Environmental Sciences and Governance

The Environmental Science and Governance research area works at the interface between natural science, social science and policy formation. This involves research into physical and environmental science as well as social sciences such as economics, political science, law and philosophy.

It also involves working directly with policymakers to keep them abreast of new and emerging trends in academic thinking, and the opportunities for policy innovation these present.

The research seeks to understand the ways in which scientific evidence can complement institutions and governance frameworks to better inform policy.

We aim to improve the quality of environmental governance by:

• Drawing in the best available scientific information;
• Understanding how the incentives of firms, states and other strategic actors change under different governance structures;
• Working towards better environmental governance primarily through the use of existing institutions;
• Developing and clarifying policy options;
• Thinking about international and domestic policy harmonisation.

The Environmental Science and Governance research is based around the Smith School’s core staff, its Visiting Fellows, Associate Professors and affiliated researchers. Working together, we aim to provide high quality academic research and critical but constructive voices to help inform environmental policy making.

The following Research Fellows, Smith School Associates and Visiting Fellows are involved in the work of Environmental Science and Governance.

Dave Frame – Deputy Director, SSEE, Visiting Lecturer in Physics at Oxford University

Bettina Wittneben – Research Fellow, SSEE

Dan Bodansky – Professor of Law, Ethics and Sustainability at Arizona State University, Senior Visiting Fellow SSEE

Bob Hahn – Professor of Economics at Manchester University, Senior Visiting Fellow SSEE and Senior Fellow at the Georgetown Centre for Business and Public Policy

Kenneth Richards – Associate Professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, University of Indiana, Senior Visiting Fellow, SSEE

Robyn Eckersley, Professor and Head of Political Science, School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences of Australia, Visiting Fellow SSEE.

Tavis Potts, lecturer in marine policy at the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

Myles Allen – Head of Climate Dynamics, Oxford Physics, SSEE Associate

Liz Fisher – Reader in Environmental Law, Oxford, SSEE Associate

Emily Boyd – Lecturer, School of Earth and Environment at Leeds University, Visiting Fellow at SSEE

Frances Bowen – Associate Professor, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, Visiting Fellow, SSEE

Post-doctoral Researchers, Students and Research Assistants.

Neil Massey – Post-doctoral researcher, SSEE/Oxford Physics

Dagmar Kiyar, PhD Student, University of Muenster, Germany/SSEE

Niel Bowerman – D. Phil student, Oxford Physics/SSEE

Katharine Wilkinson – D. Phil student, ECI/SSEE

Owen Owens – Research Assistant, SSEE