معرفی
Professor Rebecca Willis is a Professor in Energy and Climate Governance at Lancaster University's Lancaster Environment Centre. She leads the Climate Citizens research group and holds a prestigious UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. As a Co-Investigator of the Energy Demand Research Centre, she plays a key role in shaping energy policy research in the UK. Willis serves as an Expert Adviser to the Climate Change Committee, providing guidance to the UK Parliament and Government on climate matters.
Willis has a strong educational background with an ESRC-funded PhD on "How Members of Parliament understand and respond to climate change," awarded in October 2018. Her academic journey includes previous positions as a Research Fellow at both iGov, University of Exeter (2018-19) and Lancaster University (2014-2018).
Her research focuses on the intersection of environment, climate, and energy policy with democratic governance. Specifically, she examines the relationship between citizens and the state in climate governance, exploring how public engagement can strengthen climate policy-making. Willis investigates political attitudes toward climate action, the role of deliberative democracy in addressing the climate crisis, and the implementation challenges of rapid climate action at various governance levels. Her work bridges academic research with practical policy applications, ensuring that democratic processes inform climate decision-making.
Analysis of Willis's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on democratic innovation in climate governance. Her work emphasizes citizen engagement through deliberative processes, examines political dynamics in climate policy-making, and explores the implementation challenges of climate action at local and national levels. A significant thread throughout her research is the examination of how democratic processes can be strengthened to support ambitious climate action, particularly through innovative mechanisms like climate assemblies and citizen deliberation.
- UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship
- Woman's Hour Our Planet Power List recognition
Willis supervises three postgraduate research students, including Rachel Coxcoon, guiding the next generation of climate governance scholars. Her research is supported by substantial grants including the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, the Energy Demand Research Centre funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and projects with WWF-UK and the Medical Research Council. She has led significant research initiatives such as the Climate Citizens project and the Supporting Local Officers and Politicians to Implement Rapid Climate Action study.
Willis leads the Climate Citizens research group, which examines the role of public engagement in energy and climate governance. Her work connects academic research with practical policy applications through collaborations with the Climate Change Committee, Climate Assembly UK, and various governmental and non-governmental organizations focused on climate action and democratic innovation.
