Marilyn Brown Presents During National Academies Webinar on Ethics and Justice in Geographical Sciences

Posted July 16, 2020

Marilyn Brown, Regents and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems and interim chair in the School of Public Policy, recently spoke on the need for “justice-aware” energy planning and policymaking during a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine webinar on ethics and biases in the geographical sciences.

Brown’s June 11 presentation for the National Academies’ Geographical Sciences Committee, Geospatial Dimensions of Energy Inefficiency and Equity, explored the need for a “global energy system that fairly distributes both the benefits and costs of energy services, and one that contributes to more representative and inclusive energy decision-making.”

She discussed the high energy burden experienced by low-income customers, the impact of the coming transition to renewable energy on lower-income people, and the need to include distributional and procedural equity in all steps of the process.

“Now is the time to ensure that our future is powered by clean energy that benefits all,” she said.

Brown is an international leader in clean energy policy known for her pioneering work developing economic-engineering models incorporating behavioral and social science principles into policy analysis of energy systems. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in April. She also is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.