Jon Phillips

Jon Phillips is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Development at the Department of Development Studies, SOAS, University of London. His work bridges political economy and geography to analyze power dynamics in environmental change management, focusing on fossil fuel economies and low-carbon transitions in African urban contexts.

• PhD in Geography, King's College London
• Postdoctoral Researcher in Geography, University of Exeter
• Lecturer in Development Studies, University of Cambridge

His research examines how environmental governance reproduces or mitigates inequalities, with case studies in oil production (Ghana), electricity generation (Kenya), carbon markets (India), urban infrastructure (South Africa), and charcoal economies (Uganda). He emphasizes collaborative research with community organizers and municipal governments.

Recent publications include analyses of South African energy governance (2024), African charcoal politics (2023), and global just transitions (2022). He convenes the MSc International Development (Online) program and teaches climate change mitigation, energy transitions, and urban development.