I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), working in the Research Department Transformation Pathways. My research focuses on examining the links between physical and financial risks of climate change through the REMIND model, with particular emphasis on climate damages, adaptation costs, and the effects of climate risk on capital costs in developing nations.

I hold a PhD in Economics from UCLouvain Saint-Louis Brussels, where I completed my doctoral thesis on “Empirical Assessments of Financial Interdependencies Since the 1970s” under the supervision of Alexander Girard and Jean-Christophe Defraigne. Prior to my PhD, I earned dual master’s degrees in Economics and Electrical Engineering from UCLouvain, along with certificates in Economic and Social Ethics, Statistics, and Radiation Protection.

Research Interests

My research spans multiple areas at the intersection of economics, finance, and climate science:

• Climate Economics: Climate damages, adaptation costs, and climate risk effects on capital markets
• Macroeconomics: Business cycles, financial crises, and economic integration
• Econometrics: Time-series analysis, spatial econometrics, and panel data methods
• International Economics: Financial globalization, monetary policy spillovers, and regional integration
• Finance: Financial interdependencies, balance-of-payment crises, and portfolio optimization
• Economic History: Historical analysis of financial systems and globalization patterns
• Energy Transition: EROEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) and general equilibrium approaches
• Geopolitics of Technology: International technology competition and strategic dependencies
• Social Movements: Economic and social transformation processes

Current Work

At PIK, I am integrating financial risk assessment into climate-economy models to better understand how climate change affects investment decisions and capital allocation, particularly in developing economies. This work contributes to improving our understanding of the economic pathways toward climate stabilization and sustainable development.

My previous research has examined cyclical patterns in international financial flows, monetary policy spillovers among economies, and medium-term financial cycles in semi-periphery countries. I have also worked on the economics of energy transitions and the role of intangible assets in the world-system.

Contact

Feel free to reach out via email at benjaminpeeters@protonmail.com or phone at +32 496 399 505.