Prof. Christoph H. Stefes, PhD

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Prof. Christoph H. Stefes, PhD

Senior Associate
Professor (University of Colorado)

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Professor Christoph H. Stefes, PhD is a Senior Associate at Ecologic Institute. His areas of expertise include the politics of renewable energy development in the United States and Germany as well as transatlantic relations concerning climate and environmental politics. Furthermore, he specialises in political and economic developments in the former Soviet Union, the European Neighborhood Policy, energy and environmental politics in the Caspian region and the connection between climate change and international security. Christoph H. Stefes is fluent in German and English, has working knowledge of Dutch and has basic knowledge of French, Russian, and Georgian.

Christoph H. Stefes is an expert on the Caucasian and Central Asian post-Soviet Union states. His research focuses on governance and the detrimental consequences of corruption in this region. Through his research, he has acquired an international reputation for his profound knowledge of the significance of the Caspian region for the European Union’s environmental and energy politics.

In cooperation with Prof. Frank Laird (University of Denver, CO), he analysed the politics of renewable energy development in the United States and Germany. The results of their research have been presented at international conferences and in peer-reviewed articles on both sides of the Atlantic. Their project has also received generous funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Christoph H. Stefes began his academic career as a student of political science and international relations at the University of Tübingen (Germany) and the University of Groningen (The Netherlands). In 1994, he moved on to the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver where he received his MA and PhD in International Studies in 1997 and 2002, respectively. He was subsequently appointed Assistant Professor for Comparative European and Post-Soviet Studies at the University of Colorado (Denver). In 2009, he received tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor.

Christoph H. Stefes has authored and edited several publications. The results of his work on the former Soviet Union have been published in numerous books and journal articles. Among his most important publications are "Understanding Post-Soviet Transitions. Corruption, Collusion and Clientelism" (Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006) and "The Politics of Transition in Central Asia and the Caucasus - Enduring Legacies and Emerging Challenges" (London and New York: Routledge, 2009).

A comprehensive list of his publications [pdf, 89 KB] can be downloaded.

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Recent content by Prof. Christoph H. Stefes, PhD

Project
 
The program "Bridging Global Divides" provides students from the University of Colorado Denver with the opportunity to spend three months in Berlin, while studying relevant contemporary issues such as the ecological crisis, the politics of injustice, international politics, and dictatorships.

Berlin – Bridging Global Divides

Semester Abroad Program with the CU Denver

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Project
 
Ecologic Institute, together with partners, will develop recommendations on how environmental offences can be better prevented in Germany through deterrent sanctions. The project first investigates at a theoretical level under which conditions a certain sanction, such as a prison sentence, has a deterrent effect against environmental law violations. These theoretical considerations are substantiated by means of case studies on illegal waste disposal and disposal of waste by ships on the sea. On this basis, the research team will develop recommendations for policies as well as practical measures to improve enforcement.

Criminal and other Sanctions in Environmental Law

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Publication:Report
 
A 2018 report co-published by Interpol estimates the annual turnover generated by environmental crime at 110 - 281 billion US dollars. Environmental crime causes significant damage to the environment and public health. This report presents insights on environmental criminal law and its application in Germany. It is the result of a research project carried out by Ecologic Institute for the German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt). The report is available for download.

Status quo und Weiterentwicklung des Umweltstrafrechts und anderer Sanktionen

Instrumente zur Verbesserung der Befolgung von Umweltrecht (Compliance)

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Project
 
The illegal pollution of soil, water, and air, the illegal trade in protected species or the illegal shipment of waste abroad – these are different forms of environmental crime. Environmental crime has many negative consequences. Its environmental impacts range from the destruction of forests to the pollution of water, soil, and air and even to species extinction. Moreover, many types of environmental crime also affect human health, and organised forms of environmental crime undermine state structures and sustainable development.

Environmental Criminal Law: Status quo and Further Development

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Publication:Book
 
The edited volume, Fighting Environmental Crime in Europe and Beyond: The Role of the EU and Its Member States, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in March 2017. The edited volume sums up the findings of EFFACE, a multi-disciplinary and international research project on environmental crime in Europe, funded by the European Union (EU). "European Union Action to Fight Environmental Crime" (EFFACE) was a 40-month research project that included eleven European research institutions and think tanks and was led by Ecologic Institute Berlin. The edited volume consists of six case studies conducted during the project on different types of environmental crime.

Fighting Environmental Crime in Europe and Beyond

The Role of the EU and Its Member States

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Publication:Book
 
This book, edited by Professor Carol Hager, Ph.D. and Ecologic Institute's Associate Professor Christoph H. Stefes, Ph.D. analyzes Germany's path-breaking Energiewende, the country's transition from an energy system based on fossil and nuclear fuels to a sustainable energy system based on renewables. The authors explain Germany's commitment to a renewable energy transition on multiple levels of governance, from the local to the European, focusing on the sources of institutional change that made the transition possible. They then place the German case in international context through comparative case studies of energy transitions in the USA, China, and Japan. These chapters highlight the multifaceted challenges, and the enormous potential, in different paths to a sustainable energy future. Taken together, they tell the story of one of the most important political, economic, and social undertakings of our time.

Germany's Energy Transition

A Comparative Perspective

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Event:Conference
 
The final conference of the EU-funded research project "European Action to Fight Environmental Crime" (EFFACE) took place on 17 and 18 February 2016 in Brussels. More than 100 participants attended the conference - including representatives of EU institutions, national environmental authorities, police, civil society as well as academic experts on the topic from the EU and beyond. 

Combatting Environmental Crime: Priorities and Opportunities for further EU Action

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Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Visitors Program
 
Where do Canada and Germany stand in the field of energy policy, especially in renewable energies and energy efficiency? Which initiatives and projects are leading the way? Which impact had the Paris Climate Conference (COP 21)? Who is driving development and how can Canada profit from Germany's experiences? These and other questions framed the Canadian-German visitors program that took place from 13 until 17 December 2015 in Berlin and Düsseldorf, focusing on the theme "Energy Policy in Germany." The program hosted 10 stakeholders with professional backgrounds in policy, science and NGO works.

Energy Policy in Germany

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Berlin, Düsseldorf, Germany

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