Jun.-Prof. Dr. Julia Mink

The societal costs of pollution and climate change

How do pollution and climate change affect health and the associated costs? How do people adapt to their environmental conditions, and what factors are crucial for such adaptability?

Julia Mink conducts research at the intersection of environmental and health economics, using large data sets and econometric methods, with the goal of answering complex questions about environmental and climate policy. One aspect she is particularly interested in is the study of inequalities. Exposure to pollutants and the impacts of climate change are often unequally distributed, with poorer populations usually more affected. Quantifying these disparities is important in order to make recommendations for possible compensation and redistribution measures. It is also important for policy makers to know the extent to which different populations are able to avoid the impacts of pollution and adapt to climate change, so that limited resources can be targeted to the most vulnerable and at-risk populations.