Harald will continue to build on his past work on narrative storylines and modeling of scenarios; carbon pricing and social value of mitigation actions; transparency and MRV; and renewable energy. His transdisciplinary research has informed energy and climate policy at the national level and multilateral negotiations. Harald led the research work underpinning South Africa’s Long-Term Mitigation Scenarios (LTMS) from 2005-8. From 2010 to 2015, he co-directed a large programme called MAPS – Mitigation Action Plans and Scenarios, sharing the LTMS experience with governments, researchers and facilitators in other developing countries. Harald has published extensively and is joint Editor-in-Chief of the journal Climate Policy. He is a coordinating lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and has been a member of the SA delegation to the negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement. Harald is an engaged scholar, who seeks to make a difference to the grand challenges facing South Africa, Africa and the world, based on excellent research and a passion for sustainable development.