Tony Patt ’83

Tony Patt is Professor of Climate Policy at ETH Zurich (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), where he leads the Climate Policy Laboratory and coordinates a master’s degree program in environmental science and policy. Patt has contributed to multiple reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is a frequent advisor to Swiss and other European policymakers, and serves on scientific advisory boards for several climate policy advocacy organizations. Tony's 2014 book Transforming Energy: Solving Climate Change with Technology Policy was among the first to propose focusing on technology and infrastructure development as essential precursors to emission reduction, an approach that has since then become widely adopted, such as in the recent Inflation Reduction Act. Patt pursued his education and initial career as an environmental lawyer in the United States before emigrating to Europe in 2006. His hobbies include woodworking and a variety of outdoor sports. He competes and volunteers as a youth coach in cross-country skiing and biathlon and lives with his partner and their two children in a small village overlooking Zurich.