On July 14th, the Center for Food Studies at 91直播 of Rome (AUR), in partnership with the Harvard Club of Italy (HCI), welcomed Harvard alumni for a special evening of dialogue and exchange in the university鈥檚 garden courtyard. The event featured a timely and insightful conversation with Professor Robert Stavins, A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy & Economic Development at Harvard Kennedy School and Director of Graduate Studies for Harvard鈥檚 doctoral programs in Public Policy and in Political Economy and Government.
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Moderated by Dr. Fabio Filocamo, President of the Harvard Club of Italy, and Dr. Maria Grazia Quieti, HCI Vice-President and Director of AUR鈥檚 Master in Food Studies, the evening explored urgent global challenges through the lens of climate policy, economics, and international cooperation.
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Professor Stavins offered an economist鈥檚 perspective on climate change, framing it as a quintessential global commons problem. Because greenhouse gases disperse in the atmosphere, the environmental costs of emissions are borne collectively鈥攔egardless of where they originate. This dynamic, he explained, creates a major policy dilemma: while the benefits of mitigation are shared globally, the costs are typically incurred locally, deterring national action.
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He identified short-term political cycles as a key barrier to climate action, noting that elected officials often struggle to justify investments with long-term payoffs. Climate change, he emphasized, remains one of the most intractable political challenges of our time鈥攐ne that can only be addressed through sustained international cooperation.
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Highlighting a path forward, Professor Stavins expressed cautious optimism about the Paris Agreement鈥檚 鈥渂ottom-up鈥� architecture, specifically the role of Nationally Determined Contributions. While imperfect, this framework empowers countries to tailor their climate commitments, offering a practical, if complex, route to coordinated global action.
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The evening concluded with lively conversation and connection among alumni.
This event exemplifies the Center for Food Studies鈥� mission to convene international voices and foster dialogue around the most pressing questions shaping our collective future. By bridging disciplines and communities - from climate economics to food systems - the Center serves as a vital platform for critical inquiry and engaged citizenship.