Gianluca Grimalda

Gianluca Francesco Grimalda is an Italian behavioural economist. Concerned about the effects of climate change and social cohesion, he came to public attention when he refused to travel by plane on business because of the climate impact of air travel. This refusal was followed by dismissal by his employer, the Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).

Grimalda obtained a degree in economics from Bocconi University and doctorates from the University of Pavia and the University of Southampton in 2003. He worked as a researcher at the Kiel Institute for World Economics until his dismissal in October 2023.^[1]

From January to June 2024, Grimalda was a visiting professor at the University of Passau.

Grimalda's research focuses on understanding and communicating the social implications caused by global warming. His field research took him to Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, where he studied people's willingness to help each other in degraded conditions caused by climate change.

Grimalda has actively participated in protest actions, notably as part of Scientist Rebellion, and has campaigned for civil disobedience as a means of promoting climate protection. Among other things, in October 2022 he and other scientists glued themselves to the floor for forty hours in the pavilion of the Porsche museum in Wolfsburg, this Volkswagen owned location is targeted to echo the Dieselgate. In November of the same year, the researcher also took part in an international blockade of airports specialising in private aircraft.

Grimalda always travels avoiding the use of aircraft in favour of more climate friendly means of transport such as boats, trains and buses. This attitude reflects his convictions on the ethics of aviation in the face of the climate crisis and indirectly led to his being ousted from his post at the Institute for World Economics in Kiel. Field research in Papua New Guinea had been extended due to unforeseen circumstances, so the institute had asked him to return within ten days or face dismissal. His return journey took 35 days due to renouncing air travel. Nine thousand scientists from all over Europe signed a petition calling for him to remain at the Institute for World Economics. An initial action against his dismissal was brought before the Kiel Labour Court, but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, on 10 January 2025, the Kiel Labour Court handed down its verdict: the institute would compensate the researcher, but would not re-employ him, on the grounds of ‘incompatibility of the parties' ideological convictions’.

" I would have liked my job back, but this is already a first step in the legal recognition of conscientious objection on climate grounds "

He is known as the first employee to be dismissed and then compensated, in connection with the fight against climate change.^[2]

In June 2024, Paolo Casalis' documentary The Researcher premiered at the Cinemambiente Festival. It depicts Girmalda's journey to Papua New Guinea in 2023: at the end of his research work, Grimalda is dismissed for refusing to take a plane. As he begins the journey home, his story and his application of ‘slow travel’ become known and viral on social networks.^[3]

• Grimalda, Gianluca (2015), "Can labour market rigidity foster economic efficiency? A model with non-general purpose technical change", Eurasian Business Review (Bd. 6, 9.7.2015, Nr. 1, Date:4.2016: 79-99), vol. 6, SpringerLink, pp. 79–99, doi:10.1007/s40821-015-0024-2, URN: nbn:de:1111-2016080724776
• with, Anirban Kar, Eugenio Protomit Anirban Kar, Eugenio Proto (2015), "Procedural fairness in lotteries assigning initial roles in a dynamic setting" (PDF), Experimental Economics (Bd. 19, 12.11.2015, Nr. 4, Date:12.2016: 819-841), vol. 19, no. 4, SpringerLink, pp. 819–841, doi:10.1007/s10683-015-9469-5, URN: nbn:de:1111-2016121110558
• with Francesco Farina et al.mit Francesco Farina; et al. (2023), Why do preferences for redistribution differ across countries? An experimental analysis, Kiel: IfW Kiel, hdl:10419/268038, URN: nbn:de:101:1-2023012610505862535935
• with mit Christoph Schütt et al.mit Christoph Schütt; et al. (2022), Does ethnic heterogeneity decrease workers' effort in the presence of income redistribution? An experimental analysis, Kiel: IfW Kiel, hdl:10419/261386, URN: nbn:de:101:1-2022072803174551271132
• with Fabrice Murtin, David Pipke, Louis G. Putterman, Matthias Suttermit Fabrice Murtin, David Pipke, Louis G. Putterman, Matthias Sutter (2022), The politicized pandemic: Ideological polarization and the behavioral response to COVID-19 (in French), Kiel: IfW Kiel, hdl:10419/250080, URN: nbn:de:101:1-2022031002172656522490{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link).
• with Francesco Bogliacino, Laura Jiménez Lozanomit Francesco Bogliacino, Laura Jiménez Lozano (2021), "Consultative democracy and trust", Changement structurel et dynamique économique, vol. 44, Kiel, Hamburg: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pp. 55–67, hdl:10419/235202, ISSN 0954-349X, URN: nbn:de:101:1-2021081203173473597709.
• with David Pipkemit David Pipke (2021), Cross-country evidence on the determinants of preferences for redistribution, Kiel: IfW Kiel, hdl:10419/235614, URN: nbn:de:101:1-2021081203180171749572}
• with Nancy R. Buchan et al.mit Nancy R. Buchan; et al. (2021), "Exposure to COVID-19 is associated with increased altruism, particularly at the local level", Rapports Scientifiques, vol. 11, no. 18950, Heidelberg, Berlin: Springer, p. 18950, Bibcode:2021NatSR..1118950G, doi:10.1038/s41598-021-97234-2, hdl:10419/248645, ISSN 2045-2322, PMC 8460816, PMID 34556687, URN: nbn:de:101:1-2022011302171084990490.