Gerrit Rentier's research interests concern the factors that determine climate and energy policy in nations. Given the fact that climate action in the light of the Paris Agreement is based on nationally determined contributions (NDC's), it is crucial to understand how nations arrive at their policy. He works from the hypothesis that institutional structures and domestic resources are the main independent variables that determine national climate and energy policy. To investigate, Gerrit applies methods from historical institutionalism and political economy, particularly the framework of Varieties of Capitalism. His research studies the relation between socioeconomic attitudes concerning the role of governments in markets, skill formation and corporate governance on the one hand, and energy transition on the other.