James is a Postgraduate Researcher funded by the Energy Demand Reduction Centre (EDRC), working within the Place theme. His PhD, titled Tourism as a Barrier and Opportunity for Change, examines how short-term lettings (STLs) influence domestic decarbonisation efforts. Using an in-depth, exploratory place-based case study, his research combines qualitative and quantitative approaches including interviews, focus groups, co-design workshops, data scraping, typology development, and spatial data mapping, to explore how housing use in this sector impacts energy interventions. The project aims to generate evidence on the barriers and drivers to retrofit and decarbonisation in STLs, identifying opportunities to accelerate climate action through targeted, place-specific policy and practice.
Alongside his doctoral research, James holds the position of Researcher at the Climate Evidence Unit, part of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures. In this role, he contributes to evidence-led projects that bridge research, policy, and practice, supporting knowledge exchange across the public and private sectors. His work focuses on translating research into tangible climate resilience and decarbonisation outcomes.
James brings nearly a decade of professional experience in energy demand reduction and retrofit policy. Prior to his PhD, he worked on several UK and local government-funded programmes, including the One Stop Shop and Local Energy Advice Demonstration (LEAD) pilots for DESNZ, and the VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme for DCMS. He has also led community-level initiatives in Leeds to support resident-led responses to climate change.
He holds an MSc in Sustainability and Consultancy from the University of Leeds and a BA in International Relations from London Metropolitan University.