Joel Jaeger is a Senior Research Associate for WRI’s Systems Change Lab and Climate Program. His research focuses on nonlinear systems change, the economics of climate policy, and clean energy jobs. He leads the assessment of global climate progress for the Systems Change Lab platform and the State of Climate Action report series. He led WRI’s global research on a green and inclusive recovery from COVID-19. He has co-led research projects on the economic and employment opportunities of climate policy in the United States. He also advises WRI's Economics Center.

Joel previously worked in communications and research for WRI's New Climate Economy project. During graduate school, he supported climate negotiators in the U.S. Department of State's Office of Global Change and did research on climate policy and electric vehicles for the Edison Electric Institute, the trade association of U.S. electric utilities. He has also worked as a journalist for the Inter Press Service at the United Nations headquarters and interned at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Joel holds a B.A. in Political Science from St. Olaf College and an M.A. in Energy, Resources, and Environment from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Joel currently lives in Austin, Texas. He enjoys board games, volleyball, and making lists.