
David G. Victor
Faculty Fellow, Program on Energy and Sustainable Development; Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Senior Fellow; Stanford Professor of Law; Woods Institute Senior Fellow by courtesyPESD
Stanford University
Encina Hall E415
Stanford, CA 94305-6055
Research Interests
Energy policy - the future role of natural gas, electric power market reform, and rural energy development; genetically modified foods/plants and related trade policy; climate change policy; role of technology, innovation and competition in development; and forest policy
Program on Energy and Sustainable Development
David Victor is Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and Director of the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. The Program, launched in September 2001, focuses on power sector reform, the emerging global market for natural gas, energy services for the world's poor, the practical challenges in managing climate change, and the role of state-controlled oil and gas companies in the world's hydrocarbon markets. Much of the Program's research concentrates in Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. He teaches energy law, regulation and political economy at Stanford Law School.
Previously, Dr. Victor directed the Science and Technology program at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, where he remains Adjunct Senior Fellow. He directed the Council's task force on energy co-chaired by Jim Schlesinger and John Deutch and is senior adviser to the task force on climate change chaired by governors George Pataki and Tom Vilsack. He also leads a study group that is examining ways to improve management of the nation's $50b strategic oil reserve. In the past, his research at the Council his research focused on the sources of technological innovation and the impact of innovation on economic growth. His research also examined global forest policy, global warming, and genetic engineering of food crops.
His Ph.D. is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Political Science and International Relations), his B.A. from Harvard University (History and Science).
His publications include: Natural Gas and Geopolitics (Cambridge University Press, July 2006), The Collapse of the Kyoto Protocol and the Struggle to Slow Global Warming (Princeton University Press, April 2001; second edition July 2004); Climate Change: Debating America's Policy Options (New York: Council on Foreign Relations); Technological Innovation and Economic Performance (Princeton University Press, January 2002, co-edited with Benn Steil and Richard Nelson); and an edited book of case studies on the implementation of international environmental agreements (MIT Press, 1998). He is author of more than 100 essays and articles in scholarly journals, magazines and newspapers, such as Climatic Change, The Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Nature, The New York Times, Science, and Scientific American, and The Washington Post.
Stanford Departments
Law; Public Policy Program; Management Science and Engineering; Political Science
Publications
The 5 most recent are displayed. More publications »
- Living With Coal: Climate Policy's Most Inconvenient Truth
David G. Victor, Richard K. Morse
The Boston Review (2009)

- Climate Change and the Energy Challenge: A Pragmatic Approach for India
Varun Rai, David G. Victor
Economic and Political Weekly vol. 44, 31 (2009)
Climate Change and the Energy Challenge: A Pragmatic Approach for India
Varun Rai, David G. Victor
Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, Working Paper #83 (2009)
The Geoengineering Option
David G. Victor
Foreign Affairs vol. 88, 2 (2009)
Environment Gridlock
David G. Victor
Newsweek International Edition (2009)
Events & Presentations
The 5 most recent are displayed. More events & presentations »
Three Challenges in One - The Economy, Energy and the Environment: Engaging China
April 3, 2009 Conference
David G. Victor
Audio transcript available
Public Forum: How Will Global Warming Affect the World's Fuel Markets?
February 10, 2009 Forum
Peter Hughes Peter Hughes, Stu Dalton Stu Dalton, Chip Blacker, David G. Victor
Audio & Video transcripts available
flyer available
New Ways to Think About Regulating Greenhouse Gases
January 14, 2009 Seminar
David G. Victor- Creating Global Norms to Regulate Climate Engineering
November 21, 2008 CDDRL Workshop
David G. Victor
paper available
The State of Iraqi Oil
November 9, 2007 Round Table
Lou Durlofsky, David G. Victor
Research Programs & Projects
Program on Energy and Sustainable Development (PESD)- Experience with Independent Power Projects in Developing Countries
Project
Five Country Study of Electricity Market Reform: Results
Project



