The Power of Procurement

Date: April 24, 2026
Time: 2:00–3:45 PM

This English-language session examines the power of public procurement as a lever for decarbonization. Moderated by Prof. Olga Chiapinelli, Prof. Gernot Wagner (Columbia Business School), Prof. Gunther Glenk (Universität Mannheim) and Alex Pfeiffer (CEO - Terralytiq) will discuss how strategic procurement decisions can create markets for low-emission products. The event will highlight best practices, regulatory frameworks, and concrete implementation strategies for green procurement in universities and public institutions to stimulate demand for climate-friendly solutions.

To earn credits, please register for the Lecture Series via the Course Catalog. Interested parties can participate via the following link.
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Prof. Olga Chiappinelli is Assistant Professor at the Universitat de Barcelona. Previously, she was a Research Associate (Post-Doc) at DIW Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research) and the Berlin School of Economics (BSE), and a fellow of the Berlin Center for Consumers Policies. Her research focuses on climate policy, energy economics, and the political economy of environmental regulation. She has conducted extensive research on policy design for decarbonization, green public procurement as a tool for EU climate futures, and the economics of the low-carbon transition. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and policy reports, including research on political corruption in the execution of public contracts and the effectiveness of various climate policy instruments. She has been an active participant in international climate policy forums and has contributed to policy discussions on how to design effective instruments for achieving climate goals while addressing economic and political constraints. 

Prof. Gunther Glenk is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at the University of Mannheim. His research examines the business of climate and sustainability. Topics include the accounting for corporate emissions, the cost of corporate decarbonization, and the incentives for climate action. Recent work has focused on the competitiveness of climate technologies, such as green hydrogen, energy storage, and electric mobility. His research has been published in leading business and science journals. 

Alexander Pfeiffer is the Co-Founder and CEO of Terralytiq, a cleantech SaaS company helping manufacturing companies gain transparency on their value chain emissions and work with suppliers to reduce them at scale. He is on a mission to remove 1 billion tons of annual CO₂ emissions from industrial supply chains by 2030, by making product and supplier decarbonization measurable, auditable, and operational—not just a reporting exercise. Terralytiq supports companies across materials- and energy-intensive sectors (metals, plastics, electronics, industrial equipment) with software that accelerates Scope 3 measurement, product carbon footprints, supplier data engagement, and decarbonization initiative planning.
Before founding Terralytiq, Alex spent over a decade at McKinsey & Company, including as an Associate Partner in its Sustainability Practice, where he advised global industrial companies on supply chain decarbonization, climate strategy, and large-scale transformation programs. He holds a DPhil in Geography and the Environment from the University of Oxford and has published research on committed emissions and stranded carbon assets. 

Prof. Gernot Wagner is a climate economist at Columbia Business School. He is the author of six books, including “Climate Shock” and “Geoengineering: The Gamble.” His research, writing, and teaching focus on climate risks and uncertainties on the one hand and climate policy on the other. He currently writes the Risky Climate column for Bloomberg Green. He was named to the NYC Panel on Climate Change, where he contributes his expertise on climate economics and policy. His work examines the economic dimensions of climate change, including the costs of inaction, the benefits of mitigation, and the risks associated with various climate interventions. He has been a leading voice in discussions about carbon pricing, climate risk management, and the role of geoengineering in climate policy. His research combines economic theory with practical policy analysis to inform decisionmaking on climate action at local, national, and global levels.