A Clarkson University professor recently traveled to Belgium to give energy advice to European leaders.

Assistant professor of political science Stephen Bird will talk to the European Commission’s Institute for Energy and Transport about the so-called “Split Incentive Problem.” It refers to cases in which renters pay high energy bills because landlords have no motivation to improve energy efficiency; in other situations, tenants waste energy because they aren’t responsible for paying the energy bills.

“Not too many people are doing work in this area. Someone over there knew about my work and reached out to me to come and talk to the European government,” Bird says in a news release from Clarkson. “Energy efficiency is supposed to be easiest way to address energy costs, but it turns out to be difficult.”