Benjamin Leffel

Assistant Professor of Public Policy
Expertise: Sustainability, Climate change, Corporations, Cities, Global governance, Diplomacy

Biography

Ben Leffel, an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy and Leadership, is an expert on sustainability governance by cities, states, and corporations globally.

Prior to joining UNLV, Leffel served as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise and a lecturer at the University of California, Merced. His published work focuses on world cities fighting climate change, including the role of private climate consulting and city membership in transnational environmental networks, global urban pollution abatement, and climate finance allocation to local governments.

Leffel has published op-eds in the Harvard Business Review, The Hill and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and has served as a climate action advisor to the City of Irvine, California. 

Education

  • Ph.D., UC Irvine

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Benjamin Leffel In The News

Atmos
Research shows we’re drawn to bad news, and President Trump’s actions only amplify the noise. Still, there are hard-fought climate victories worth celebrating in the United States and beyond.
Las Vegas Review Journal
President Donald Trump’s action to pause all federal spending could halt money that proved critical in bringing Lake Mead levels up from historic lows, putting more solar panels on top of Nevadans’ houses and getting more electric vehicles on the road.
Forbes
In the wake of the raging California wildfires, environmental groups are shifting the climate conversation away from mitigation, toward adaptation and resilience.
K.S.N.V. T.V. News 3
Deadly fires tearing through Los Angeles County have displaced thousands of people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures in what might be the most expensive wildfire destruction in the nation's history.

Articles Featuring Benjamin Leffel

A UNLV student studies with the Strip in the distance.
Campus News | February 4, 2025

Headlines and highlights featuring the students and faculty of UNLV.

UNLV XMAS
Campus News | December 3, 2024

This month’s frosty headlines and highlights from the students and faculty of UNLV.

Undergrad researcher Benjamin Sabir helps H. Jeremy Cho examine an atmospheric water harvesting device. (Jeff Scheid/UNLV)
Campus News | October 1, 2024

A monthly roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV staff and students.

The Las Vegas strip as seen on Super Bowl weekend (Josh Hawkins/UNLV).
Campus News | March 1, 2024

A collection of news stories and highlights featuring UNLV students and faculty.