Kathy Hochstetler

Professor Kathy Hochstetler is a leading scholar in environment and development, currently on sabbatical at the London School of Economics (LSE) until September 2025. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and has held academic positions at institutions including the University of Waterloo and University of New Mexico. Her research focuses on energy transitions, climate policy, and environmental activism in South America and emerging economies.

Her expertise spans interdisciplinary work on global environmental negotiations, regional trade agreements (e.g., Mercosur), and the intersection of democratic institutions with environmental policy. Notable works include the prize-winning Greening Brazil: Environmental Activism in State and Society (Duke UP) and her 2021 book Political Economies of Energy Transition (Cambridge UP). She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Politics in Latin America and serves on editorial boards for journals like Global Environmental Politics and Latin American Politics and Society.

Prof. Hochstetler has conducted field research across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, South Africa, Uruguay, and Venezuela. She is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Her current research explores renewable energy policies in Brazil and South Africa, emphasizing political and economic dimensions of energy transitions.