Nate Aden

Senior Fellow

Bio

Nate Aden is a Senior Fellow with WRI’s Business Center, as well as the WRI Climate Program. Nate conducts interdisciplinary research focused industrial sector transformation, methods to align company GHG targets with ambitious climate scenarios, and components of country-level GHG-GDP decoupling. Beyond research, Nate works directly with companies, industry associations, and other stakeholders to map and implement pathways to an equitable low-carbon economy.

Prior to joining WRI, Nate conducted energy efficiency research with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. Over five years with LBL, Nate’s projects were focused on energy efficiency policy, assessment of Chinese urban form energy use and emissions, Chinese energy data, transport electrification and renewable electricity scenario analysis, the coal sector, and the steel sector. Prior to LBL Nate lived in Shanghai for 2.5 years, where he worked for the U.S. Consulate. In combination with living in Singapore and miscellaneous travel to the region, Nate has lived in Asia for more than 10 years.

Nate holds a Master of Science degree from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Arts degree from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University. One of these years he plans to complete his PhD dissertation with the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley. In his free time, Nate enjoys rock climbing, squash, and learning new languages.

Blog Posts

The Roads to Decoupling: 21 Countries Are Reducing Carbon Emissions While Growing GDP
by Nate Aden - April 05, 2016
More than 20 countries have "decoupled" their carbon emissions from GDP, showing that economies can grow while shifting to a low-carbon pathway. Nate Aden explains.
10 Steps to Achieve the US Emissions-Reduction Target
by Karl Hausker, Kristin Igusky, Rebecca Gasper, Nate Aden and Michael Obeiter - May 27, 2015
The Obama administration committed to reduce U.S. emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. A new WRI study reveals how to achieve that target—and go even further—through existing federal policies and state action.
By the Numbers: How the U.S. Economy Can Benefit from Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
by Nicholas Bianco, Kristin Igusky, Rebecca Gasper, Michael Obeiter, Nate Aden and Sarah Forbes - October 10, 2014
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. benefits the economy by saving businesses and consumers money and improving public health.

A new study found that reducing emissions can yield significant economic benefits even before you factor in the advantages of avoiding drought, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts.
China’s “New Long March” through the UN Climate Summit: Context and Opportunities
by Nate Aden - September 22, 2014
The Long March was a watershed moment in Chinese history—the moment Mao Zedong’s nascent Communist Party escaped disaster in 1934 en route to forming a new nation. Fast forward 80 years, and China is poised to embark on a new Long March – but this time away from climate change and environmental damage toward a sustainable future.
2 Questions for World Business Leaders at the UN Climate Summit
by Eliot Metzger and Nate Aden - September 18, 2014
When CEOs and heads of state meet on September 23 at the UN Climate Summit in New York, two questions will guide the discussion.
Connecting Corporate Emissions Targets with Climate Science
by Cynthia Cummis and Nate Aden - May 15, 2014
When the IPCC released its Fifth Assessment Report earlier this spring, its message was clear: We must do much more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep below 2 °C and limit climate change’s impacts.

By presenting the current science, impacts, and options for addressing climate change, the IPCC has laid the groundwork for governments and the private sector to start taking more ambitious action. The next step for companies is to align their own plans with larger climate goals.
Blue-Green Opportunities: Energy Efficiency and Jobs Impacts in the U.S. Manufacturing Resurgence
by Nate Aden - February 21, 2014
U.S. manufacturing—and the jobs that go with it—have been steadily increasing since 2010.

The future of U.S. manufacturing jobs is not set in stone—it will be highly influenced by company investments and new policies. As policymakers, private companies, and industry stakeholders turn their attention to the ongoing resurgence of U.S. manufacturing, policy and private sector programs are available to generate the Good Jobs, Green Jobs needed to sustain American prosperity.
A Closer Look at the Shaheen-Portman Energy Efficiency Bill
by Nate Aden - July 25, 2013
New energy efficiency legislation has been introduced by Senators Shaheen and Portman that could come before the U.S. Senate as early as this month. This bill, formally known as the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 (S. 761), provides goals, incentives, and support for energy efficiency efforts across the U.S. economy. Passage of this bill would be a positive step toward saving money through improved efficiency while helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Cutting Carbon through Industrial Energy Efficiency: The Case of Midwest Pulp and Paper Mills
by Nate Aden and James Bradbury - July 15, 2013
While manufacturing is a critical part of the U.S. economy, it’s struggled over the last several years—both financially and environmentally. Overall U.S. manufacturing employment has dropped by more than one-third since 2000. Meanwhile, U.S. industry—of which manufacturing is the largest component—still uses more energy than any other sector and serves as the largest source of U.S. and global greenhouse gas emissions.

The good news is that energy efficiency can help U.S. manufacturing increase profits, protect jobs, and lead the development of a low-carbon economy. The Midwest’s pulp and paper industry is a case in point: New WRI analysis finds that the pulp and paper sector—the third-largest energy user in U.S. manufacturing—could cost-effectively reduce its energy use in the Midwest by 25 percent through use of existing technologies. These improvements could save hundreds of thousands of jobs, lower costs, and help the United States achieve its goal of reducing emissions by 17 percent by 2020. As the White House moves to cut carbon dioxide pollution in America, energy efficiency improvements in Midwest pulp and paper mills are a tangible example of the win-win-win emissions-reduction opportunities in U.S. industry.
A Holiday Gift from the EPA: New Rules Will Cut Toxic Air Pollution from American Boilers
by Nate Aden and James Bradbury - December 21, 2012
The U.S. Environment Protection Agency finalized the Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rule today to protect people from exposure to toxic air pollution from industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers. By encouraging industry to use cleaner-burning fuels and to make efficiency improvements, Boiler MACT will modernize U.S. industry, reduce toxins, and cut carbon pollution.

The Boiler MACT rules, which are required by the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990, will only target the most significant sources of toxic air pollution. Most boiler-based emissions come from a small handful of very large industrial and commercial facilities that operate coal, oil, and biomass-fired boilers. As such, according to EPA:

Fewer than 1 percent of all U.S. boilers will be required to reduce their emissions to levels that are consistent with demonstrated maximum achievable control technologies, or MACT standards. Operators of these types of boilers will have three years to reduce toxic air pollution and meet new emissions limits.

A larger subset of U.S. industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers (roughly 13 percent) would not be required to meet the specific MACT standards, but would need to reduce their toxic air emissions through other means (as described below).

About 86 percent of all U.S. boilers are relatively small, limited-use, or gas-fired boilers, and are not covered by the new rules.

$<p>How the EPA\'s new rules will impact boilers in the United States. Image credit: EPA fact sheet</p>$
How the EPA's new rules will impact boilers in the United States. Image credit: EPA fact sheet

Publications

Accelerating Building Efficiency
Eight Actions for Urban Leaders

With buildings responsible for 32 percent of global energy consumption and a quarter of CO2 emissions, there is a huge, under-tapped...
by Jennifer Layke, Eric Mackres, Sifan Liu, Nate Aden, Renilde Becqué, Peter Graham, Katrina Managan, Clay Nesler, Ksenia Petrichenko and Susan Mazur-Stommen - May 2016

publication
Topics: Energy, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
Delivering on the U.S. Climate Commitment: A 10-Point Plan Toward A Low-Carbon Future
This working paper examines where greenhouse gas emissions are headed if the United States does not take any new action to curb their release, how it can meet its 2025 emissions target using existing authorities and state action, and how legislation can achieve deeper cuts over the longer term...
by Karl Hausker, Kristin Igusky, Rebecca Gasper, Nate Aden and Michael Obeiter - May 2015

publication
Topics: Climate, COP 21
Geography: United States
Seeing is Believing: Creating a New Climate Economy in the United States
Building on the recently-released New Climate Economy report, this new analysis provides evidence and real-world examples demonstrating how the United States is already seizing economic returns while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions—and...
by Nicholas Bianco, Kristin Igusky, Rebecca Gasper, Michael Obeiter, Sarah Forbes and Nate Aden - October 2014

publication
Topics: Climate, COP 21, Energy
Geography: United States
Energy Efficiency in U.S. Manufacturing
The Case of Midwest Pulp and Paper Mills
This report highlights the critical role of energy efficiency in improving the economic and environmental performance of Midwest pulp and paper mills. WRI’s analysis finds that less efficient facilities could realize significant annual energy cost savings, and decrease their greenhouse gas...
by Nate Aden, James Bradbury and C. Forbes Tompkins - July 2013

publication
Topics: Climate, Energy
Geography: United States
Midwest Manufacturing Snapshot
Energy Use and Efficiency Policies
This paper presents detailed manufacturing energy-use and economic-activity data along with state-by-state policy summaries for the 10 member states of the Midwestern Governors Association. To help inform ongoing policy discussions across the region, this paper offers a snapshot of industrial...
by James Bradbury, Nate Aden, Amir Nadav and John Cuttica - February 2012

publication
Topics: Climate
Geography: United States
Fact Sheet: EPA Mercury Rules and Power Reliability
New rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce mercury and other toxic air emissions will affect dozens of antiquated power plants currently operating without pollution controls. These
rules have stirred debate in some circles as to whether retrofitting or retiring...
by Nate Aden and James Bradbury - December 2011

publication
Topics: Climate
Geography: United States

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Nate Aden

The Roads to Decoupling: 21 Countries Are Reducing Carbon Emissions While Growing GDP

10 Steps to Achieve the US Emissions-Reduction Target

By the Numbers: How the U.S. Economy Can Benefit from Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

China’s “New Long March” through the UN Climate Summit: Context and Opportunities

2 Questions for World Business Leaders at the UN Climate Summit

Connecting Corporate Emissions Targets with Climate Science

Blue-Green Opportunities: Energy Efficiency and Jobs Impacts in the U.S. Manufacturing Resurgence

A Closer Look at the Shaheen-Portman Energy Efficiency Bill

Cutting Carbon through Industrial Energy Efficiency: The Case of Midwest Pulp and Paper Mills

A Holiday Gift from the EPA: New Rules Will Cut Toxic Air Pollution from American Boilers

Accelerating Building Efficiency

Eight Actions for Urban Leaders

Delivering on the U.S. Climate Commitment: A 10-Point Plan Toward A Low-Carbon Future

Seeing is Believing: Creating a New Climate Economy in the United States

Energy Efficiency in U.S. Manufacturing

The Case of Midwest Pulp and Paper Mills

Midwest Manufacturing Snapshot

Energy Use and Efficiency Policies

Fact Sheet: EPA Mercury Rules and Power Reliability

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Eight Actions for Urban Leaders

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