Ian Higham
Dr Ian Higham is a postdoctoral Research Officer in Environmental Politics at GRI. He conducts research on multiple projects in global environmental politics with a focus on integrating human rights and climate policy.
Background
Prior to joining GRI, Ian worked as Lecturer in Political Science and International Relations at Stockholm University and as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies in Stockholm, Sweden. He remains affiliated with the Transformative Partnerships 2030 research project based at the Institute for Futures Studies, studying multi-stakeholder partnerships’ ability to generate synergies in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. His previous work mostly concerned the global governance of business and human rights, and his doctoral dissertation studied early adoption at national level of policies for implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Ian holds a PhD in Political Science from Stockholm University, an MSc in Global Politics from the London School of Economics, and a BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University. He has also worked in the private sector as an environmental, social, and governance research analyst and as a sustainability and public affairs consultant.
Research interests
- Human rights and environmental policy integration
- Great power politics and global environmental governance
- Global political economy and climate
- Climate and business & human rights
Research
Research - 2023
Governments sometimes adopt policies that are not aligned with their preferences or have not come onto their agendas when doing... Read more
Policy
Policy - 2024
This report consists of a submission by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment to a call for inputs on corporate accountability in the context of human rights and climate change. Read more
Policy - 2023
This report consists of a response to a call for inputs on ‘Investors, ESG and Human Rights’ by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. It focuses on the climate change-related human rights responsibilities of investors. Read more
Informed by research conducted using the Climate Change Laws of the World database, this report consists of a submission to a call for inputs on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change. Read more
Policy - 2022
More needs to be done to ensure the accountability and credibility of net zero commitments made by a range of actors. This response to a UN consultation offers evidence and recommendations on how this can be done. Read more
News
News - 2023
In this commentary, Daniel Berliner, Ian Higham and Joana Setzer argue that the first Global Stocktake may yet produce positive outcomes, even where policy and implementation gaps remain. Read more
News - 2022
The UN recently published a report on the net zero commitments of ‘non-state actors’, including businesses and cities. Ian Higham examines the key ways the report’s recommendations advance the net zero accountability agenda and discusses potential pitfalls and possible next steps in global governance of net zero. Read more
