James Alstine

James Van Alstine is Associate Professor in Environmental Policy at the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) in the School of Earth and Environment. James is an interdisciplinary social scientist whose research and teaching explores environmental politics and governance in the global North and South. With over 15 years of experience in the field of natural resource governance, James studies the political ecology of resource extraction, the politics and governance of energy transitions, and opportunities for low carbon, inclusive and climate resilient development.

James seeks to bridge the academic-practitioner divide by pursuing action-oriented research that aims to co-produce policy and pro-poor development impacts. For example, he recently led a four-year (2012-2016) donor-funded project with local partners that explored opportunities for community-driven accountability and deliberative decision-making in Uganda’s oil-bearing regions. He works closely with development partners, policy makers and regulatory agencies at the international, national and local levels, as well as with industry, NGOs and communities. James’ research spans a variety of countries, including Brazil, Ghana, Greenland, Ireland, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States and Zambia.

Prior to joining SRI in 2008, James was a fellow in environmental policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he completed his PhD on corporate environmentalism in the South African petrochemical industry. He is a member of the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, which is co-hosted by LSE and the University of Leeds, and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. James leads the Social and Political Dimensions of Sustainability research group within SRI. He is also a writer, editor and team leader for the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Earth Negotiations Bulletin at United Nations multilateral environmental negotiations. James holds an MSc in Environmental Assessment and Evaluation from LSE and a BA in Philosophy from Northwestern University in the US.