Research

I have generated over £2 million in research funding as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator. I have a broad interest in environmental governance and sustainable development and have been working on a range of environmental issues ranging from climate change and biodiversity to agriculture and chemicals management. Below are different areas of my work and related research projects.

• Sustainability governance of China’s overseas investments:
  – Sustainability governance of China’s global infrastructure investments (SGAIN) (2024-2028), Principal Investigator, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (GBP 1,656,886)
  – China and Global Sustainability Transition Conference (2025), Bath Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change Innovatoin Pot (GBP 11,900)
  
• Policy and politics of net zero transitions:
  – The Political Economy of Meat System Transformation (2021-2024), Principal member, Swiss Network of International Studies (CHF252,000)
  – GW4 Sustainable Food Consumption Research Community (2023-2024), Community Lead (GBP 20,000)
  
• Governance of critical mineral supply chains:
  – “Global governing gaps and accountability taps for solar energy and storage” (2024-2027), Co-Investigator, Australian Research Council (AUD180,580)
  – “From stone to phone: Livelihoods, resource governance and artisanal cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo” (2020-2021), Co-Investigator, Global Challenge Research Fund (GBP 39,890)
  
• Governance of the Sustainable Development Goals:
  – Taskforce on the Sustainable Development Goals (since 2021), Earth System Governance Project
  – The Future of the Sustainable Development Goals (2023), University of Bath HSS Internationalisation Fund (GBP 8,000)
  
• Private and voluntary sustainability standards:
  – The impact of export-oriented voluntary certifications on gender inequality in rural Brazil: The case of the Bonsucro-RED certification, Co-Investigator, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)’s Institute for the Integration of Latin America (IDB-INTAL) (USD 8,000)
  – “Private Sustainability Governance and Emerging Economies: The Case of Tea Certification in China, India, and Kenya” (2018-2019), Principal Investigator, Swiss National Science Foundation Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship (CHF102,275)
  – “Transnational Private Governance for the Environment in China” (2015-2018), Principal Investigator, Swiss National Science Foundation Doc.CH Grant (CHF 203,544)