John Tarpey

John Tarpey

MSc (Environmental Planning)
BA (Environmental Science, Public Policy)

Fellow

Team
Topics

John Tarpey began working at Ecologic Institute in 2016 and currently works as a Fellow with interests including climate adaptation and economics, water resource management, and agriculture. He is a native English speaker, is fluent in French and has a good knowledge of Spanish as well as basic German.

At Ecologic Institute, John Tarpey works on Resilience in Europe through Activating City Hubs Reaching out to Users with Triple-A Climate Adaptation Tools (REACHOUT), funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme. REACHOUT aims to advance user-oriented climate services in seven European City Hubs to support the implementation of the European Green Deal. He is also involved Assessing Climate Change Risk in Europe (ACCREU), a Horizon Europe project developing a comprehensive socio-economic assessment of future climate risks in European countries and sectors under different adaptation and mitigation scenarios.

Previously, John worked on CO-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs (COACCH), examining the economic costs of climate change and climate actions, and supporting an improved downscaled assessment of the risks and costs of climate change in Europe. He also coordinated the Ecologic team on a project for the European Environment Agency, consolidating information and preparing a report on adaptation costs and inaction costs in the EU. Additionally, John has worked on other European projects such as Fish Friendly Innovative Technologies for Hydropower (FIThydro), Making Society an Active Participant in Water Adaptation to Global Change (BeWater), and Economics of Climate Change Adaptation in Europe (ECONADAPT).

Prior to joining Ecologic Institute, John Tarpey worked in project management for Strata Solar, a utility-scale solar power company in North Carolina. He was involved in cost and performance reporting, in addition to carrying out construction data analysis. He has also worked with the North Carolina Sierra Club as a legislative assistant, where he researched bills relating to energy efficiency standards and water quality. John previously held an internship at the United Nations Environment Programme working on the Environment and Security Initiative.

John Tarpey completed his Master's degree in Environmental Planning at the Technische Universität Berlin (Germany). He received his Bachelor's from Duke University in North Carolina, where he studied environmental science and public policy, with a focus on energy issues and environmental policy. During this time, he spent a semester at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where he studied local urban development and political science.

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Selected projects by John Tarpey
ProjectHorizon EuropeAssessing Climate Change Risk in Europe (ACCREU)
 

Foto von Jw. auf Unsplash

The Assessing Climate Change Risk in EUrope (ACCREU) project aims to support a just transition to climate resilience in the EU by co-creating and delivering actionable ideas and new knowledge. This project brings together diverse stakeholders to address climate change... Read more

Assessing Climate Change Risk in Europe (ACCREU)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Resilience in Europe through Activating City Hubs Reaching out to Users with Triple-A Climate Adaptation Tools (REACHOUT)
 
project logo with the project's titel

© REACHOUT project

The formulation and implementation of climate adaptation plans in cities worldwide needs to speed up rapidly to keep in pace with projections of climate risks. The research project: "Resilience in Europe through Activating City Hubs reaching Out to Users with Triple-A... Read more

Resilience in Europe through Activating City Hubs Reaching out to Users with Triple-A Climate Adaptation Tools (REACHOUT)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectDefining Adaptation Needs, Counting Adaptation Finance and Enabling Actions at National and European Level
 

Bild von Tumisu auf Pixabay

In July 2021, the European Climate Law entered into force. The importance of adaptation for a resilient society and the role of financial flows are key elements of this law. The law aims to ensure that all EU policies contribute to these goals and that all sectors of... Read more

Defining Adaptation Needs, Counting Adaptation Finance and Enabling Actions at National and European Level

Duration
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Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Bio-based Strategies and Roadmaps for Enhanced Rural and Regional Development in the EU (BE-Rural)
 
The bioeconomy carries the promise to offer important opportunities for rural employment and regional added value. The transition towards a more sustainable, bio-based regional economy and society requires the active involvement of a broad spectrum of stakeholders and... Read more

Bio-based Strategies and Roadmaps for Enhanced Rural and Regional Development in the EU (BE-Rural)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectThe Cost of Adaptation Versus the Cost of Inaction for Europe
 

Flood damages in Altenahr Altenburg (Germany), 2021

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Martin Seifert. The original uploader was CnndrBrbr at German Wikipedia., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ecologic Institute is collaborating with the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and Ramboll Consulting on a project for the European Environment Agency (EEA) entitled "The Cost of Adaptation versus the Cost of Inaction for Europe." This follows up a 2020... Read more

The Cost of Adaptation Versus the Cost of Inaction for Europe

Duration
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Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020CO-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs (COACCH)
 
| Goran.Smith2 | www.wikimedia.org | Anti-flooding barrier at the banks of Danube river, Novi Sad, Serbia
The COACCH project (CO-designing the Assessment of Climate CHange costs) is an EU funded Horizon 2020 project assessing the economic costs of climate change and climate actions. The project is coordinated by the Euro Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (CMCC)... Read more

CO-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs (COACCH)

Duration
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Funding
Selected publications by John Tarpey
PublicationReportPricing Agricultural Emissions and Rewarding Climate Action in the Agri-food Value Chain
 
Report cover with a deep teal background. At the top, a small white circular logo with a stylized image of the Earth. Below the logo, in large, white, sans-serif font, the title 'Pricing agricultural emissions and rewarding climate action in the agri-food value chain'. At the bottom of the cover, the company logo 'Trinomics' with its characteristic half-circle colored graphic.

© Trinomics 2023

The agriculture and land sectors must mitigate greenhouse gas emissions for the EU to meet its climate targets. In a new report published by the European Commission's DG CLIMA, Ecologic Institute, IEEP, and Trinomics investigate how an emissions trading system (ETS)... Read more

Bognar, Julia et al. 2023: Pricing agricultural emissions and rewarding climate action in the agri-food value chain. Rotterdam: Trinomics.

PublicationReportState of EU Progress to Climate Neutrality
 
Cover of the ECNO flagship report "State of EU progress to climate neutrality. An indicator-based assessment across 13 building blocks for a climate neutral future"

© European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO) 2023

The EU Climate Law legally binds EU countries as a whole to become climate neutral by 2050. Achieving this goal requires transforming the way we produce, consume, travel, and eat. EU institutions have already put in place many measures to guide and support governments,... Read more

Velten, Eike Karola et al. 2023: Flagship Report: State of EU progress to climate neutrality. An indicator-based assessment across 13 building blocks for a climate neutral future. European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO).

PublicationReportBaseline Study for the Implementation of Lighthouses of the Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030'
 
Cover of the indedendent expert report "Baseline study for the implementation of lighthouses of the Mission ‘Restore our ocean and waters by 2030’: Atlantic, Arctic, Danube and Mediterranean lighthouses"

© European Commission

The objective of the EU Mission 'Restore our ocean and waters by 2030' is to provide a systemic approach for the restoration of our oceans, seas and waters by 2030. The Mission lighthouses act as hubs and platforms for the development, demonstration and deployment of... Read more

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Alao Chanou, Z., McColgan, O., Berbel, J., et al., Baseline study for the implementation of lighthouses of the Mission 'Restore our ocean and waters by 2030': Atlantic, Arctic, Danube and Mediterranean lighthouses, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/34856

PublicationPolicy BriefEnabling Rural Regions to Recognize the Ecological Boundaries Framing the Bioeconomy
 
First page of the BE-Rural Policy Brief "Enabling rural regions to recognise the ecological boundaries framing the bioeconomy"

© BE-Rural project

As the EU Bioeconomy Strategy points out, regions are the most appropriate territorial level at which to implement bioeconomy strategies. However, the available and favoured methods for assessing bioeconomy potential and environmental impact are rarely framed within the... Read more

Tarpey, J., Araujo, A. and Anzaldua, G. [Ed.] 2022: Enabling rural regions to recognise the ecological boundaries framing the bioeconomy. Policy Brief. Ecologic Institute.

PublicationReportNote on the Development of a Sustainability Screening for Regional Bioeconomy Strategies
 
cover of the BE-RURAL deliverable "Note on the development of a sustainability screening for regional bioeconomy strategies"

© BE-Rural project

This report provides the context and justification for the development of BE-Rural's Sustainability Screening, a description of its methodological procedure, and the syntheses of results from the two experimental implementations of the approach in the Stara Zagora and... Read more

Anzaldúa, Gerardo et al. (2022). D5.4 Note on the development of a sustainability screening for regional bioeconomy strategies. Deliverable of the H2020 BE-Rural project.

PublicationReportFindings from Thematic Working Groups and Deep Engagement Case Studies
 
Cover of the COACCH deliverable "Findings from thematic working groups and deep engagement case studies"

© COACCH project

The COACCH project (CO-designing the Assessment of Climate CHange costs) has proactively involved stakeholders in the design and delivery of research, as part of a collaborative co-production process. To do this, it developed a set of success factors for successful co... Read more

McGlade, K., Tröltzsch, J., Tarpey, J., Watkiss, P. (2021). Findings from thematic working groups and deep engagement case studies. Deliverable of the H2020 COACCH project.

PublicationBrochureCo-creating Research: Best-Practice-Guidelines
 
Cover of the COACCH publication "CO-CREATING RESEARCH: BEST-PRACTICE GUIDELINES"

© Ecologic Institute

A team at Ecologic Institute has produced new best-practice guidelines for co-creating research. The guidelines are based on experiences gathered in the Horizon 2020 project COACCH (Co-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs). The authors summarise an in-depth... Read more

McGlade, K., Tröltzsch, J., Tarpey, J. and Watkiss, P. (2022). Co-creating Research: Best-Practice Guidelines. Insights from the Horizon 2020 EU project COACCH.

PublicationPolicy BriefThe Economic Cost of Climate Change in Europe
 
This policy brief synthesises the latest results from the COACCH project on the economic costs of climate change in Europe and identifies areas of possible discussion to explore with stakeholders at the second COACCH workshop. The policy brief is available for download.... Read more

COACCH (2019). The Economic Cost of Climate Change in Europe: Synthesis Report on Interim Results. Policy brief by the COACCH project. Editors: Paul Watkiss, Jenny Troeltzsch, Katriona McGlade, Michelle Watkiss. Published October, 2019.

PublicationReportResilient European Cities: Nature-based Solutions for Clean Water
 
Resilient European Cities: Nature-based Solutions for Clean Water

© The Nature Conservancy

Diffuse  pollution  is  one  of  the  key  reasons  European  water  bodies  are  failing to meet environmental objectives as specified in the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Outbreaks  of ... Read more

Trémolet S. & Karres N. (2020). Resilient European Cities: Nature-based Solutions for Clean Water. The Nature Conservancy. London, United Kingdom.

PublicationDocumentSmall-Scale Technologies and Business Models for Regional Bioeconomies
 
Tarpey, J., Beusch, C. 2020: Small-Scale Technologies and Business Models for Regional Bioeconomies. Joint Guidance Document for Stakeholders. Ecologic Institute, Berlin. ... Read more

Tarpey, J., Beusch, C. 2020: Small-Scale Technologies and Business Models for Regional Bioeconomies. Joint Guidance Document for Stakeholders. Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

PublicationReportReview of Policy Requirements and Financing Instruments (for fishfriendly hydropower)
 
This report has been prepared as part of work-package 5 of the FIThydro project on Fishfriendly Innovative Technologies for Hydropower. It aims at investigating the regulatory landscape influencing actions relevant to environmental improvements in the context of... Read more

Kampa, E. Tarpey, J., Rouillard, J., Bakken, T. H., Stein, U.,  Godinho, F. N., Leitão, A. E., Portela, M. M., Courret, D., Sanz-Ronda, F.J., Boes, R., and A. Odelberg (2017). Technical  Deliverable 5.1. Review of policy requirements and financing instruments. H2020 project FIThydro Fishfriendly Innovative Technologies for Hydropower.

Selected events by John Tarpey
EventWorkshopCo-designing Research on the Economics of Climate Impacts and Adaptation
 

© Chiara Mazzetti 2024

On 10 January 2024, the ACCREU Stakeholder Workshop convened in Brussels, welcoming over 40 participants. Under the theme "Co-designing research on the economics of climate impacts and adaptation," this event is part of the Assessing Climate Change Risk in Europe ... Read more

Workshop:Co-designing Research on the Economics of Climate Impacts and Adaptation

Date
Location
Brussels, Belgium
EventDigital EventClimate Change Impacts on Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Coastal Areas
 
COACCH Project (CO-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs) launched a webinar series to share its results on economic assessment of climate change and adaptation. On 30 April 2020, the project hosted its first webinar "Insights from the COACCH project I:... Read more

Digital Event:Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Coastal Areas

Date
Location
online
EventWorkshopEngaging Citizens in Adaptive River Basin Management in the Mediterranean
 
Pedieos Workshop
Climate change and other pressures are impacting the environment and water resources in the Mediterranean, requiring plans for how to adapt the management of affected river basins and their water resources to changing future conditions. To address this challenge, a... Read more

Workshop:Engaging Citizens in Adaptive River Basin Management in the Mediterranean

Date
Location
Rmel (Tunisia), Tordera (Spain), Pedieos (Cyprus) and Vipava (Slovenia) river basins

Recent content by John Tarpey

News
 
Across Europe, cities are feeling the growing impact of climate change – from prolonged heatwaves to more frequent and severe flooding. For local planners and decision-makers, responding to these complex challenges often means navigating tough decisions with limited guidance. To bridge this gap, the REACHOUT project has developed two new explainer videos that bring climate service tools to life. These short, accessible films introduce the Triple-A Toolkit – a practical, science-based platform designed to support urban adaptation and resilience planning.
 

Building Resilient Cities

New Videos and Tools for Heat and Flood

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the reporrt with flag of the European Union in the background
This report presents the conclusions of the study titled "Macro-economic / Top-down Assessment of Climate Impacts on the EU Economy." Commissioned to assist the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), the study explores how climate change-induced hazards may influence the EU's socio-economic landscape. Its central aim is to deliver both qualitative and quantitative perspectives on the broader macro-economic effects of significant climate hazards. It also investigates how these climate-related shocks ripple through different sectors of the economy. By compiling and analysing relevant data, the study provides a knowledge base to help the European Commission assess how such impacts could potentially challenge the EU’s ability to meet its climate mitigation objectives.

Macro-economic / Top-down Assessment of Climate Impacts on the EU Economy

Final Report

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Project
 
Ecologic Institute, in partnership with Ramboll and I4CE, continues its collaboration with the European Environment Agency in supporting the understanding of costs of climate impacts and climate adaptation. The overall aim of this study is to extract, complement and compile quantitative information on the economic costs and socio-economic impacts of climate adaptation versus costs of inaction in EU27 Member States. The work builds on previous work conducted by the consortium for the EEA which serves as the methodological foundation for this project.

Knowledge Development and Application Concerning Costs of Adaptation Compared to Costs of Inaction

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Publication:Video
 
This video, produced within the REACHOUT project, focuses on the Fluvial Flooding hazard, and showcases how climate service tools can be applied in real-world urban policy challenges. It serves as a visual guide to help municipal representatives, local consultants, and service providers understand and implement these tools effectively.

Increasing Flood Resilience: tools for city planners

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Publication:Video
 
This video, produced within the REACHOUT project, focuses on the Urban Heat climate hazard, and showcases how climate service tools can be applied in real-world urban policy challenges. It serves as a visual guide to help municipal representatives, local consultants, and service providers understand and implement these tools effectively.

Tackling Urban Heat: tools for city planners

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the report with colorful tiles showing photos of agricultural scenes in the background
The bioeconomy concept presents an attractive framework for policymakers in Europe, as it holds the potential to foster innovations that match specific community needs with regionally available resources. The SCALE-UP project aims to enhance the capacity and expertise of multi-actor partnerships to accelerate the development of market-ready bio-based products and services while facilitating their successful market deployment. Additionally, SCALE-UP strengthens collaboration among primary producers, SMEs, industry clusters, social actors, and policymakers, promoting a cohesive approach to innovation.

12 Small-scale Business Models Explored in the SCALE-UP Regions

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Publication:Report
 
Cover page of the REACHOUT project report “D3.7: Guidelines for climate service tools”. The image features the REACHOUT logo with the subtitle “shaping climate resilient cities”, a list of contributing authors from various European institutions, and the EU funding acknowledgment at the bottom. The design includes colorful rounded shapes in blue, green, and turquoise.
As part of the EU-funded REACHOUT project, a comprehensive suite of climate service tools has been developed to support cities in addressing climate adaptation challenges. The newly released Guidelines for Climate Service Tools provide a structured overview of more than 20 technical and soft tools, as well as supporting consultancy services, all integrated into the Triple-A Toolkit – a web-based platform designed to enhance urban climate resilience. The tools address the full policy cycle of adaptation by covering the phases of Analysis, Ambition, and Action, and have been tested and refined through extensive co-creation with seven European City Hubs.

Guidelines for Climate Service Tools

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Publication:Report
 
The image shows a collage with two pictures: on the left, an aerial view of green, forested areas and wetlands, indicating nature-based carbon removal, and on the right, an industrial scene with large tanks and pipes, symbolizing technological carbon capture methods. The text below reads: 'Scaling up carbon dioxide removals. Recommendations for navigating opportunities and risks in the EU.' The image is from the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change.
This report explores options for scaling up carbon dioxide removals in the EU, considering respective costs, risks and opportunities. This assessment, covering both carbon sinks in the land sector and novel solutions, involves analyses of the status and potential of carbon dioxide removals in the EU, key policy needs and gaps, as well as policy recommendations for a robust EU governance of carbon dioxide removals.

Scaling up Carbon Dioxide Removals

Recommendations for navigating opportunities and risks in the EU

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Event:Conference
 
The SCALE-UP consortium organised a thematic conference in the frame of Bio360, which took place on 5 and 6 February 2025 in Nantes, France. The international trade fair, dedicated to advancing the bioeconomy, drew more than 450 exhibitors and 40+ conferences featuring pioneering solutions in bio-based materials, circular agriculture, and renewable energy. As the coordinator of the SCALE-UP project, Ecologic Institute played a key role in bringing together innovators, investors, farmers, and researchers to discuss sustainable bio-based solutions.

Scaling Up Innovations in the Bioeconomy

A Lever for Europe's Green Transition and Rural Development

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Nantes, France

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