Tom Longden

Dr Thomas Longden is a Senior Research Fellow at the Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University, specializing in energy economics and climate policy. He holds a PhD in environmental economics from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and has published extensively in leading journals including Nature Energy, Climatic Change, Energy Economics, and Energy Policy.

His research interests focus on energy transition, climate change policy, energy poverty, and sustainable development. Longden's work particularly examines the intersection of energy systems, economic policy, and social equity, with significant contributions to understanding energy insecurity, prepayment metering, and renewable energy transitions.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on practical energy policy solutions, with several 2025 articles examining hydrogen energy competition, offshore wind governance, home energy upgrades, and energy insecurity among prepayment customers. His research shows increasing emphasis on real-world applications of energy policy with direct social impact.

• Western Sydney University 2024 Research Impact Competition

Longden serves as Principal Investigator on multiple research projects including "Researching the lived experience of First Nations Peoples on prepayment meters" and "Renewable energy lead times and environmental approvals." He is also a member of the ACT Climate Change Council (2021-2025). His work has been featured in numerous media outlets including The Washington Post and has received significant social media attention.

Longden's research activities extend across multiple institutions, having previously worked at the Australian National University, University of Technology Sydney, Macquarie University, University of Sydney, and Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei in Milan, Italy. He was also a Contributing Author on the IPCC AR5 WGIII report on Mitigation of Climate Change.