Dr Tim Foxon

Reader in Sustainability & Innovation

Telephone number: +44(0) 113 34 37910
Email address: t.j.foxon@leeds.ac.uk
Room: 9.107

Biography

Dr Tim Foxon is a Reader in Sustainability & Innovation in the Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds. He is a Research Councils UK Academic Fellow (2007-12), and a member of the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and the new Centre for Integrated Energy Research at Leeds. His research focuses on innovation systems and processes for a transition to a low carbon economy. He is interested in how path dependency arises through co-evolution of technologies and institutions (social rule systems), how this can lead to lock-in of particular paths, and how policies to promote diversity of options and long-term thinking can help to overcome such lock-in. He is a co-investigator on research examining Transition pathways to a low carbon economy, supported by EPSRC and E.On UK, as well as on an EPSRC project on future energy decision making for cities, and leader of an ESRC research seminar series on Complexity economics for sustainability. He was previously a Research Associate/Lecturer at Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge.

Current research projects

• Realising Transition Pathways (EPSRC, 2012-16)
• Future Energy Decision Making for Cities (EPSRC, 2009-13)
• Innovation-friendly Climate Policies (ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, 2011-13

Completed research projects

• RCUK Academic Fellowship (RCUK, 2007-12)
• Transition Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy (EPSRC/E.On, 2008-12)
• Complexity Economics for Sustainability (ESRC seminar series, 2008-10)

Current PhD students

• Marco Sakai - How would reductions in consumption-induced emissions in the North affect development in the South? (2009-13)
• Hannah James - Decision making for microgeneration (2010-13)
• Liz Morgan – Ways of framing climate change to drive material scale mitigation and adaption strategies of large consumer-facing businesses (2012-17)
• Erica (Rici) Marshall - Assessing the efficiency of low carbon technologies for providing useful energy services (2012-16)
• Ray Edmunds – High level integration of low carbon technologies in European electricity systems

Completed PhD students

• Ronan Bolton - Socio-Technical Transitions and Infrastructure Networks: the cases of electricity and heat distribution in the UK (2011)
• Matthew Hannon – Co-evolution of innovative business models and sustainability transitions: The case of the Energy Service Compnay (ESCo) model and the UK energy system (2012)
• Dan O'Neill - Measuring progress towards a socially sustainable steady state economy (2012)

Areas for PhD supervision

• Low carbon innovation
• Technological and institutional change
• Energy policy

Teaching Interests

• low-carbon innovation
• UK energy policy
• sustainable innovation
• technological and institutional change.

Publications

• Foxon TJ; Pearson PJG; Arapostathis S; Carlsson-Hyslop A; Thornton J (2013) Branching points for transition pathways: Assessing responses of actors to challenges on pathways to a low carbon future, Energy Policy, 52, pp.146-158. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.04.030
• Foxon TJ (2013) Responding to the financial crisis: Need for a new economics, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 6, pp.126-128. doi: 10.1016/j.eist.2012.12.002
• Foxon TJ; Köhler J; Michie J; Oughton C (2013) Towards a new complexity economics for sustainability, Cambridge Journal of Economics, 37, pp.187-208. doi: 10.1093/cje/bes057
• Foxon TJ (2013) Transition pathways for a UK low carbon electricity future, Energy Policy, 52, pp.10-24. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.04.001
• Jagger N; Foxon T; Gouldson A (2013) Skills constraints and the low carbon transition, Climate Policy, 13, pp.43-57. doi: 10.1080/14693062.2012.709079
• Pearson PJG; Foxon TJ (2012) A low carbon industrial revolution? Insights and challenges from past technological and economic transformations, Energy Policy, 50, pp.117-127. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.07.061
• McCullen NJ; Rucklidge AM; Bale CSE; Foxon TJ; Gale WF (2012) Multi-parameter models of innovation diffusion on complex networks, .
• Teschner N; McDonald A; Foxon TJ; Paavola J (2012) Integrated transitions toward sustainability: The case of water and energy policies in Israel, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 79, pp.457-468. doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2011.08.013
• Bale CSE; Gale WF; Foxon TJ; Hannon MJ (2012) Strategic energy planning within local authorities in the UK: A study of the city of Leeds, Energy Policy, 48, pp.242-251. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.05.019
• Foxon T (2012) Energy 2050: Making the Transition to a Secure Low Carbon Energy System, ENERGY JOURNAL, 33, pp.225-226.
• Foxon TJ (2011) Governing a low carbon energy transition: lessons from UK and Dutch approaches, In: Galarraga I; Gonzales-Eguino M; Markandya A (Ed) Handbook of Sustainable Energy, Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Foxon TJ (2011) Policy support for environmental innovation, In: Dietz S; Michie J; Oughton C (Ed) Political Economy of the Environment, Routledge Studies in Contemporary Political Economy, Routledge, pp.132-143.
• Bolton R; Foxon TJ (2011) Governing Infrastructure Networks for a Low Carbon Economy: Co-Evolution of Technologies and Institutions in UK Electricity Distribution Networks, Competition and Regulation in Network Industries, 12, pp.2-26.
• Foxon TJ (2011) Systems of innovation: national, regional and technological innovation systems, In: Dietz S; Michie J; Oughton C (Ed) Political Economy of the Environment, Routledge Studies in Contemporary Political Economy, Routledge, pp.117-131.
• Foxon TJ (2011) A coevolutionary framework for analysing a transition to a sustainable low carbon economy, ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS, 70, pp.2258-2267. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.07.014
• Marigo N; Foxon TJ; Pearson PJ (2010) Chinese low-carbon innovation: developing technological capabilities in the solar photovoltaic manufacturing industry, Journal of Knowledge-Based Innovation in China, 2, pp.253-268.
• Foxon TJ; Hammond GP; Pearson PJG (2010) Developing transition pathways for a low carbon electricity system in the UK, TECHNOL FORECAST SOC, 77, pp.1203-1213. doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2010.04.002
• Nye M; Whitmarsh L; Foxon T (2010) Sociopsychological perspectives on the active roles of domestic actors in transition to a lower carbon electricity economy, ENVIRON PLANN A, 42, pp.697-714. doi: 10.1068/a4245
• Foxon TJ (2010) Energy for the Future: A New Agenda, ENVIRON VALUE, 19, pp.130-132.
• Foxon TJ (2010) Stimulating investment in energy materials and technologies to combat climate change: an overview of learning curve analysis and niche market support, PHILOS T R SOC A, 368, pp.3469-3483. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2010.0106
• Bonilla D; Foxon T (2009) Demand for New Car Fuel Economy in the UK, 1970-2005, J TRANSP ECON POLICY, 43, pp.55-83.
• Foxon T; Reed M; Stringer L (2009) Governing long-term social-ecological change: what can the adaptive management and transition management approaches learn from each other?, Environmental Policy and Governance, 19, pp.3-20. doi: 10.1002/eet.496
• Parrish BD; Foxon TJ (2009) Sustainability entrepreneurship and equitable transitions to a low-carbon economy, Greener Management International, 55, pp.47-62.
• Strachan N; Foxon T; Fujino J (2008) Policy implications from the Low-Carbon Society (LCS) modelling project, CLIMATE POLICY, 8, pp.S17-S29. doi: 10.3763/cpol.2007.0488
• Strachan N; Foxon T; Fujino J (2008) Low-Carbon Society (LCS) modelling, CLIM POLICY, 8, pp.S3-S4. doi: 10.3763/cpol.2008.0538
• Foxon T; Pearson P (2008) Overcoming barriers to innovation and diffusion of cleaner technologies: some features of a sustainable innovation policy regime, J CLEAN PROD, 16, pp.S148-S161. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2007.10.011
• Foxon T; Kohler J; Oughton C (2008) Innovation for a Low Carbon Economy: Economic, Institutional and Management Approaches, Edward Elgar.
• Foxon T; Stringer LC; Reed MS (2008) Approaches to governing long-term social-ecological change: Comparing adaptive management and transition management, Oekologisches Wirtschaften, pp.20-22.
• Barker T; Scrieciu SS; Foxon T (2008) Achieving the G8 50% target: modelling induced and accelerated technological change using the macro-econometric model E3MG, CLIMATE POLICY, 8, pp.S30-S45. doi: 10.3763/cpol.2007.0490
• Foxon TJ (2007) Technological lock-in and the role of innovation, In: Atkinson G; Dietz S; Neumayer E (Ed) Handbook of Sustainable Development, Edward Elgar, pp.140-152.
• Barker T; Ekins P; Foxon T (2007) The macro-economic rebound effect and the UK economy, ENERG POLICY, 35, pp.4935-4946. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2007.04.009
• Foxon TJ (2007) Innovation impacts of environmental policies, In: Marinova D; Annandale D; Phillimore J (Ed) International Handbook on Environment and Technology Management, Edward Elgar, pp.119-139.
• Barker T; Ekins P; Foxon T (2007) Macroeconomic effects of efficiency policies for energy-intensive industries: The case of the UK Climate Change Agreements, 2000-2010, ENERG ECON, 29, pp.760-778. doi: 10.1016/j.eneco.2006.12.008
• Foxon T; Pearson P (2007) Towards improved policy processes for promoting innovation in renewable electricity technologies in the UK , Energy Policy, 35, pp.1539-1550. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2006.04.009
• Kohler J; Barker T; Pan H; Agnolucci P; Ekins P; Foxon T; Anderson D; Winne S; Dewick P; Miozzo M; Green K (2007) New lessons for technology policy and climate change: investment for innovation, CLIM POLICY, 7, pp.156-161.
• Foxon T (2006) Bounded rationality and hierarchical complexity: Two paths from Simon to ecological and evolutionary economics, ECOL COMPLEX, 3, pp.361-368. doi: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2007.02.010
• Foxon T; Pearson P; Makuch Z; Mata M (2005) Transforming policy processes to promote sustainable innovation: some guiding principles, Imperial College London.
• Foxon T; Gross R; Chase A; Howes J; Arnall A; Anderson D (2005) UK innovation systems for new and renewable energy technologies: drivers, barriers and systems failures, Energy Policy, 33, pp.2123-2137. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2004.04.011
• Weisser D; Foxon TJ (2003) Implications of seasonal and diurnal variations of wind velocity for power output estimation of a turbine: a case study of Grenada, INT J ENERG RES, 27, pp.1165-1179. doi: 10.1002/er.938
• Gross R; Foxon T (2003) Policy support for innovation to secure improvements in resource productivity, International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 3, pp.118-130. doi: 10.1504/IJETM.2003.003399
• Foxon T (2003) Inducing innovation for a low-carbon future: drivers, barriers and policies, Carbon Trust.
• Foxon TJ; McIlkenny G; Gilmour D; Oltean-Dumbrava C; Souter N; Ashley R; Butler D; Pearson P; Jowitt P; Moir J (2002) Sustainability criteria for decision support in the UK water industry, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 45, pp.285-301. doi: 10.1080/09640560220116341
• Ashley R; Blackwood D; Butler D; Jowitt P; Oltean-Dumbrava C; Davies J; McIlkenny G; Foxon T; Gilmour D; Smith H; Cavill S; Leach M; Pearson P; Gouda H; Samson W; Souter N; Hendry S; Moir J; Bouchart F (2002) Making more sustainable decisions for asset investment in the water industry - Sustainable water industry asset resource decisions - The SWARD project, Global Solutions for Urban Drainage, pp.1-16.