ETH Zurich's Energy and Technology Policy Group (EPG) is looking for a postdoc working on technologies and policies for carbon dioxide removal. Led by Prof. Dr. Tobias Schmidt and Dr. Bjarne Steffen, EPG is an interdisciplinary research group investigating options for public policy and for private actors to accelerate investments in new low-carbon technologies, particularly in the broader energy sector.
Project backgroundMeeting the Paris Agreement's target of limiting global warming to well below 2°C requires a deep decarbonization of energy systems. At the same time, carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is needed to balance residual emissions on the path to net zero and to manage overshoot through net-negative CO2 removals. Since about four years, our group studies the potential contribution of CDR technologies to climate action, particularly concerning the cost reduction potential with increasing deployment, and the design of public policies for CDR. Our highly visible research informs the global modeling community and policymakers on the Swiss and European level. Now, we are seeking a postdoc to expand our interdisciplinary work on the matter, collaborating with our team and an outstanding CDR ecosystem at ETH Zurich and in Switzerland more generally.
The research will be part of the recently established SWEET ACHIEVE consortium, which - among others - aims to assess the potential for CO2 removal from the atmosphere in Switzerland and globally.
Job description - The research will focus on the cost and deployment potential for a broad range of CDR technologies and solutions that are relevant in a Swiss and European context, including direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), enhanced rock weathering (ERW), biochar, and biomass sinking.
- Depending on the candidate's interest, there is some flexibility concerning technological or regional foci. The project also provides the opportunity to collaborate. with integrated assessment modelers, and to employ mixed-method (quant and qual) research designs.
Profile - PhD degree (or close to finishing their PhD) in a relevant field, including (but not limited to): (industrial) engineering, environmental sciences, public policy, economics, business. Interdisciplinary candidates are welcome.
- Some previous work on CDR is clearly an asset, though we are also open to candidates that are very interested in working on CDR but have focused on different technologies or climate solutions before.
- You should be dedicated to scientifically rigorous work that is also relevant to decision makers in the public and private sectors.
- Your working style is team-oriented, and you are highly proficient in English.
We offerWe offer an entrepreneurial research atmosphere within a dynamic team at continental Europe's leading research university. Candidates will have the opportunity to contribute to EPG's research agenda and are encouraged to co-advice master's students and potentially doctoral students. As a member of ETH's Albert Einstein School of Public Policy and ETH's Energy Science Center, our group benefits from frequent interactions with leading scholars in other energy- and policy-related fields. Furthermore, we collaborate with other national and international academic and policy institutions (e.g., CMCC, the MIT, Princeton University, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and the World Economic Forum). The starting date is negotiable, preferred in Q1 2026. The position is initially for two years, and based in Zurich, Switzerland, where our offices are located very centrally. The salary is very competitive, and the position offers excellent opportunities to develop an academic career.
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