RILS Public Lecture: A Data-Driven Approach to Improving Enforcement of Environmental Regulations

Lecturer

Dr Olga Rostapshova

Executive Director

Energy and Environment Laboratory

University of Chicago

Presentation Title

A Data-Driven Approach to Improving Enforcement of Environmental Regulations

Abstract

While many countries have enacted strict statutory regulations to address environmental damages, non-compliance is rampant. The last several decades have been defined by innovation and rapid technological advancement, yet regulatory enforcement continues to rely on methods that are decades old and not data driven. Leveraging advancements in remote sensing, computing capabilities, and analytic methods can transform the way regulatory agencies approach environmental enforcement. The Energy & Environment Lab at University of Chicago tackles this challenge directly by partnering with government agencies to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale data-driven policies. We utilise machine learning, randomised control trials (RCTs), behavioral economics, and cutting edge monitoring technology, to develop and test cost-effective solutions to environmental challenges. This lecture will present examples of how these tools can be applied to real policy questions, including a) an RCT leveraging real-time data for monitoring and enforcement of water conservation policies; b) development of machine learning models to improve inspection efficiency, and c) testing the impact of advanced remote sensing technologies to help regulators tackle air pollution (e.g., methane from oil and gas facilities and particulate matter from heavy duty trucks). 

Biography

Dr Rostapshova is the Executive Director of the Energy and Environment Lab at the University of Chicago, where she works alongside the Lab’s Faculty Director Michael Greenstone to lead a research portfolio focused on developing data-driven solutions to environmental and energy policy challenges. The Lab’s projects lie at the intersection of public policy, economics, and applied data science, and leverage state-of-the-art techniques including machine learning, remote sensing, and randomized controlled trials to inform policy and drive measurable improvements in regulatory enforcement, resource conservation and pollution reduction.

Prior to her current role, Dr Rostapshova was Executive Director of the Weiss Fund for Research in Development Economics at Harvard University, where she managed research funding for innovative work in global development. She also previously served as Technical Director at Social Impact, leading large-scale impact and performance evaluations across Africa and Asia for clients such as the United States Agency for International Development and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Her portfolio spanned key sectors including energy, water, agriculture, and public health, with an emphasis on generating rigorous, actionable evidence to inform international development policy and practice.

Dr Rostapshova received her Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University, where she was selected for a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship.  Her work has been published in Nature, Review of Economics and Statistics, and other leading journals.