Climate Science · Energy Systems · Science Communication
Zeke
Hausfather
I study global temperatures, assess the performance of climate models, explore pathways that take us to net zero, and work to scale durable carbon removal.
About
A scientist at the
edge of the data
I'm a climate scientist focused on how fast the world is warming, how well our models have anticipated it, and what it will take to stop it. At Stripe I lead climate research for Frontier, a $2 billion advance market commitment accelerating permanent carbon removal. At Berkeley Earth I help produce one of the world's primary global surface temperature records, built from five times more station data than most other groups. And at Carbon Brief I analyze and fact-check developments across climate science and energy.
My research spans the evaluation of climate model projections, assessment of future emissions and mitigation scenarios, surface temperature records, ocean heat content, and climate sensitivity among other topics. I'm a lead author of the IPCC Seventh Assessment Report, was a contributing author to the Sixth Assessment Report, authored the climate trends chapter of the Fifth U.S. National Climate Assessment, and have testified as an expert witness before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Alongside the research I write at The Climate Brink and Carbon Brief, and talk regularly with journalists, because the numbers only matter if people can make sense of them.
- Based inOakland, California
- PhDUC Berkeley, Energy & Resources Group
- FocusGlobal temperatures · Climate models · Carbon removal
- RolesIPCC AR7 lead author · AR6 author · NCA5 author · WMO advisory board
Writing
Latest from the desk
Fresh analysis from The Climate Brink and Carbon Brief, plus the running commentary on social. Feeds refresh automatically.
The Climate Brink
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Carbon Brief
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Op-eds & essays
Selected commentary for general audiences- Turns Out Air Pollution Was Good for Something A small, carefully scaled geoengineering program could compensate for the loss of cooling as we eliminate sulfur pollution. with David Keith
- We Study Climate Change. We Can't Explain What We're Seeing. We need more timely updates in response to the rapid changes to the climate. with Gavin Schmidt
- I Study Climate Change. The Data Is Telling Us Something New. There is increasing evidence that global warming has accelerated over the past 15 years rather than continued at a gradual, steady pace.
- We need to reverse climate change, not just stop it Reaching net zero halts the warming, but undoing past damage means removing carbon from the air at scale.
- We need to draw down carbon, not just stop emitting it Carbon removal is no substitute for reducing climate pollution. But it is now a necessary tool to keep temperatures in check. with Jane Flegal
- Let's Not Pretend Planting Trees Is a Permanent Climate Solution Carbon emissions are forever, so carbon removal should be, too.
In the press
Recent media coverage
Selected appearances across print, broadcast, and online, most recent first. Updated automatically.
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Regularly featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, BBC, NPR, The Guardian, Scientific American, Axios, Nature, and Science.
Experience
Where I work
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2022–now
Climate Research Lead
StripeHelp manage Frontier, a buyers' group deploying a $2 billion advance market commitment for permanent carbon dioxide removal, and research the role of removal in deep decarbonization pathways.
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2017–now
Climate Analyst
Carbon BriefAnalyze developments in climate science and energy, write fact-checks, and conduct original research on negative emissions, energy-system models, climate sensitivity, and model/observation comparisons.
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2012–now
Research Scientist
Berkeley EarthHelp develop a novel estimate of global surface temperatures using roughly five times more observational data than groups like NOAA and NASA.
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2019–2022
Director of Climate and Energy
The Breakthrough InstituteLed a team doing cutting-edge work on climate science and the energy-system transitions tied to emissions mitigation.
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2014–2017
Lead Data Scientist
EssessLed energy analytics and program evaluation for vehicle-mounted thermal imaging systems delivering home thermal data to utility, commercial, and military customers.
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2014–2015
Senior Climate Analyst
Project DrawdownWorked with Paul Hawken on the underlying climate model converting mitigated greenhouse gases into avoided warming, and authored several featured solutions.
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2007–2013
Chief Scientist & Co-Founder
C3 / Efficiency 2.0Built energy end-use models and analytics for residential and commercial efficiency programs, leading teams of energy and data scientists.
Education
Research
Selected publications
Major assessment contributions and my most-cited research, drawn from 40+ peer-reviewed papers spanning the temperature record, climate-model evaluation, emissions scenarios, and carbon removal. Citation counts via Google Scholar.
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2021
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, Ch. 1: Framing, Context and Methods Chen, D., Rojas, M., Samset, B.H., et al. (incl. Hausfather, Z.) · Cambridge University Press
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2023
Fifth National Climate Assessment Chapter 2: Climate Trends Marvel, K., Su, W., et al. (incl. Hausfather, Z.) · U.S. Global Change Research Program
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2020
Emissions: the 'business as usual' story is misleading Hausfather, Z., Peters, G.P. · Nature 1,400+ citations
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2020
An assessment of Earth's climate sensitivity using multiple lines of evidence Sherwood, S.C., Webb, M.J., et al. (incl. Hausfather, Z.) · Reviews of Geophysics 1,200+ citations
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2019
Contribution of the land sector to a 1.5°C world Roe, S., Streck, C., et al. (incl. Hausfather, Z.) · Nature Climate Change 750+ citations
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2019
How fast are the oceans warming? Cheng, L., Abraham, J., Hausfather, Z., Trenberth, K.E. · Science 700+ citations
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2020
The Berkeley Earth land/ocean temperature record Rohde, R.A., Hausfather, Z. · Earth System Science Data 600+ citations
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2022
Climate simulations: recognize the 'hot model' problem Hausfather, Z., Marvel, K., Schmidt, G.A., Nielsen-Gammon, J., Zelinka, M. · Nature 500+ citations
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2019
Evaluating the performance of past climate model projections Hausfather, Z., Drake, H.F., Abbott, T., Schmidt, G.A. · Geophysical Research Letters 300+ citations
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2020
RCP8.5 is a problematic scenario for near-term emissions Hausfather, Z., Peters, G.P. · PNAS 150+ citations
Roles & service
- Lead Author, IPCC Seventh Assessment Report
- Contributing Author, IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (WGI)
- Author, Climate Trends chapter, Fifth U.S. National Climate Assessment
- Expert Witness, U.S. House Committee on Science, Space & Technology (2021)
- U.S. Representative, WMO Advisory Board on Long-Term Observing Stations
- Reviewer for Nature, Science, GRL, JGR