WASHINGTON, Feb 8—David Burwell, an expert on U.S. energy security, transportation, and climate policy, has joined the Carnegie Endowment as director of its Energy and Climate Program. Burwell, who co-founded both the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Surface Transportation Policy Project, will focus on the intersections between energy, transportation and climate issues, and the policies and practice reforms needed to reduce global dependence on fossil fuels.

Making the announcement, Jessica Mathews, president of the Endowment, said:

“I am delighted that David will lead Carnegie’s work on these crucial issues. His considerable reputation of combining analysis and real world impact is badly needed at this important time for U.S. energy and climate policy. As global leaders—particularly the U.S. Congress—face a critical opportunity in the fight against climate change, David’s voice and leadership could not be more important. We look forward to his work not only here in Washington, but also in collaboration with our experts in Moscow, Beijing, Beirut, and Brussels.”

Burwell said:

“The issues of energy security, climate disruption, and dependence on fossil fuels to drive economic growth are presenting leaders with difficult policy choices, both within the United States and throughout the world. There is a pressing need for low-carbon strategies that address these issues, especially through mutual learning and international collaboration. The Carnegie Endowment has a deep bench of experts who bring great experience and insight in this area, as well as a track record of demonstrated success in advancing policy initiatives that yield practical results. I am delighted to be joining their team.”

Burwell comes to Carnegie from the BBG Group, a transportation consulting firm, where he was a principal. A lawyer by training, he also worked for the National Wildlife Federation as director of its Transportation and Infrastructure Program.

###

NOTES

  • David Burwell is director of the Energy and Climate Program at the Carnegie Endowment. His work at Carnegie focuses on the intersection between energy, transportation and climate issues, and policies and practice reforms to reduce global dependence on fossil fuels.

    Before joining Carnegie he was a principal in the BBG Group, a transportation consulting firm that addresses climate, energy, and sustainable transportation policy, with a particular focus on how climate and transportation policies can be better coordinated to promote sustainable development and successful communities. During his career he served as co-founder and CEO of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and as founding co-chair and president of the Surface Transportation Policy Project, a national transportation policy reform coalition. A lawyer by training, he also worked for the National Wildlife Federation as director of its Transportation and Infrastructure Program.

    He has served on the Executive Committee of the National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board (1992–1998), and is presently on the board of advisers of the Institute for Transportation and the Environment at the University of California at Davis. He served in the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa.

  • The Carnegie Energy and Climate Program aims to provide leadership in global energy and climate policy. The Program integrates thinking on energy technology, environmental science, and political economy to reduce risks stemming from global change and competition for scarce resources.
  • Following its century-long practice of changing as global circumstances change, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is undertaking a fundamental redefinition of its role and mission. Carnegie aims to transform itself from a think tank on international issues to the first truly multinational—ultimately global—think tank. The Endowment has added operations in Beijing, Beirut, and Brussels to its existing centers in Washington and Moscow. These five locations include the two centers of world governance and the three places whose political evolution and international policies will most determine the near-term possibilities for international peace and economic advance. More information on the Carnegie Endowment's Global Vision.