A psychology professor at Princeton University, Elke U. Weber is currently an Einstein Visiting Fellow at Science of Intelligence, where she researches political decision-making powers and global action to tackle climate change through the behavioral and social sciences. Elke Weber is attached to the Einstein Center Climate Change (which is currently in the process of being set up) and draws on psychological theories to investigate the extent to which personal experiences, as well as social norms and interactions, affect decision-making and action. To ensure the study considers the specific social and existential factors that influence people’s decision-making, Elke Weber’s project is based on a comparative analysis of existing studies on climate policy and environmental protection measures, comparing Berlin-Brandenburg, New Jersey (USA), and New Delhi (India).

Eric J. Johnson from the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia University is working on a project for the forthcoming Einstein Center Climate Change that links climate research with the behavioral sciences and economics. Based at the Technische Universität, Eric Johnson researches decision architectures, i.e. ways of presenting choices and facilitating decision-making processes by utilizing the various social, economic, and psychological factors that shape our actions. Using empirical methods as well as face-to-face and online interviews, and in cooperation with the Universität der Künste and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, the project’s aim is to develop approaches and tools for political structures and businesses that make it easier to implement measures to reduce individual or industrial CO2 emissions.

Arian Trieb is a predoctoral researcher at SCIoI, specializing in the study of decision-making processes and their impact on sustainable consumption. Arian recently completed an MPhil degree at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. Prior to joining SCIoI, Arian gained valuable industry experience as an account strategist at Google. With a keen interest in understanding how individuals make sustainable decisions, Arian collaborates with Professor Johnson and Professor Creutzig, as well as postdoctoral researchers Lubna Rashid and Jonas Ludwig. Together, they focus on examining the effective implementation of choice architecture to promote the adoption of sustainable behaviors in the Berlin and Brandenburg regions.

Jonas Ludwig is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Technische Universität Berlin’s Einstein Center Climate Change. Jonas does research in Behavioral Economics and Social/Cognitive Psychology. His current interests focus on sustainability, climate change action, and ethical behavior.

The work of Lubna Rashid lies at the intersection of ecological sustainability, behavioral psychology, and digital entrepreneurship. She is particularly interested in understanding the drivers of (un)sustainable decision-making and the behavioral change surrounding climate adaptation and mitigation. She presently works with the Berlin Brandenburg Climate Change Center and the Princeton University Behavioral Science for Policy Lab with Prof. Dr. Elke Weber. Her current research aims to uncover the psychological states and traits (e.g. well-being, cognitive dissonances, moral disengagement strategies), personal experiences, and social norms surrounding the climate transition, particularly in the areas of building and transportation in Berlin and Brandenburg. Lubna’s eclectic background spans biology and ecology, industrial engineering, and entrepreneurship in fragile contexts.