Dr Robert Brecha
Visiting Scientist
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Robert works at the interface of climate science and policy which includes advancing Climate Analytics’ modelling capacities and tools and supporting in the design of the organisational development strategy.
Robert is a highly experienced scientist, trained as a physicist, with a long track record as professor with a focus on sustainability, energy and climate change mitigation. His research publications focus on energy efficiency in buildings, climate change mitigation strategies, fossil-fuel resource limits, integration of fluctuating renewable energy sources and energy needs for sustainable development. At the University of Dayton, he is a Professor of Physics and a faculty member in the Renewable and Clean Energy Program. He was founding coordinator of the Sustainability, Energy and the Environment (SEE) minor from 2007 – 2015, and from 2006-2017 was a regular visiting scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Since 2018 he has been with Climate Analytics as a visiting scientist and from June to December 2018 served as interim head of energy modeling.
Blog posts
- Ocean thermal energy conversion – what is it and what role could it play for Small Island States in the Caribbean? Robert Brecha, 21 June 2021
- How West Africa can expand power supply and meet climate goals Bob Brecha, Sebastian Sterl, 05 June 2020
- Not even the bare minimum: unpacking Germany's 2030 climate package Robert Brecha, Bill Hare, Carl–Friedrich Schleussner, Andrzej Ancygier, 11 October 2019
- Centred on science – how the IPCC can guide mitigation action Michiel Schaeffer, Ursula Fuentes Hutfilter, Robert Brecha, Claire Fyson, Bill Hare, 12 April 2019
- A Green New Deal in the United States – fantasy or necessity? Robert Brecha, 25 March 2019
- Stayin' alive: heatwave makes searing case for 1.5°C Claire Fyson, Fahad Saeed, Robert Brecha, Peter Pfleiderer, Quentin Lejeune, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, 15 August 2018
Publications
- Peer reviewed
- Institutional decarbonisation scenarios evaluated against the Paris Agreement 1.5°C goal Robert Brecha, Gaurav Ganti, Robin D. Lamboll, Zebedee Nicholls, Bill Hare, Jared Lewis, Malte Meinshausen, Michiel Schaeffer, Christopher J. Smith, Matthew J. Gidden, Nature Communications, (2022)
- Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion — Flexible Enabling Technology for Variable Renewable Energy Integration in the Caribbean Robert Brecha, Katherine Schoenenberger, Masaō Ashtine, Randy Koon Koon, Energies, (2021)
- Decarbonization of Australia’s Energy System: Integrated Modeling of the Transformation of Electricity, Transportation, and Industrial Sectors Tina Aboumahboub, Robert J. Brecha, Himalaya Shrestha, Ursula Fuentes, Andreas Geiges, Bill Hare, Michiel Schaefer, Lara Welder, Matthew Gidden (2020)
- Smart renewable electricity portfolios in West Africa Sebastian Sterl, Inne Vanderkelen, Celray James Chawanda, Daniel Russo, Robert J. Brecha, Ann van Griensven, Nicole P. M. van Lipzig & Wim Thiery , Nature Sustainability, (2020)
- Electricity Access Threshold for Meeting Non-Energy SDG Targets Robert Brecha (2019)
- Towards optimal 1.5° and 2 °C emission pathways for individual countries: A Finland case study Fabio Sferra, Mario Krapp, Niklas Roming, Michiel Schaeffer, Aman Malik, Bill Hare, Robert Brecha, Energy Policy, (2019)
- Threshold Electricity Consumption Enables Multiple Sustainable Development Goals Robert J. Brecha (2019)
- Briefing papers
- Long-term strategies in SIDS: blueprints for decarbonised and resilient 1.5°C compatible economies Marie-Camille Attard, Robert Brecha, Claire Fyson, Jae Kim, Jan Sindt, Frances Fuller, Damon Jones (2021)
- How do we limit warming to 1.5°C: informing the Talanoa Dialogue question, “How do we get there?” (2018)
- Integrated Assessment Models: what are they and how do they arrive at their conclusions? Bill Hare, Robert Brecha, Michiel Schaeffer (2018)
- Reports
- Antigua and Barbuda's national greenhouse gas reduction report Dr Robert Brecha, Shweta Movalia, Frances Fuller, and Dr Jan Sindt (2020)
- A 1.5°C Compatible Carbon Budget for Western Australia Ursula Fuentes Hutfilter, Bill Hare, Anna Chapman, Ryan Wilson, Tina Aboumahboub, Himalaya Shrestha, Robert Brecha, Michiel Schaefer. Graphic design: Matt Beer (2019)
- Global and regional coal phase-out requirements of the Paris Agreement: Insights from the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C Paola A. Yanguas Parra, Gaurav Ganti, Robert Brecha, Bill Hare, Michiel Schaeffer, Ursula Fuentes (2019)
- Decarbonising South Asia and South East Asia Ursula Fuentes Hutfilter, Paola Yanguas Parra, Anne Zimmer, Andrzej Ancygier, Fahad Saeed, Robert Brecha, Bill Hare, Jessie Granadillos, Tina Aboumahboub, Gaurav Ganti, Ilsa Kelischek, Raghuveer Vyas, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, Michiel Schaeffer (2019)
- Insights from the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C for preparation of long-term strategies Michiel Schaeffer, Ursula Fuentes Hutfilter, Robert Brecha, Claire Fyson, Bill Hare (2019)
- Climate Action Tracker Reports and Updates
- Scaling up Climate Action in Australia Ursula Fuentes, Bill Hare, Anna Chapman, Tina Aboumahboub, Himalaya Bir Shrestha, Anne Zimmer, Charlotte Plinke, Michiel Schaefer, Bob Brecha, Matt Gidden. Graphic design: Matt Beer (2020)
- Transformation points - Achieving the speed and scale required for full decarbonisation Yannick Monschauer, Thibaud Lemercier, Yvonne Deng, Lisa Luna, Niklas Höhne, Robert Brecha, Jasmin Cantzler, Gaurav Ganti, Michiel Schaeffer, Ursula Fuentes HutfilterClimate Action Tracker, (2019)
- Scaling up climate action in the European Union: Key opportunities for transitioning to a zero emissions society Andrzej Ancygier, Tina Aboumahboub, Anne Zimmer, Ursula Fuentes Hutfilter, Robert Brecha, Michiel Schaefer, Bill Hare, Matt Beer, Frederic Hans, Hanna Fekete, Keno Riechers, Takeshi Kuramochi, Niklas Höhne, Nicolas Fux, Thibaud Lemercier, Tom Berg, Yvonne Deng, Kornelis Blok (2018)