Ebba Mark Attends Lindau Nobel Meeting

• Oxford's Ebba Mark was one of 300 young scientists invited to attend the 8th Lindau Nobel Meeting in Economic Sciences;
• Week-long event provided the opportunity to exchange ideas with 20 Nobel Prize winners;
• Meetings focused on the fragility of financial systems, new approaches to climate policies, as well as political/administrative institutions and development.

Oxford Economist Ebba Mark has attended the 8th Lindau Nobel Meeting in Economic Sciences in Germany - an invitation-only event that brought together 20 Nobel prize winners with the next generation of leading young scientists from across the world.

Ebba, whose research investigates the interaction between forces of economic transformation and socioeconomic inequalities, was one of 300 young scientists invited to participate in the programme.

Held between 26th and 30th August 2025 on the island of Lindau, the programme consisted of Laureate lectures, presentations by young scientists, panel discussions, lunch/walk/coffee/office hour exchange sessions with the laureates, a Bavarian Night dinner, and a Boat Trip to Mainau Island.  

It began with an opening ceremony featuring the induction of Mario Draghi to the Honorary Senate of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings by José Manuel Barroso, and concluded with a Panel Discussion on the most recent Economics Prize: “Institutions and Development: Good for a Few or Empowering the Many?”

New approaches to climate policies

Participants in the 8th Lindau Nobel Meeting focused on addressing pressing global challenges, including: research and innovation in a tripolar world, the fragility of financial systems, new approaches to climate policies and international cooperation, as well as political/administrative institutions and development.

Ebba’s own research on climate policy made a contribution to these themes and discussions.  

In 2024, Ebba and colleagues at Climate Econometrics and PIK, analysed the effectiveness of nearly 1,500 climate policies using a methodology developed by Climate Econometrics at The Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School (INET Oxford).

The results were sobering: Across four sectors, 41 countries, two decades and 1,500 policies, only 63 successful policy interventions with large effects were identified, which reduced total emissions between 0.6 and 1.8 Gt CO2.  However the authors said the good news was that policymakers could learn from the 63 effective cases where climate policies had led to meaningful reductions to get back on track.

‘Exceptional expertise and genuine passion’

Countess Bettina Bernadotte, President of the Council, said that the 8th Lindau Nobel Meeting meeting had been a success.  “This year’s Meetings have demonstrated once again the exceptional expertise and genuine passion of our participants. With such outstanding accomplishments as a basis, we approach 2026 and the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting with great anticipation”, she said.

Professor Jürgen Kluge, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings said: “The discussions in Lindau this summer have illustrated the profound importance of scientific collaboration for society. This exceptional opportunity for dialogue on pressing scientific issues reaffirms the lasting importance of connecting generations of scientists. We are especially grateful to all the Nobel Laureates and to our many supporters, such as Mario Draghi and José Manuel Barroso, who make a Meeting like ours possible.” 

Ebba Mark noted many highlights from the week, including discussions with Roger Myerson, Simon Johnson, Christopher Pissarides and James Heckman.  “It was particularly enlightening to hear the laureates’ reflections on how their contributions to the economic canon have influenced economic realities, for both good and bad. This openness fostered discussion about the bi- (not uni-) directional relationship between society and academia and how the next generation of economists can build constructively and responsibly on this legacy.”

Ebba’s participation was facilitated by Climate Econometrics, the Calleva Research Centre at Magdalen College, Sir David Hendry and Stefania Innocenti.

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