About

Background

Alex is now a special adviser to the Grantham Research Institute, working part-time.  Until December 2016, he was a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute.  Before joining the London School of Economics and Political Science, Alex worked at the Bank of England, his final post being as a Senior Policy Adviser on monetary policy issues.  Alex’s current research interests were stimulated by his sabbatical year away from the Bank working as senior economic adviser to ‘The Economics of Climate Change:  The Stern Review’.

Alex has worked recently with the OECD and ILO on inclusive labour markets and green growth and with colleagues on the financial stability implications of climate change and policies to combat it.  Dr Bowen has also been a consultant to the World Bank, EBRD, Asian Development Bank Institute, UK DFID and UK DECC.

Alex graduated in economics from Clare College, Cambridge, and received a PhD in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied as a Kennedy Scholar.

Policy and research interests

  • The macroeconomic and labour-market aspects of climate-change and other environmental policies
  • ‘Green’ growth and industrial policy
  • The design of policy regimes for tackling harmful climate change
  • Climate finance
  • The impact of climate change and efforts to combat it on financial stability

 

Research

Research - 2021

Research - 2018

Research - 2016

Research - 2015

This study employs a number of Integrated Assessment Models to determine what the optimal financial transfers between high-income and developing economies would be if climate mitigation effort, measured as mitigation costs as a share of gross domestic product, were to be divided equally across regions through a global carbon market. Read more

Research - 2014

Building on simulations using Integrated Assessment Models and historical evidence, this paper explores some of the issues posed by this dual financing challenge. We discuss the "fiscal self-reliance" of the energy sector, finding that carbon pricing would generate sufficient fiscal revenues within each region to finance total investment in energy supply. Read more

Research - 2013

Research - 2012

Research - 2011

Research - 2010

Policy

Policy - 2020

This report investigates whether the evidence supports the reasons given by the Trump Administration to justify its decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, and concludes that the decision is irrational and does not promote the best interests of the American people. Read more

This is a response to the Bank of England's discussion paper, 'The 2021 biennial exploratory scenario on the financial risks from climate change'. The response has been prepared by authors from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE, the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, and the University of Edinburgh Business School. Read more

In advance of the Budget, this policy report highlights areas of the UK economy where the public sector could leverage private investment and in so doing contribute to achieving the strategic priorities of regionally balanced growth and decarbonisation. Read more

Policy - 2017

Policy - 2016

Policy - 2015

Policy - 2014

Policy - 2013

Policy - 2012

Policy - 2011

Policy - 2010

Policy - 2009

Books

Books - 2018

Books - 2014

Books - 2013

Events

Events - 2015

Events - 2014

News

News - 2021

A recent think tank report that predicts significant disruption to jobs in the UK from the transition to net-zero emissions uses a potentially misleading method, argues Alex Bowen, whose own analysis shows that, with the right policies, the transition could benefit workers throughout the country. Read more

News - 2019

Alex Bowen contends that policymakers should react to the climate emergency by adopting the new 'green growth' paradigm, changing the nature of economic growth by moving the emphasis away from resource exploitation and towards the generation and use of ideas. Read more

News - 2017

News - 2015

News - 2012

News - 2011

News - 2010

News - 2009

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