Fergus Green
Fergus Green is a researcher and climate policy consultant based at the London School of Economics & Political Science. From January 2014 to October 2015, Fergus was a Policy Analyst and Research Advisor to Professor Stern at the LSE’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment and Centre for Climate Change Economics & Policy. In that role he was primarily responsible for providing academic and policy-related research assistance and advice to Professor Stern. He was also a Policy Analyst within the Institute’s Policy Team, working on projects relating to international climate cooperation, climate policy in China, and various theoretical topics concerning climate change mitigation policy. Fergus is currently an MRes/PhD candidate in Political Science in the LSE Department of Government and he remains actively involved with the Institute.
Background
Fergus began his career as a lawyer in the Melbourne office of Australasian firm Allens Arthur Robinson (now Allens-Linklaters) from February 2009 to June 2012, where he specialised in climate change, energy, water and environmental regulation. During this period, Fergus also engaged in Australia’s climate and energy policy debate as an independent commentator, writing for Australia’s Lowy Institute for International Policy and for a wide range of print and online media. He was a Fellow (2010), Director and Chairman (2011–12) of the not-for-profit Centre for Sustainability Leadership.
Fergus moved to London in September 2012 to undertake graduate study after receiving a Sir John Monash Scholarship. He completed an MSc in Philosophy & Public Policy with distinction at the LSE, receiving the Andrea Mannu Prize. He also holds a BA (Political Science) and a Bachelor of Laws with first class honours from the University of Melbourne.
In 2013 Fergus was a research assistant in the LSE’s Department of Philosophy, Logic & Scientific Method and throughout the 2013/14 academic year he was a Teaching Fellow in the Centre for International Studies & Diplomacy at SOAS, where he taught Global Energy & Climate Policy at masters level.
Research Interests
- Global climate change governance and international cooperation;
- Climate change policy in China, the UK and Australia;
- The role of government in fostering structural economic change;
- Ideal vs non-ideal (first vs second best) approaches to climate policy;
- The regulation of fossil fuels / “Unburnable Carbon”;
- Various topics in political theory, ethics, and the philosophy of economics and public policy:
- Climate change ethics;
- The ethics of policy transition (compensation, exemptions, grandfathering);
- Liberal vs non-liberal and welfarist vs non-welfarist approaches to climate change;
- Republican political theory, citizenship and democracy;
- Social/political norms.
Research
Research - 2019
While the decarbonization of the global economy will bring immense benefits in the aggregate and to many individuals, it will... Read more
Research - 2018
A deepening understanding of the importance of climate change has caused a recent and rapid increase in the number of... Read more
Research - 2016
Headline issue China is undergoing another major structural transformation. It is moving towards a new development model, focused on achieving... Read more
Research - 2015
This paper finds that the vast majority of emissions cuts needed to decarbonise the global economy this century can lead to domestic economic benefits that outweigh the costs for individual countries, even before the avoided risks of dangerous climate change are taken into account. Read more
Policy
Policy - 2016
This report assesses the domestic constraints and opportunities for the development of climate policy in China, the EU and the US. Read more
Policy - 2015
This paper shows that effective international cooperation can help the world develop along a 2°C pathway and adapt to the climatic changes already locked-in as a result of past and ongoing greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
Study shows that China has entered a new phase of economic development - continuing to promote economic growth while driving down its GHG emissions. Read more
Policy - 2014
The interplay between innovation and risk, and the social interactions between public and private sectors, are critical in fostering innovation and determining its effectiveness. Read more
COP21, to be held in Paris at the end of 2015, presents an important opportunity for governments to negotiate a new international climate agreement. A question of central importance to preparations for COP21 is: what sort of policy architecture is most likely to generate sufficiently ambitious action to reduce global emissions? Read more
China’s consumption of coal could reach a peak by 2020, or even earlier, as part of its plans to pursue... Read more
Headline issue The UK Government is reviewing the fourth carbon budget for the period 2023-27. The Committee on Climate Change... Read more
Books
Books - 2018
A deepening understanding of the importance of climate change has caused a recent and rapid increase in the number of... Read more
Events
News
News - 2016
Guardian, 14 April Read more
China Dialogue, 17 March Read more
Economist, 12 March Read more
Fergus Green discusses new research argues that rapid growth in China’s carbon dioxide emissions is a thing of the past. Read more
Washington Post, 7 March Read more
Wall Street Journal, 7 March Read more
Brisbane Times, 8 March Read more
Financial Times, 7 March Read more
Guardian, 7 March Read more
Reuters, 7 March Read more
News - 2015
Foreign Policy, 30 October Read more
China Dialogue, 2 September Read more
China Daily, 5 September Read more
Xinhua, 1 September Read more
31 August, Estado de Minas Read more
The Age, 24 July Read more
Fergus Green looks at the opportunities arising from greater international cooperation on climate change action and how the barriers to cooperation can be overcome. Read more
Climate Spectator, 14 July Read more
Guardian, 13 July Read more
July 1, SciDev.net Read more
Canberra Times, 1 July Read more
Diário do Grande ABC, 30 June Read more
Le Devoir, 30 June Read more
Le Monde, 30 June Read more
TIME magazine report on new LSE research which indicates that China's C02 emissions may peak by 2025 - five years sooner than the year pledged. Read more
Financial Times, 14 June Read more
This news article refers to a recent study published by the Grantham Research Institute at LSE which says that emissions... Read more
The Age, 10 June Read more
Jakarta Globe, 10 June Read more
Voice of America, 9 June 2015 News article link no longer available Read more
Foreign Policy, 9 June Read more
Bloomberg, 9 June Content only available to subscribers Read more
ABC News, 9 June Read more
Climate Spectator, 9 June Read more
Sydney Morning Herald, 8 June Read more
Bloomberg, 8 June Content only available to subscribers Read more
The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 June Read more
Mail & Guardian, 9 June Read more
South China Morning Post, 8 June Read more
The Irish Times, 9 June Read more
Le Monde, 8 June Read more
Correio Popular, 8 June Read more
China's greenhouse gas emissions could start to decline within 10 years, according to a report from the London School of Economics. Read more
The Telegraph, 8 June Read more
Research by London School of Economics suggests the world could now avoid warming of more than 2C Read more
Fergus Green, from the Grantham Research Institute and other leading China energy experts discuss whether China's coal consumption and CO2 emissions will continue to fall. Read more
News - 2014
As the climate change negotiations at COP20 in Lima come to a close, the question of whether the new climate agreement being negotiated should be “internationally legally binding” remains an unresolved point of controversy. Read more
With the repeal today of Australia's two-year-old carbon pricing scheme, the Abbott Government has formalised Australia's transition from climate laggard to climate wrecker. But just how serious a blow to global climate efforts is this repeal? Read more