Overview
Drew Shindell is Nicholas Professor of Earth Science at Duke University. From 1995 to 2014 he was at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City and taught at Columbia University. He earned his Bachelor's at UC Berkeley and PhD at Stony Brook University, both in Physics. He studies climate change, air quality, and links between science and policy. He has been an author on >250 peer-reviewed publications, received awards from Scientific American, NASA, the NSF and the EPA, and is a fellow of AGU and AAAS.
He has testified on climate issues before both houses of the US Congress (at the request of both parties), developed a climate change course with the American Museum of Natural History, and made numerous media appearances as part of his outreach efforts. He chaired the 2011 UNEP/WMO Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone, and was a Coordinating Lead Author on the 2013 Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC and on the 2018 IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C. He also chairs the Scientific Advisory Panel to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition of nations and organizations.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Evolution of Near‐Term Atmospheric Methane and Associated Temperature Response Under the Global Methane Pledge: Insights From an Earth System Model
Journal Article Geophysical Research Letters · January 16, 2026 Abstract Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a shorter lifetime than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), making it an important t ... Full text CiteTen New Insights in Climate Science 2025
Journal Article Global Sustainability · January 1, 2026 Full text CiteAir quality improvement masks global cooling from CO2 reductions under China's carbon neutrality policies for half a century.
Journal Article Nature communications · January 2026 Achieving carbon neutrality and improving air quality are pivotal sustainability strategies for the Global South countries. However, their global climate impacts over a realistic timescale remain unclear. Here we evaluate the climate impacts of China's car ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Economic Assessment of Mitigation Measures of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by United Nations Environment Programme · 2025 - 2026Supporting SLCP Assessments on Food/Agriculture and Economics
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by United Nations Environment Programme · 2025 - 2026The Potential Environmental Effects of Lithium Mining and Extraction
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Albemarle Corporation · 2023 - 2024View All Grants