Research Areas

Within the fields of political science and international relations, my research focuses on the politics and governance of climate change and energy and the lessons for national policy and foreign policy. This work has been funded by the Australian Research Council, government agencies, and philanthropic organizations. This work falls into five broad areas:

1.     Politics of climate change and business

• The political activities of business actors
  My major work in this area is my second book Business Battles in the US Energy Sector: Lessons for a clean energy transition published in 2019, which examines how and why business actors shape climate and energy policy in the US and the lessons for policymakers. I have also published a series of papers on business coalitions, business lobbying and related political activities.

• Building climate lobbying capabilities

  This new research aims to determine whether pro-climate groups in highly consequential emerging economies can be supported to be more effective strategists and lobbyists. For example, by conducting research on the interest group population, their political capabilities, and identifying lessons for policymakers and advocates.

2.  Global energy politics and governance

• The changing geopolitics of energy
  This is an emerging area of work that is looking at how states, including Australia, attain geopolitical leverage in the context of an energy transition. This research builds on earlier work on energy diplomacy.

• International organizations and informal governance
  I have published a series of studies in the fields of international relations and global governance that examine how formal and informal international organizations govern. This includes a focus on the role of individual organizations, such as the International Energy Agency, the G20 and the Energy Charter Treaty, and on the interactions between multiple international organizations to examine why and how organizations compete and cooperate.

3.     Climate and energy finance

• Public bilateral finance
  This work examines the best ways to incentivize financial institutions to shift from high to low carbon investments. The principal focus is on Export Credit Agencies in G20 countries, mapping their financial flows in the energy sector, and examining their lending decisions. I have also published on related topics, such as the risk of stranded assets, particularly in relation to coal projects in Asia.

4. International negotiations

• International negotiations
  My doctoral and initial postdoctoral research examined how states negotiate in the context of the United Nations negotiations on climate change. Specifically, it asked: what factors lead a state to change its negotiating position and the type of agreement it is willing to sign? And, how and why are these decisions made? The results were published in my first book The Politics of Climate Change Negotiations in 2014. I have also published a series of related pieces that explore the bureaucratic politics that underpin international negotiating positions and the role of state coalitions, such as the G20 and the BRICS.

5.     Foreign policy

• Australian foreign policy
  As a former foreign policy advisor to the Australian Government, I occasionally publish studies that examine various aspects of foreign policy, including the role of middle powers, energy diplomacy, and chairing international negotiations.