Lei (Alice) Bian - Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment

About

Lei (Alice) Bian is Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. She is leading a policy-relevant research project on accelerating a just transition to net zero in the ASEAN region, with a focus on China’s role. She is a member of the LSE-Southeast Asia Early Career Research Network.

Background

Before joining the Grantham Research Institute, Alice was the Environment Researcher at Clean Air Asia, where she undertook policy and economic analyses on air quality management and climate change for China and Southeast Asia. Prior to this, she interned with the World Health Organisation for the Western Pacific Region (WPRO) in the Philippines, where she primarily contributed to the development of concept notes for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on building low-carbon and climate-resilient health systems in the Pacific and Southeast Asian countries. Previously, she joined the Asian Development Bank (ADB) PRC Resident Mission as a consultant/ Regional Cooperation Coordinator for the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program.

She holds a BA in History and Philosophy of Science, and Economics and a Master of Food and Resource Economics from the University of British Columbia. She also holds an MSc in Global Energy and Climate Policy from the SOAS University of London.

Research interests

Energy and climate change policy
Climate change and health
Climate change and food security
Regional cooperation and integration
Sustainable finance

Research

Research - 2023

China’s role in scaling up energy storage investments

Research article

by Lei (Alice) Bian

on 5 June, 2023

This study explores the challenges and opportunities of China’s domestic and international roles in scaling up energy storage investments. Read more

Policy

Policy - 2023

Promoting healthy ageing in Asia-Pacific through action on climate and air pollution

Policy publication

by Lei (Alice) Bian and Elizabeth Robinson

on 7 September, 2023

This policy brief provides evidence to support policymakers in mobilising capital for a just, resilient transition to net zero, by highlighting the potential health co-benefits of addressing the risks from heat and air pollution in combination. Read more

Submission to the Environmental Audit Committee Call for Evidence on heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Policy publication

by Candice Howarth, Lei (Alice) Bian, Shouro Dasgupta, Denyse S. Dookie, Sara Mehryar, Elizabeth Robinson and Swenja Surminski

on 6 September, 2023

This report consists of a submission to the call for evidence by the Environmental Audit Committee on heat resilience and sustainable cooling. Read more

Submission to the UK Environmental Audit Committee’s Inquiry on Environmental Change and Food Security

Policy publication

by Elizabeth Robinson, Shouro Dasgupta and Lei (Alice) Bian

on 6 March, 2023

This report consists of written evidence to the UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry on environmental change and food security. It states that UK’s Food Strategy of 2022 does not sufficiently factor climate risks into building resilient domestic food supply chains and suggests measures that the Government could take to increase food security while providing climate mitigation and health co-benefits. Read more

Policy - 2022

Addressing climate change impacts on health

Policy publication

by Elizabeth Robinson and Lei (Alice) Bian

on 10 November, 2022

This paper explores health risks from climate change in a global context, setting out key risks and actions towards addressing these. Read more

China’s international role in navigating the climate-trade nexus

Policy publication

by Lei (Alice) Bian and Lucie Qian Xia

on 19 October, 2022

This report explores policy options in which China can address the nexus of climate change and trade to reap the benefits of the global net zero transition through partnerships. Read more