Leo Mercer

Leo Mercer is a Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics (LSE). He holds a PhD in Environmental Studies from Victoria University of Wellington (2020), focusing on carbon forestry mechanisms for Māori landowners under New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme. His work spans UK net-zero policy areas including carbon pricing, just transition strategies, voluntary carbon markets, and decarbonization of land use sectors. Mercer previously served as a policy analyst at New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, designing agricultural emissions pricing mechanisms.

• Education: PhD in Environmental Studies (Victoria University of Wellington, 2020)

His research interests emphasize decarbonization pathways for UK land use, MRV frameworks for greenhouse gas removals, and equitable distributional impacts of climate policies. Mercer has authored/co-authored over 20 policy submissions and reports for UK governmental consultations, addressing topics like Land Use Framework design, emissions trading expansion to heating/transport sectors, and rewilding policy needs. He actively engages in public discourse on climate policy through media commentary and academic blog posts.

Mercer’s recent work highlights innovative solutions such as Agri-PV solar integration and cost-effective MRV systems for carbon removal methods. His contributions bridge technical climate science with actionable policy design, advocating for evidence-based approaches to achieve net-zero goals without compromising social equity.