Ben Crawford
Ben is a Research Officer working on the ‘Advancing the understanding of the challenges, policy options, and measures to achieve a just EU energy transition’ (AdJUST) project, as part of a European consortium. The project aims to identify effective policy interventions to tackle the distributive repercussions of the transition to climate neutrality.
Ben is leading work on trade union responses to the climate crisis and the energy transition, with the aim of identifying mechanisms which can support a worker led ‘just’ transition. He is co-leading work on assessing the capacity of public bodies to implement decarbonisation policies.
Background
Before joining the Grantham Institute, Ben completed an ESRC CASE PhD studentship in socio-legal studies at the University of Liverpool, in partnership with the Institute of Employment Rights, a labour law and policy think tank.
His thesis research focused on the ways in which structures of corporate law affect the realization of labour rights. The analysis used an innovative ‘legal coding’ approach to consider how the strategic application of private law rules intersects with regulatory regimes to shape economic outcomes and erode rights. Thesis findings provide new insights into the contemporary problems workers face with regards to fair remuneration, precarity, and voice and autonomy at work
Ben’s research is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on industrial relations sociology, law, and political economy. He has recently worked on projects looking at models of ‘green’ trade union collective bargaining, and proposals for a law of ‘ecocide’ in the International Criminal Court.
He also holds a postgraduate diploma in International Politics and a B. A. in International Relations.
Research interests
- Labour rights and corporate power
- Sustainable work
- Green industrial policy