Biography
Pu Yang is a postdoctoral researcher in Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) at the Energy and Power Group. She works on the CCG Advancing GIS Modelling of Integrated Systems Analysis workstream (WS3a), which involves identifying High Impact Economic Opportunities (HIEOs) and assessing the social impact of energy-related decision-making. She is also a research associate at the Sustainable Finance Centre at the University of Exeter, working on a project examining internal carbon pricing.
Pu Yang's research is focused on promoting ambitious emission reductions by recognising the benefits of low-carbon transition and utilising various levels of (national, sectoral, and firm-level) carbon pricing. Her work in this area has resulted in several high-impact publications (e.g., One Earth, Global Environmental Change) and get widely cited by policy documents and newspapers. She has received numerous prestigious awards and scholarships, including those from UCL, CSC, GBCC, and IIASA, which reflect the quality of her work and her contributions to the field.
Prior to Oxford, Pu Yang was a research fellow at University of Exeter. She obtained her PhD in climate change economics at UCL Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction (BSSC) after completing a BSc in Information Management and Information Systems and an MSc in Energy Economics and Climate Policy.
Research Interests
Pu Yang's research interests lie at the intersection of climate policy, low-carbon technology, and carbon finance.
Climate Policy
Allocation of future carbon budgets is always a core topic for international climate conferences. Pu Yang’s research has developed a new perspective to review the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) from a cost-benefit perspective. Treating emission reduction as a solely economic behaviour motivated by avoiding future economic damages from climate change, her analysis suggests that the proposed NDCs from India and Russia are bringing more serious future climate damage than the cost to avoid emissions.
Her papers also investigate the barrier for countries to ratify NDCs, equitable negative emissions for NDCs to be consistent with the Paris Agreement, and the impact of risk aversion in climate policy-making.
Low-carbon technology
In her current project, Pu Yang focuses on the social return of applying low-carbon technologies, specifically green hydrogen. She has supervised an MSc student and conducted a survey in China to identify risk factors in distributed wind power. Through her research and projects, she is working towards a more sustainable future by promoting low-carbon technologies and identifying potential challenges and solutions in their implementation.
Carbon finance
Pu Yang is currently working with Exeter Sustainable Finance Centre colleagues to explore the drivers and effectiveness of internal carbon pricing. Her research focuses on understanding the motivations behind corporate carbon pricing strategies and assessing the impact of these policies on emissions reductions. By investigating the potential benefits and limitations of internal carbon pricing, she aims to inform more effective and sustainable climate finance practices.
Current Projects
- Climate Compatible Growth (CCG)
- The RBC Global Asset Management Sustainable Investment Research Programme
Research Groups
Related Academics
A 10-point plan to scale up renewable energy in the Global South
Fankhauser S, Hepburn C, Hirmer S, Kukeera T, Singh D et al. (2024), Climate Policy
BibTeX
@article{apointplantosca-2024/10,
title={A 10-point plan to scale up renewable energy in the Global South},
author={Fankhauser S, Hepburn C, Hirmer S, Kukeera T, Singh D et al.},
journal={Climate Policy},
publisher={Taylor and Francis},
year = "2024"
}
Inconsistent measurement calls into question progress on electrification in sub-Saharan Africa
Hirmer S, Tomei J, Yang P, Leonard A, Trotter P et al. (2024), Nature Energy, 9(9), 1046-1050
BibTeX
@article{inconsistentmea-2024/9,
title={Inconsistent measurement calls into question progress on electrification in sub-Saharan Africa},
author={Hirmer S, Tomei J, Yang P, Leonard A, Trotter P et al.},
journal={Nature Energy},
volume={9},
pages={1046-1050},
publisher={Springer Nature},
year = "2024"
}
Climate Change Adaptation, Social Resilience, and Perceived Values Data from Turkana, Machakos and Narok Counties, Kenya
Stockport B, Yang P, Kimani J, Leonard A & Hirmer S (2024), Data in Brief, 57, 110978
BibTeX
@article{climatechangead-2024/9,
title={Climate Change Adaptation, Social Resilience, and Perceived Values Data from Turkana, Machakos and Narok Counties, Kenya},
author={Stockport B, Yang P, Kimani J, Leonard A & Hirmer S},
journal={Data in Brief},
volume={57},
number={110978},
pages={110978},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2024"
}
Policy support for BECCS and DACCS in Europe: the view of market participants
Yang P, Fankhauser S, Smith SM, Sundvor I, Hirmer S et al. (2024), Environmental Research Letters, 19(9)
BibTeX
@article{policysupportfo-2024/8,
title={Policy support for BECCS and DACCS in Europe: the view of market participants},
author={Yang P, Fankhauser S, Smith SM, Sundvor I, Hirmer S et al.},
journal={Environmental Research Letters},
volume={19},
number={094022},
publisher={IOP Publishing},
year = "2024"
}
Are we underestimating inner-megacity energy poverty in developing countries? Evidence from 2054 households in beijing, China
Jiang L, Yan M, Wang Y, Yang P & Shi X (2024), Energy, 300
BibTeX
@article{areweunderestim-2024/5,
title={Are we underestimating inner-megacity energy poverty in developing countries? Evidence from 2054 households in beijing, China},
author={Jiang L, Yan M, Wang Y, Yang P & Shi X},
journal={Energy},
volume={300},
number={131596},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2024"
}
Perceived values and climate change resilience dataset in Siaya County, Kenya
Yang P, Leonard A, Flores Lanza M, Ireri M & Hirmer S (2024), Data in Brief, 54
BibTeX
@article{perceivedvalues-2024/3,
title={Perceived values and climate change resilience dataset in Siaya County, Kenya},
author={Yang P, Leonard A, Flores Lanza M, Ireri M & Hirmer S},
journal={Data in Brief},
volume={54},
number={110317},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2024"
}
Development transitions for fossil fuel-producing low and lower???middle income countries in a carbon-constrained world
Foster V, Trotter PA, Werner S, Niedermayer M, Mulugetta Y et al. (2024), Nature Energy, 9(3), 242-250
BibTeX
@article{developmenttran-2024/2,
title={Development transitions for fossil fuel-producing low and lower???middle income countries in a carbon-constrained world},
author={Foster V, Trotter PA, Werner S, Niedermayer M, Mulugetta Y et al.},
journal={Nature Energy},
volume={9},
pages={242-250},
publisher={Springer Nature},
year = "2024"
}
The global mismatch between equitable carbon dioxide removal liability and capacity
Yang P, Mi Z, Wei Y-M, Hanssen SV, Liu L-C et al. (2023), National Science Review, 10(12)
BibTeX
@article{theglobalmismat-2023/10,
title={The global mismatch between equitable carbon dioxide removal liability and capacity},
author={Yang P, Mi Z, Wei Y-M, Hanssen SV, Liu L-C et al.},
journal={National Science Review},
volume={10},
number={nwad254},
publisher={Oxford University Press},
year = "2023"
}
Climate uncertainty impacts on optimal mitigation pathways and social cost of carbon
Smith CJ, Al Khourdajie A, Yang P & Folini D (2023), Environmental Research Letters, 18(9)
BibTeX
@article{climateuncertai-2023/8,
title={Climate uncertainty impacts on optimal mitigation pathways and social cost of carbon},
author={Smith CJ, Al Khourdajie A, Yang P & Folini D},
journal={Environmental Research Letters},
volume={18},
number={094024},
publisher={IOP Publishing},
year = "2023"
}
Health benefits of traffic-related PM2.5 and CO reduction???a case study of Tianjin, China, from 2015 to 2019
Chen Y, Ran Z, Wang Y-N, Liu X, Yang P et al. (2023), Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, 16(11), 2297-2307
BibTeX
@article{healthbenefitso-2023/8,
title={Health benefits of traffic-related PM2.5 and CO reduction???a case study of Tianjin, China, from 2015 to 2019},
author={Chen Y, Ran Z, Wang Y-N, Liu X, Yang P et al.},
journal={Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health},
volume={16},
pages={2297-2307},
publisher={Springer Nature},
year = "2023"
}
