Paul Behrens
Associate professor
- Name
- Dr. P.A. Behrens
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 2727
- p.a.behrens@cml.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0002-2935-4799
Paul Behrens is an author and Associate Professor at Leiden University. His popular science book, The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science(Indigo Press, 2020) describes humanity’s current trajectory and possible futures in paired chapters of pessimism and hope, on topics including the economy, energy, land and food. He outlines just how much is to be done to achieve a hopeful future, but how this scenario would involve actively building a healthier, happier and more fulfilling world. He is an author and editor of Food and Sustainability an interdisciplinary textbook with colleagues for Oxford University Press. His research and writing focusses on the areas causing most of the problems: energy, food and economic systems. His research and writing has appeared in scientific journals and media outlets such as the BBC, Thomson Reuters, Politico, Nature Sustainability, Nature Energy, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,Nature Food and Nature Communications. Paul won Leiden University’s Discoverer of the year in 2018, the Stan’s award for best outreach 2021, and International Champion in the Frontiers Planet Prize in 2023
More information about Paul Behrens
PhD candidates
News
-
Five questions for Thijs Bosker about Local Actions -
'Society would flourish with new farming styles’ -
Academics requesting retraction of FAO report that misrepresents their research -
How EU farm subsidies favour high-emission animal products -
No hunger, and not too much global warming? Current UN plan misses opportunities -
Global problems, local actions: Leiden professors help teachers, students and citizens to engage with environmental issues -
Transition from fossil to clean energy will reduce global mining activities -
How polluting buildings and machinery make rich countries ever richer -
Sustainability prize for research into the effects of a plant-based diet -
‘Fundamentals’ inspire students to get started on real-life sustainability challenges -
Electric car batteries can help drive the clean electricity transition -
Changing our diet would help absorb global food shocks, such as during the Russia-Ukraine conflict -
Urgent shifts in building practices are needed to tackle the global sand crisis -
National Meat Free Week: the main reasons to switch to a plant-based diet -
How plant-based diets not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also increase carbon capture -
Paul Behrens’ book on climate change launched in the US -
Building materials drive carbon emissions, and they’re set to grow -
Study confirms: burning coal in Bulgaria causes water stress -
'Climate issues and sustainability should be part of every study programme' -
Thijs Bosker and Paul Behrens receive funding to develop Local Actions - set -
Climate change: between hope and pessimism
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Tsinghua and Leiden researchers find that China is crucial for realising a circular economy -
Dietary guidelines in these six countries are a win-win-win for nutrition, environment, and animals -
Discoverer of the Year Paul Behrens: ‘We’re running out of time’ -
Cucurachi, Behrens and Matthee are teacher, discoverer, and PhD candidate of 2018 -
Dr. Paul Behrens nominated for ''Science Discoverer of the Year'' Award -
Media on sustainable energy space uptake -
Transition to renewable energy requires more space - but it will be much cleaner
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Media on environmental impact of food research by Paul Behrens -
How a nationally recommended diet can improve the environment -
Paul Behrens in international media with warning climate change -
Climate change poses threat to European electricity production -
Interview Mare: Microplastics are everywhere, we don't know yet if that does no harm -
Dr. Kiefte-de Jong and Dr. Bosker, Assistant Professors at LUC, both awarded LUF Awards
Science Commentary
Former PhD candidates
Biography
Paul Behrens is an author and academic in environmental change at Leiden University. His popular science book The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science (Indigo Press, 2020) describes humanity’s possible futures in paired chapters of pessimism and hope is now available. He wrote Food and Sustainability a transdisciplinary textbook with colleagues with Oxford University Press. His research on food, energy and climate change has appeared in leading scientific journals and in 2018 he was awarded Leiden University’s Discoverer of the Year. His research and writing has appeared in scientific journals and media outlets such as the BBC, Thomson Reuters, Politico, Nature Sustainability, Nature Energy, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Food and Nature Communications. Paul won Leiden University’s Discoverer of the year in 2018, the Stan’s award for best outreach 2021, and International Champion in the Frontiers Planet Prize in 2023.
Paul is a physicist by training, his Ph.D. is from the University of Auckland (New Zealand), where he developed techniques for improving wind energy generation in mountainous terrain. Paul has worked in industry, NGOs, and academia. He has worked at the Royal Society of New Zealand, providing expert scientific advice to the New Zealand Government on environmental sustainability and other topics.
Academic Expertise:
- Energy systems, Food systems and climate change
- Environmental economics
- Environmentally-extended Input-output modelling
- Renewable energy technologies
- Energy policy
- Science communication
- Physics
Courses:
- Energy Science
- Alternative Energy Strategies
- Physics
- Statistics
- Sustainability
- Mathematics
- Research design
Associate professor
- Faculty of Science
- Institute of Environmental Sciences
- CML/Industrial ecology
- Blanco Rocha C.F., Behrens P.A., Vijver M.G., Peijnenburg W.J.G.M., Quik J. & Cucurachi S. (2025), A framework for guiding safe and sustainable‐by‐design innovation, Journal of Industrial Ecology 29(1): 47-65.
- Taherzadeh O.A., Schoorlemmer A.A.M., Behrens P.A., Bruckner M. & Caik H. (2025), Mapping high-impact groups across dietary sustainability and nutrition. Research Square. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. [working paper].
- Blanco Rocha C.F., Quik J.T.K., Hof M., Fuortes A., Behrens P.A., Cucurachi S., Peijnenburg W.J.G.M., Dimroth F. & Vijver M.G. (2024), A prospective ecological risk assessment of high-efficiency III–V/silicon tandem solar cells, Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 26(3): 540-554.
- Behrens P.A., Scherer L.A., Wang R., Yi J., Drews M., Larsen M.A.D. & Schaible C. (2024), Enforcing and improving water data reporting in the energy system is urgently needed, Next Energy 2: 100102 (100102).
- Engelenburg M. van, Deetman S.P., Fishman T., Behrens P.A. & Voet E. van der (2024), TRIPI: a global dataset and codebase of the total resources in physical infrastructure encompassing road, rail, and parking, Data in Brief 54: 110387.
- Pérez-Sánchez L.À., Fishman T. & Behrens P.A. (2024), Undoing the lock-in of suburban sprawl: towards an integrated modelling of materials and emissions in buildings and vehicles, Journal of Cleaner Production 451: 141954.
- Kortleve A.J., Harwatt H., Mogollón J.M. & Behrens P. (2024), Over 80% of the EU’s farming subsidies support emissions-intensive animal products – new study, The Conversation : .
- Jansen G.A.J., Wang R., Behrens P. & Hoekstra R. (2024), Beyond GDP: a review and conceptual framework for measuring sustainable and inclusive wellbeing, The Lancet 8(9): e695 - e705.
- Liu K., Wang R., Behrens P.A., Schrijver I.M., Jansen G.A.J., Rum I.A. & Hoekstra R. (2024), A comprehensive Beyond-GDP database to accelerate wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainability research, Scientific Data 11: 1166.
- Kortleve A.J., Mogollón J.M., Harwatt H. & Behrens P.A. (2024), Over 80% of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy supports emissions-intensive animal products, Nature Food 5: 288-292.
- Coudard A., Sun Z., Behrens P.A. & Mogollón J.M. (2024), The global environmental benefits of halving avoidable consumer food waste, Environmental Science and Technology 58(31): 13707-13716.
- Zhang Y., Dang M., Chu C., Behrens P., Berrill P., Zhong X., Jing R., Lei N., Jia H., Zhang L., Shao C., Masanet E., Ju M., Liu L., Chen W. & Cao Z. (2024), The climate opportunities and risks of improving building envelopes across 1,677 Chinese cities, Cell Reports Sustainability 1(12): 13 (100269).
- Verkuijl C., Dutkiewicz J., Scherer L., Behrens P., Lazarus M., Hötzel M.J., Nordquist R. & Hayek M. (2024), FAO's 1.5°C roadmap for food systems falls short, Nature Food 5: 264-266.
- Wang R., Hertwich E.G., Fishman T., Deetman S.P., Behrens P.A., Chen W., Koning A. de, Xu M., Matus K., Ward H., Tukker A. & Zimmerman J.B. (2023), The legacy environmental footprints of manufactured capital, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120(24): e2218828120.
- Zhao Z., Ding X., Behrens P.A., Li J., He M., Gao Y., Liu G., Xu B. & Chen D. (2023), The importance of flexible hydropower in providing electricity stability during China’s coal phase-out, Applied Energy 336: 120684.
- Zhao Z., Ding X., Behren P.A., Li J., He M., Gao Y., Liu G., Xu B. & Chen D. (2023), Corrigendum to “The importance of flexible hydropower in providing electricity stability during China’s coal phase-out” [Appl. Energy 336 (2023) 120684], Applied Energy 344: 121310.
- Yuang R., Rodrigues J.F.D., Wang J. & Behrens P.A. (2023), The short-term impact of US-China trade war on global GHG emissions from the perspective of supply chain reallocation, Environmental Impact Assessment Review 98: 106980.
- Tukker A., Behrens P., Deetman S.P., Hu M., Migoni Alejandre E., Meide M. van der, Zhong X. & Zhang C. (2023), Circular construction: six key recommendations, One Earth 6: 1425-1429.
- Jiang M., Behrens P.A., Lyu L., Tang Z., Chen D., Cao Y., Gong Pu., Zhou W., Yang Y., Tukker A., Hertwich E. & Zhu B. (2023), Additional north-south differences in China revealed by the Planetary Pressure-adjusted Human Development Index, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 198: 107191.
- Wang R., Hertwich E.G., Fishman T., Deetman S.P., Behrens P.A., Chen W., Koning A. de, Xu M., Matus K., Ward H., Tukker A. & Zimmerman J.B. (2023), The legacy environmental footprints of manufactured capital, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120(24): e2218828120.
- Nijnens J., Behrens P.A., Kraan O., Sprecher B. & Kleijn E.G.M. (2023), Energy transition will require substantially less mining than the current fossil system, Joule 7(11): 2408-2413.
- Xu C., Behrens P.A., Gasper P., Smith K., Hu M., Tukker A. & Steubing B.R.P. (2023), Electric vehicle batteries alone could satisfy short-term grid storage demand by as early as 2030, Nature Communications 14: 119.
- Yuan R., Dias Rodrigues J.F., Wang J., Tukker A. & Behrens P.A. (2022), A global overview of developments of urban and rural household GHG footprints from 2005 to 2015, Science of the Total Environment 806(Part 2): 150695.
- Sun Z., Scherer L.A., Tukker A., Spawn-lee S.A., Bruckner M., Gibbs H.K. & Behrens P.A. (2022), Dietary change in high-income nations alone can lead to substantial double climate dividend, Nature Food 3: 29-37.
- Sun Z., Behrens P.A., Tukker A., Bruckner M. & Scherer L.A. (2022), Shared and environmentally just responsibility for global biodiversity loss, Ecological Economics 194: 107339.
- Jin Y., Behrens P.A., Tukker A. & Scherer L.A. (2022), Biodiversity loss from freshwater use for China’s electricity generation, Environmental Science and Technology 56(5): 3277-3287.
- Jin Y., Scherer L.A., Sutanudjaja E.H., Tukker A. & Behrens P.A. (2022), Climate change and CCS increase the water vulnerability of China's thermoelectric power fleet, Energy 245: 123339.
- Behrens P.A. & Briggs H. (2022), Veg diet plus re-wilding gives 'double climate dividend', .
- Zhong X., Deetman S.P., Tukker A. & Behrens P.A. (2022), Increasing material efficiencies of buildings to address the global sand crisis, Nature Sustainability 5: 389-392.
- Sun Z., Behrens P.A., Tukker A., Bruckner M. & Scherer L.A. (2022), Global human consumption threatens key biodiversity areas, Environmental Science and Technology 56(12): 9003-9014.
- Sun Z., Scherer L., Zhang Q. & Behrens P.A. (2022), Adoption of plant-based diets across Europe can improve food resilience against the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Nature Food 3(11): 905-910.
- Menacho A.J.H., Rodrigues J.F.D. & Behrens P.A. (2022), A triple bottom line assessment of concentrated solar power generation in China and Europe 2020-2050, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 167: 112677.
- Rong Y., Dias Rodrigues J.F., Tukker A. & Behrens P.A. (2022), The statistical projection of global GHG emissions from a consumption perspective, Sustainable Production and Consumption 34: 318-329.
- Jiang M., Behrens P.A., Yang Y.H., Tang Z.P., Chen D.J., Yu Y.D., Liu L., Gong P., Zhu S.J., Zhou W.J., Zhu B. & Tukker A. (2022), Different material footprint trends between China and the world in 2007-2012 explained by construction- and manufacturing-associated investment, One Earth 5(1): 109-119.
- Zhong X., Hu M., Deetman S.P., Dias Rodrigues J.F., Lin H., Tukker A. & Behrens P.A. (2021), The evolution and future perspectives of energy intensity in the global building sector 1971–2060, Journal of Cleaner Production 305: 127098.
- Zhong X., Hu M., Deetman S.P., Steubing B.R.P., Lin H., Aguilar Hernandez G.A., Harpprecht C.I., Zhang C., Tukker A. & Behrens P.A. (2021), Global greenhouse gas emissions from residential and commercial building materials and mitigation strategies to 2060, Nature Communications 12: 6126.
- Yang Z., Sun G., Behrens P.A., Ostergaard P.A., Egusquiza M., Egusquiza E., Xu B., Chen D. & Patelli E. (2021), The potential for photovoltaic-powered pumped-hydro systems to reduce emissions, costs, and energy insecurity in rural China, Energy Conversion and Management: X 11: 100108.
- Xu B., Zhang J., Egusquiza M., Chen D., Li F., Behrens P.A. & Egusquiza E. (2021), A review of dynamic models and stability analysis for a hydro-turbine governing system, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 144: 110880.
- Jin Y., Behrens P.A., Tukker A. & Scherer L. (2021), The energy-water nexus of China’s interprovincial and seasonal electric power transmission, Applied Energy 286: 116493.
- Bamberger M., Behrens P.A. & Scherer L. (2021), Environmental impacts of the nutrition transition and potential hunger eradication in emerging countries, Sustainability Science 16: 565-579.
- Sun Z., Scherer L., Tukker A. & Behrens P.A. (2020), Linking global crop and livestock consumption to local production hotspots, Global Food Security 25: 100323.
- Behrens P.A., Bosker T. & Ehrhardt D.W.L. (2020), Food and Sustainability. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Usubiaga-Liaño A., Behrens P. & Daioglou V. (2020), Energy use in the global food system, Journal of Industrial Ecology 24(4): 830-840.
- Behrens P.A. & Niles M. (2020), Climate Change. In: Behrens P.A., Bosker T. & Ehrhardt D.W.L. (Eds.), Food and Sustainability: Oxford University Press.
- Behrens P.A. (2020), Energy. In: Behrens P.A., Bosker T. & Ehrhardt D.W.L. (Eds.), Food and Sustainability. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Kiefte J.C. & Behrens P.A. (2020), Nutrition. In: Behrens P.A., Bosker T. & Ehrhardt D.W.L. (Eds.), Food and Sustainability. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Behrens P.A., Bosker T. & Ehrhardt D.W.L. (2020), Summary: a view towards the future. In: Behrens P.A., Bosker T. & Ehrhardt D.W.L. (Eds.), Food and sustainability. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 364.
- Behrens P.A. (2020), The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science. London: The Indigo Press.
- Ottelin J. Cetinay H. Behrens P.A. (2020), Rebound effects may jeopardize the resource savings of circular consumption: evidence from household material footprints, Environmental Research Letters 15(10): 104044.
- Jiang M., Liu L., Behrens P.A., Wang T., Tang Z., Chen D., Yu Y., Ren Z., Zhu S., Tukker A. & Zhu B. (2020), Improving subnational input-output analyses using regional trade data: a case-study and comparison, Environmental Science and Technology 54(19): 12732-12741.
- Rodrigues J.F.D. Wang J. Behrens P.A. Boer P. de (2020), Drivers of CO2 emissions from electricity generation in the European Union 2000–2015, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 133: 110104.
- Qian Y. Scherer L.A. Tukker A. Behrens P.A. (2020), China's potential SO2 emissions from coal by 2050, Energy Policy 147: 111856.
- Bosker T., Bouwman L.J., Brun N.R., Behrens P. & Vijver M.G. (2019), Microplastics accumulate on pores in seed capsule and delay germination and root growth of the terrestrial vascular plant Lepidium sativum, Chemosphere 226: 774-781.
- Scherer L.A., Behrens P.A. & Tukker A. (2019), Opportunity for a Dietary Win-Win-Win in Nutrition, Environment, and Animal Welfare, One Earth 1(3): 349-360.
- Jiang M., Behrens P.A., Wang T., Tang Z., Yu Y., Chen D., Liu L., Ren Z., Zhou W., Zhu S., He C., Tukker A. & Zhu B. (2019), Provincial and sector-level material footprints in China, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(52): 26484-26490.
- Jin Y., Behrens P.A., Tukker A. & Scherer L.A. (2019), Water use of electricity technologies: A global meta-analysis, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 115: 1364-0321.
- Wang J., Dias Rodrigues J.F., Hu M., Behrens P.A. & Tukker A. (2019), The evolution of Chinese industrial CO2 emissions 2000–2050: A review and meta-analysis of historical drivers, projections and policy goals, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 116: 1364-0321.
- Sun Z., Tukker A. & Behrens P.A. (2019), Going global to local: connecting top-down accounting and local impacts, a methodological review of spatially-explicit input-output approaches, Environmental Science and Technology 53(3): 1048–1062.
- Qian Y., Behrens P.A., Tukker A., Dias Rodrigues J.F., Pinke L. & Scherer L.A. (2019), Environmental responsibility for sulfur dioxide emissions and associated biodiversity loss across Chinese provinces, Environmental Pollution 245: 898-908.
- Yuan R., Dias Rodrigues J.F. & Behrens P.A. (2018), Impact of non-fossil electricity on the carbon emissions embodied in China's exports, Journal of Cleaner Production 192: 582-596.
- Yuan R., Behrens P.A. & Dias Rodrigues J.F. (2018), The evolution of inter-sectoral linkages in China's energy-related CO2emissions from 1997 to 2012, Energy Economics 69: 404-417.
- Yuan R., Behrens P.A., Tukker A. & Dias Rodrigues J.F. (2018), Carbon overhead : The impact of the expansion in low-carbon electricity in China 2015 – 2040, Energy Policy 119: 97-104.
- Bauer K., Bosker T., Dirks K.N. & Behrens P.A. (2018), The impact of seating location on black carbon exposure in public transit buses : Implications for vulnerable groups, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 62: 577-583.
- Dias Rodrigues J.F., Moran D., Wood R. & Behrens P.A. (2018), Uncertainty of Consumption-Based Carbon Accounts, Marine Pollution Bulletin 52(13): 7577-7586.
- Bosker T., Guaita L. & Behrens P.A. (2018), Microplastic pollution on Caribbean beaches in the Lesser Antilles, Marine Pollution Bulletin 133: 442-447.
- Yuan R., Dias Rodrigues J.F., Tukker A. & Behrens P. (2018), The impact of the expansion in non-fossil electricity infrastructure on China's carbon emissions, Applied Energy 228: 1994-2008.
- Xu B., Chen D., Behrens P.A., Ye W., Guo P. & Luo X. (2018), Modeling oscillation modal interaction in a hydroelectric generating system, Energy Conversion and Management 174: 208-217.
- Zalk J. van & Behrens P.A. (2018), The spatial extent of renewable and non-renewable power generation: a review and meta-analysis of power densities and their application in the U.S, Energy Policy 123: 83-91.
- Scherer L.A., Behrens P.A., Koning A. de, Heijungs R., Sprecher B. & Tukker A. (2018), Trade-offs between social and environmental Sustainable Development Goals, Environmental Science & Policy 90: 65-72.
- Besley A.P.A., Vijver M.G., Behrens P.A. & Bosker T. (2017), A standardized method for sampling and extraction methods for quantifying microplastics in beach sand, Marine Pollution Bulletin 144(1): 77-83.
- Walsh B.M., Plank S. van der & Behrens P.A. (2017), The effect of community consultation on perceptions of a proposed mine: a case study from southeast Australia, Resources Policy 51: 163-171.
- Bosker T., Behrens P.A. & Vijver M.G. (2017), Determining global distribution of microplastics by combining citizen science and in-depth case studies, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 13(3): 536-541.
- Behrens P.A., Vliet M.T.H. van, Nanninga T., Walsh B. & Rodrigues J.F.D. (2017), Climate change and the vulnerability of electricity generation to water stress in the European Union, Nature Energy 2: 17114.
- Lots F.A.E., Behrens P., Vijver M.G., Horton A.A. & Bosker T. (2017), A large-scale investigation of microplastic contamination: Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in European beach sediment, Marine Pollution Bulletin 123(1-2): 219-226.
- Behrens P.A., Kiefte-de Jong J.C., Bosker T., Dias Rodrigues J.F., Koning A. de & Tukker A. (2017), Evaluating the environmental impacts of dietary recommendations, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114(51): 13412-13417.
- Plank S van der, Walsh B. & Behrens P.A. (2016), The expected impacts of mining: Stakeholder perceptions of a proposed mineral sands mine in rural Australia, Resources Policy 48: 129-136.
- Behrens P.A., Rodrigues J.D.F., Bras T. & Silva C. (2016), Environmental, economic, and social impacts of feed-in tariffs: A Portuguese perspective 2000–2010, Applied Energy 173(2016): 309–319.
- Behrens P. (27 September 2016), The Remote Sensing of Wind in Complex Terrain (Dissertatie, Physics, Auckland University). Supervisor(s): Bradley Stuart.
- Behrens P. (2014), Developing baseline data and monitoring mechanisms for tracking progress towards a smarter grid in New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment.
- Behrens P. (2013), Languages in Aotearoa New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: Royal Society of New Zealand.
- Behrens P.A., O'Sullivan J., Archer R. & Bradley S. (2012), Underestimation of Monostatic Sodar Measurements in Complex Terrain, Boundary-Layer Meteorology 143(1): 97-106.
- Behrens P. (2012), Consultation on the 1996 HSNO Act. Wellington, New Zealand: Royal Society of New Zealand.
- Bradley Stuart, Perrott Yvette, Behrens Paul & Oldroyd Andy (2012), Corrections for Wind-Speed Errors from Sodar and Lidar in Complex Terrain, Boundary-Layer Meteorology 143(1): 37-48.
- Behrens Paul, Bradley Stuart & Wiens Travis (2010), A Multisodar Approach to Wind Profiling, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 27(7): 1165-1174.
- Wiens T. & Behrens P. (2009), Turbulent flow sensing using acoustic tomography. International Congress and Exposition on Noise Control Engineering.
- Behrens P. & Bradley S. (2008), A scanning bi-static SODAR. 14th International Symposium of Boundary Layer Remote Sensing.