School of Earth and Environment

Helen Harwatt Dr Helen Harwatt

Research Fellow

Telephone number: +44(0) 113 34 36718
Email address: h.harwatt@see.leeds.ac.uk
Room: 8.08 SCR

Biography

I completed my PhD at the Institute for Transport Studies in 2008. This focussed on public response to a proposed Personal Carbon Trading scheme as a measure to significantly reduce carbon emissions in line with national carbon reduction targets and included both qualitative and quantitative survey and analysis techniques. Since 2006, I have worked on a range of projects focussed mainly on climate change and carbon demand reduction amongst the public through behavioural interventions and scenario work. From 2010, I have worked at the Sustainability Research Institute focussing on carbon demand reduction issues in relation to businesses and transition pathways towards a low carbon economy.

Research interests

  • Stimulating pro-environmental behaviours
  • The rebound effects of sustainable behaviour adoption
  • Environmental policy
  • Interdisciplinary research
  • The potential of sustainable behaviours to transform health and the environment

Current Projects

Towards a low carbon, climate resilient regional economy. Funded by the Centre for Low Carbon Futures. Jointly with the Universities of York and Hull. Funded by the Centre for Low Carbon Futures (Role: Research fellow).

Transition pathways to a low carbon economy. Jointly with the Universities of Bath, Cardiff, East Anglia, Loughborough, Strathclyde, Surrey, Imperial College London and University College London. Funded by EPSRC and E.ON UK (Role: Research fellow).

Previous projects

Understanding Walking and Cycling. Funded by EPSRC. Jointly with Universities of Lancaster and Oxford Brookes (Role: Research fellow).

Exploring public attitudes to climate change and the barriers and motivators to travel behaviour change. Funded by the UK Department for Transport (Role: Research Fellow).

Transport policy appraisal and the development of a city scale carbon emissions accounting tool. Funded through the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research II Cities programme. Jointly with the Universities of Loughborough, Newcastle, Manchester, Cambridge and University College London (Role: Research fellow).

Low carbon policies for transport in the Northern Way - research scoping study. Northern Way (Role: Research fellow).

The role of trading in carbon emissions for the surface transport sector. Funded by the UK Commission for Integrated Transport (Role: Research officer).

Publications

  • Harwatt HM; Tight M; Bristow A; Gühnemann A (2011) Personal carbon trading and fuel price increases in the transport sector: an exploratory study of public response in the UK, European Transport, pp.47-70.
  • Pooley C; Horton D; Scheldeman G; Tight MR; Jones T; Chisholm A; Harwatt H; Jopson A (2011) Household decision-making for everyday travel: a case study of walking and cycling in Lancaster (UK), Journal of Transport Geography, 19, pp.1601-1607. doi: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2011.03.010
  • Harwatt HM; Tight M; Timms P (2011) Personal Transport Emissions Within London: Exploring Policy Scenarios and Carbon Reductions up to 2050, International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 5, pp.270-288. doi: 10.1080/15568318.2010.506586
  • Marsden G; Harwatt H; Jopson A; Kimble M (2008) Transport and Climate Change: What Role for Information?, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, .
  • Harwatt H; Gouldson A; Ellis LA; Kerr N (Not yet published) Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy: Business Perspectives and Policy Options, Energy Policy, .
  • Gouldson A; Harwatt H; Ellis LA; Kerr N (Not yet published) Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy: Ground-truthing the Models, Nature Climate Change, .
  • Ellis LA; Gouldson A; Harwatt H; Kerr N (Not yet published) Business Perspectives on the Transition to a Low Carbon Economy, Journal of Cleaner Production, .
  • Harwatt H; Marsden G; Kimble M; Jopson A (Not yet published) Longitudinal Tracking of Travel Behaviour Change in Response to Climate Change Information, .
  • Jopson A; Marsden G; Harwatt H; Kimble M (Not yet published) Climate Change Attitudes and Car Use Reductions: the intention-behaviour gap., Transportation Research F, .