About

Sarah Elven is a final year PhD student in Environmental Economics, due to graduate in early 2025. Sarah also works for the World Bank’s Mind, Behavior and Development, and Social Protection Units.

Sarah’s research considers challenges at the intersection of development and environmental policy design. She is especially interested in how policy can reduce the poverty impacts of climate change and policies to mitigate climate change, as well as how it can encourage green behavioral change. Sarah’s work often uses experimental methods and primary data, and she has experience of designing and implementing applied research projects across many settings.

Background

Previously, Sarah worked for the World Bank’s Development Impact Evaluation Unit (DIME), the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for Oikocredit Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, and for Oxford and Edinburgh Herriot Watt Universities.

Education

  • PhD in Environmental Economics (completing in 2025), London School of Economics and Political Science
  • MSc in Economics for Development, 2015, University of Oxford
  • MA in Economics, 2013, University of Edinburgh

Research Interests

  • Development Economics
  • Environmental Economics
  • Behavioral Economics
  • Applied Microeconomics
  • Policy Design and Evaluation
  • Deforestation and Natural Resource Management
  • Clean Technology Adoption
  • Social Protection

Publications

Elven, S., Castaneda-Nunez, J.L., de Martino, S., Dugas, M. and Kundu, S., (forthcoming, 2025) Behavioral Savings Sessions Increase the Pursuit of Solar Products Among Refugees in Uganda, npj Climate Action

Elven, S. and LeMay-Boucher, P., 2016. How sustainable is the use of different savings devices? A study of formal and informal finance in Benin. The Journal of Developing Areas, pp.123-139.

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