James completed his MA in Economics and Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen in 1998 and his MSc in Environmental Technology at Imperial College, London, in 2004. Upon finishing his MSc he worked in the renewable energy industry in the UK, initially for Shell and then for Iberdrola. During this time he became interested in the socio-economic barriers to transitioning energy systems away from fossil fuels. As a member of the PICS 2060 Project he is currently working on his PhD in Environmental Studies under the supervision of Dr. Kara Shaw, Dr. Andrew Rowe and Dr. Peter Wild. James is researching how social responses influence the acceptability of different energy de-carbonisation pathways. Outside of research James enjoys playing and watching soccer, listening to old records, and chasing after his three sons.