About me
I am an interdisciplinary researcher working on the political economy of climate policy. My work asks what political and economic conditions enable or inhibit effective climate action. My research has focussed on the relationship between wealth inequality and climate change and the political economy of green industrial policy.
I am currently a PhD candidate at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and will finish my PhD in 2026.
Academic Research
My research takes an interdisciplinary approach to ask what political and economic conditions enable or inhibit effective climate action.
To answer this, I have developed two complementary lines of inquiry. The first examines how wealth inequality undermines the conditions for effective climate governance. Specifically, I have identified four transmission mechanisms through which wealth inequality drives carbon emissions and evaluates which policies could address this. I have also used econometric analysis to estimate the relationship between wealth inequality and climate policy stringency.
The second line of inquiry addresses a recent trend in environmental policy: green industrial policy. I apply a comparative political economy framework to the battery policy of the US, EU and China to ask what domestic and international institutional conditions lead these states to pursue distinct policy strategies.
Policy Research
Prior to my PhD, I worked in the research team at the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). I worked on projects related to public services, using statistical analysis and qualitative methods, such as expert interviews and participatory workshops. I contributed to reports on, among other things, the economic security of people with multiple health conditions, the economic security of social renters, and the use of foresight and futures thinking in policymaking. At the RSA, I also worked on The Health Case for UBI, a Wellcome Trust-funded project led by the University of Northumbria that examined the potential health effects of a UBI. This led to several publications, including policy reports and a paper in Journal of Youth Studies.
Publications
- Morrison, J., van den Bergh, J., & Kallis, G. (2025). The impact of wealth inequality on carbon emissions and climate policy. Climate Policy, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2571400
- Johnson, E. A., Webster, H., Morrison, J., Thorold, R., Mathers, A., Nettle, D., … Johnson, M. T. (2023). What role do young people believe Universal Basic Income can play in supporting their mental health? Journal of Youth Studies, 28(1), 175–194. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2023.2256236
In preparation
- Morrison, J., van den Bergh, J., & Kallis, G. (2026). Wealth inequality undermines international climate action: Panel evidence from 49 countries, under review
- Morrison, J., van den Bergh, J., & Kallis, G. (2026). The political economy of green industrial policy: comparing the battery policies of five economies, draft stage
Selected policy reports
- Johnson, E. A., Villadsen, A., Parra Mujica, F., Webster, H., Thorold, R., Morrison, J., … Johnson, M. T. (2022). Challenging the mental health crisis: How Universal Basic Income can address youth anxiety and depression. RSA and Northumbria University.
- Jooshandeh, J., Webster, H., & Morrison, J. (2022). Social security: The risks from automation and economic insecurity for England's social renters. RSA.
- Webster, H., & Morrison, J. (2021). Economic security and long-term conditions. RSA.
- Shallowe, A., Szymczyk, A., Firebrace, E., Burbidge, I., & Morrison, J. (2020). A Stitch in Time: Realising the value of futures and foresight. RSA and Policy Evaluation and Research Unit, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Contact
I am based at ICTA-UAB in Barcelona. I welcome enquiries about my research, potential collaborations, or media requests.
- Email james.morrison@uab.cat
- LinkedIn James Morrison
- Bluesky @morrison-james