Nigel Purvis
Nigel Purvis joined GMF as a senior fellow in May 2009. Purvis is an established climate policy expert and was a senior international negotiator on climate change from 1998-2002, ending his tenure as the deputy head of the U.S. negotiating team.
He currently serves as president of Climate Advisers, a strategic consulting firm specializing in U.S. climate change policy, international climate change cooperation, global carbon markets, and climate-related forest conservation.
Previously, Purvis directed U.S. environmental diplomacy as deputy assistant secretary of State for oceans, environment, and science. In that capacity, he oversaw diplomacy on climate change, biodiversity conservation, forests, international trade, toxic substances, and ozone depletion.
From 2005-2007, Purvis served as vice president for policy and external affairs at The Nature Conservancy. From 2002-2005, he was a senior scholar in the foreign policy program of The Brookings Institution. During that period, Purvis also served as an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. His essays and interviews on climate change, environmental diplomacy, international assistance, and foreign affairs have appeared in leading news outlets and academic journals around the world.
Earlier in his career, Purvis worked as an international lawyer at the U.S. State Department, as a securities attorney at the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, and as a lecturer at Georgetown University.
Education:
Purvis is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
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Publications
The New U.S. Domestic Climate and Clean Energy Agenda: The Oulook for 2013May 10, 2013This paper seeks to make sense of how a sluggish economy, rising budget deficits, and other factors press against strong U.S. action on climate change at home or abroad.
Air Supremacy: The Surprisingly Important Dogfight over Climate Pollution from International AviationOctober 11, 2012This policy brief dispels the myths surrounding discussions on aircraft emissions between the U.S. and EU.
Climate of Despair? The Future of U.S. Climate Policy and Global NegotiationsApril 02, 2012This policy paper seeks to determine whether circumstances warrant a new feeling of despair regarding greenhouse gas emissions targets and climate change.
Weathering the Transatlantic Climate Policy RecessionMarch 02, 2011This policy brief examines possible directions for meaningful action on climate change in a time of waning political will.
Jumpstarting Global Green Growth: International Climate Strategies in the New Transatlantic Political ContextNovember 22, 2010This policy paper argues that the growing international consensus for “green growth” provides major opportunities for the transatlantic community to spur global climate action.
Rethinking Climate Diplomacy: New ideas for transatlantic cooperation post-CopenhagenMarch 08, 2010In this paper, the authors argue that the most dangerous thing Europe and the United States could do is ignore the strategic implications of Copenhagen and fall back into old strategies with a new sense of patience. They recommend a fundamental shift in thinking.
Blueprint for a Transatlantic Climate PartnershipAugust 03, 2009In this paper, the author attempts to draw a blueprint for a new transatlantic climate change partnership — one that could serve as the basis for a joint approach to China, India, and other emerging economies. A strong transatlantic partnership would simplify international negotiations and sharpen the focus on what is really needed to reach a strong global agreement quickly.
Narrowing the Transatlantic Climate Divide: A Roadmap to ProgressJune 01, 2008Most climate change opinion leaders on both sides of the Atlantic have modest expectations for the July Summit in Hokkaido, Japan—the location of both the G8 leaders’ meeting and the Major Economies Meeting (MEM), an initiative launched by President Bush last year that involves the world’s 16 major economic powers and emitters, plus the EU. Transatlantic allies seem to be an ocean apart over how quickly Europe, the United States, and other major economies should reduce emissions over the next decade, but downplaying Hokkaido could be a serious mistake.
