Stephanie La Hoz Theuer
Senior Fellow
Stephanie La Hoz Theuer has over 20 years of experience in designing and implementing carbon pricing instruments. She leads policy research and capacity building on emissions trading systems (ETSs), international carbon markets, and carbon credits. At RIFS, her work explores the use of carbon dioxide removal units from forests and agriculture in ETSs and carbon taxes, identifying best practices for current and future systems. She is a Senior Advisor at adelphi, a German think tank, and serves in the Secretariat of the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), a network of 40+ governments collaborating on ETS design and implementation. Her previous experience spans the private sector, the UNFCCC Secretariat, and independent research. Stephanie holds an MPhil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a degree in Production Engineering from the University of São Paulo (Brazil). She is pursuing a PhD at Humboldt University (Germany). She lives in Berlin with her husband and two children, and enjoys reading, climbing, playing board games, and having long philosophical discussions.
Professional Experience
- Senior Advisor, adelphi consult GmbH (2018–present) – Lead researcher in ICAP Secretariat; directs research on the role of ETSs in the future policy mix; advisor to governments and international institutions (EU, World Bank, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Colombia, China).
- Independent Researcher (2016–2018) – Conducted studies for national governments on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
- Associate Programme Officer, UNFCCC Secretariat (2010–2015) – Supported carbon pricing negotiations that lead to the Paris Agreement and implemented flexibility instruments under the Kyoto Protocol
- Senior Project Manager, First Climate AG (2008–2009) – Managed international carbon credit portfolios.
- Associate Manager, Econergy Brasil Ltda (2005–2008) – Developed carbon credit projects in renewable energy and waste management.
Education
- PhD Candidate, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany
- MPhil in Environmental Policy, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Diploma in Production Engineering (equivalent to Master’s level), University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Carbon pricing design and implementation
- Carbon dioxide removal policy
- Role of emissions trading systems in the evolving policy mix
Selected Publications prior to joining the RIFS
- La Hoz Theuer, S., Ortiz Rivera, V., and Biedenkopf, K. (2025). ETS, Reloaded? Designing Emissions Trading for Net-Zero and Net-Negative Societies. Berlin: ICAP. https://bit.ly/3ZRYC7j
- Johnstone, I., Schneider, L., Michaelowa, A., Grandpré, J., Kuci, S., Ahonen, H., Probst, B.S., Lezak, S., Hale,T., La Hoz Theuer, S., Omukuti, J., Reséndiz, R., Fankhauser, S., Abebe, S., and Hepburn, C. (2025). Oxford Principles for Responsible Engagement with Article 6. Oxford: Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford. In press.
- International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP). (2025). Emissions trading worldwide: Status report 2025. https://bit.ly/4krK3Q5
- La Hoz Theuer, S., Doda, B., Acworth, W., & Kellner, K. (2024). Emissions trading systems: Trading removals? Climate Policy, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2024.2434092
- World Bank. (2024). State and trends of carbon pricing 2024. https://bit.ly/3YvEo38
- La Hoz Theuer, S., & Olarte, A. (2023). Emissions trading and carbon capture and storage: Mapping possible interactions, technical considerations, and existing provisions. International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP). http://bit.ly/ETSandCCS
- Sulivan, K., et al. (2022). Status and trends of compliance and voluntary carbon markets in Latin America. ICAP, IETA, IDB. https://bit.ly/3RuXVdX
- Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) & International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP). (2022). Governance of emissions trading systems. https://bit.ly/3TT6zog
- UNEP. (2021). Emissions gap report 2021: The heat is on – A world of climate promises not yet delivered. Contributing author to chapter 7 (The role of market mechanisms in bridging the emissions gap). https://bit.ly/3AbQQav
- La Hoz Theuer, S., Doda, B., Kellner, K., & Acworth, W. (2021). Emissions trading systems and net zero: Trading removals. International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP). https://bit.ly/3GFLs2y
- Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) & International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP). (2021). Emissions trading in practice: A handbook on design and implementation. https://bit.ly/3RDhzVq
- Doda, B., La Hoz Theuer, S., Cames, M., Healy, S., & Schneider, L. (2021). Voluntary offsetting: Credits and allowances. German Environment Agency. https://bit.ly/3i5cpS3
- Warnecke, C., Schneider, L., Day, T., La Hoz Theuer, S., & Fearnehough, H. (2019). Robust eligibility criteria essential for new global scheme to offset aviation emissions. Nature Climate Change, 9, 218–221. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0415-y
- La Hoz Theuer, S., & Schneider, L. (2018). When less is more: Limits to international transfers under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Climate Policy, 19(4), 401–413. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2018.1540341
- Schneider, L., & La Hoz Theuer, S. (2018). Environmental integrity of international carbon market mechanisms under the Paris Agreement. Climate Policy, 19(3), 386–400. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2018.1521332.