"Sustainability now depends, more than ever, on our ability to take ambitious policy action and transform political institutions"

I am an interdisciplinary social scientist working at the intersection of sustainability, public policy, and comparative politics. My research examines the policy, politics, and governance of complex public good problems – especially climate change – at national and subnational scales. This centres on the interaction between policy, institutions, and civil society within processes of societal transformation. I pursue three key lines of study: 

1. The politics of policy action especially at the post-adoption stage. I examine policy backlash (involving both elites and mass publics), legitimacy, policy feedback, and public behaviour. 
2. Processes of institutional change to adapt and transform institutions. I examine how and by whom institutions are ‘remade’ in response to changing contexts and needs. 
3. The politics and governance of sustainability transformations. I especially focus on the role of the state and the mobilisation of public authority within diverse and heterogeneous societies.

I am the Principal Investigator of a 5-year project funded by the European Research Council (2021-2026): ‘Climate Backlash: Contentious Reactions to Policy Action (BACKLASH)’ (grant no. 949332), investigating backlash to climate policy in advanced industrial democracies. The project team involves three PhD researchers conducting in-depth comparative case analysis (Australia, Canada, France, United Kingdom) and medium-N analysis of OECD countries. 

Selected publications:

Public responses to hard climate policies and the prevalence of contention (in Climate Policy)

We provide a landmark systematic assessment of the prevalence of backlash in OECD countries over a 15 year period to inform growing debates about backlash in climate politics with empirical evidence. We observe a low prevalence of backlash, but when it occurs it can be highly impactful. We argue that politicians and policymakers should not be axiomatically fearful of using hard climate policies (eg regulation, taxation/pricing, phase-outs). 

Embracing the politics of transformation: Policy action as “battle-settlement events” (in Review of Policy Research)

We argue that policy action for societal transformations is often conflictual, and challenges common expectations (such as uptake of change via S-curves). In response, we develop a view of transformations as unfolding through a series of ‘battle-settlement events’ in political struggles over policy action, drawing on cases of energy system change in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Negotiating Discord in Sustainability Transformations (in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

We argue that thinking on sustainability transformations relies too much on assumptions of ‘accord’ (e.g., consensus, political will, win-win solutions) which are unrealistic in practice. We propose instead to focus on finding ‘partial political settlements’ – imperfect and uncomfortable compromises – that can help to move transformations forward in the face of deep sociopolitical divisions. 

Backlash to Climate Policy (in Global Environmental Politics)

I examine why and how policy backlash arises in response to 'hard' climate policy (eg regulation, taxes/pricing, and phaseouts). Drawing on insights from policy, politics, and social movements, I argue that backlash is driven by a sense of contested legitimacy within a political community. The paper provides a basis for comparative analysis on the emergence, dynamics, and effects of backlash in climate politics.

The political effects of emergency frames in sustainability (in Nature Sustainability)

We synthesize the diverse political effects of declaring sustainability issues as 'emergencies'. Scientists, civil society, and policy makers call for declarations of climate and biodiversity emergency. But this can have a range of intended and unintended effects. Our work provides a systematic foundation for debates about the politics of emergency in sustainability. 

Remaking Political Institutions: Climate Change and Beyond (Cambridge University Press - Elements)

I explore the politics of deliberate institutional change in the face of mounting institutional failures in contemporary governance. I argue that we need to better understand how to ‘remake’ institutions from nonideal starting points, rather than viewing this as a question of design on a blank slate. This involves ongoing political work. This challenges environmental governance scholars to think prospectively about how institutions can be improved in practice. 

Scientific leadership

Member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Earth System Governance Project (2019-present); Co-Chair from 2019-2021. 

Domain Editor (Policy and Governance) for Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change. 

Section Editor (Governance) for Global Sustainability (Cambridge University Press)

Teaching

Master:

• Track Coordinator (Earth System Governance track), Masters of Sustainable Development programme
• Master Thesis Sustainable Development (GEO4-2321)
• Research Design (GEO4-2314)

Bachelor:

• Research Skills (GEO1-2415)
• Sustainable Land Use (GEO3-2121)