Kaya Axelsson
Net Zero Policy Engagement Fellow
Profile
Kaya’s work her work focuses on climate governance and accelerating net-zero transitions. Her current research explores pathways for collective action, particularly the shift from voluntary to mandatory climate governance. Prior to pursuing her DPhil at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, she received distinction for her master’s thesis on politically unlikely victories in renewable energy policy. Kaya’s work draws on extensive fieldwork and action research in net-zero standards and voluntary initiatives. She has collaborated with companies, governments, international organizations, and academic institutions to develop actionable strategies for translating climate science into policy and practice. Her contributions have supported high-impact efforts across organizations including the International Organisation for Standardisation, the UN High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero, the Race to Zero campaign, and the Oxford Climate Policy & Regulation Hub.
Kaya is an author of The Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting, Oxford Smith School’s guide to the design and delivery of net zero commitments and the most downloaded report on the Smith School’s website since its publication in February 2024.
Kaya contributes regularly to media on net zero governance with recent expert comments in Forbes, the Financial Times, the Guardian and a BBC One panorama documentary on carbon markets.
