Research

Research Summary

I am a political and environmental geographer interested in:

• Post-foundational political theory and its applications within Geography
• Debates surrounding the post-political, de-politicisation and re-politicisation
• Aesthetics
• Cultures of environmental expertise
• Accounting, metrics and standardisation
• The relation between carbon accounting and politics
• Governance
• Smart, sustainable and zero-carbon cities
• Disciplinary debates

Much of my recent work has focused on the (post)politics of carbon accounting. This research explores the politics of territorial carbon accountability and challenges the idea that standard-setters and expert accountants are neutral. My research has asked what expert accounting and standardisation have meant for politics and considered what it might mean to repoliticise accounting.

Conceptually, post-foundational political theories have animated much of my research. I am particularly interested in the work of Jacques Rancière and the roles that post-foundational political theories might play in Geography.

I am currently leading an ESRC Impact Acceleration Account: Covid19 Rapid Response Fund project entitled Decarbonising Consumption in Manchester’s COVID-19 Recovery which aims to ensure that existing expertise on reducing consumption-related carbon emissions can be embedded in to Manchester’s COVID-19 recovery over the short, medium and long-term.

I serve as a member of The Manchester Zero Carbon Advisory Group, working to ensure that Manchester's carbon reduction commitments are in line with the Paris Agreement and that the city has in place a mechanism for monitoring its progress. Alongside colleagues in the aviation sub-group, I have worked to establish reporting for aviation emissions at a city-level and I am currently leading the sub-group on consumption-based / indirect emissions.

I was also previously a member of the Manchester CO₂ monitoring group, which sought to understand why emissions are changing and considering where action should be targeted.

My work has featured in non-academic outlets such as City Metric (New Statestman), The Conversation, Policy@Manchester and Die Welt amongst other places.