Impacts of green growth and degrowth pathways using societal exergy analysis: country-level case studies

One full 3.5 years PhD scholarship is available in the School of Earth & Environment in 2025/26. This scholarship is open to UK applicants and covers UK-home rated tuition fees, together with together with a tax-free maintenance grant matching UKRI rates (currently £20,780 for academic session 2025/26) for 3.5 years. Training and support will also be provided.<br /> <br /> This fully funded PhD place provides an exciting opportunity to pursue postgraduate research in the study of the upcoming global energy transition and the impacts on the energy-economy systems and wider sociomacroeconomic impacts. The PhD project is part of a four year Leverhulme Trust project entitled “Impacts of green growth and degrowth pathways using societal exergy analysis”, which uses the novel, interdisciplinary methods of Exergy Economics (combining thermodynamics, energy analysis and economics) to assess energy-emissions-economic impacts and implications of current ‘economic green growth’ and alternative potential ‘energy degrowth’ pathways, at a global and case study country level. <br /> <br /> Working with an experienced project team at the University of Leeds, including project lead (Dr Paul Brockway) and co-investigator (Dr Emmanuel Aramendia), the PhD project will focus on country-level green growth and degrowth pathways, in parallel with the global level workstream. The PhD researcher will be free to select – with support from the wider project team - Global North and South case study countries, reflecting country-level divergence in energy use and economic affluence, and allowing study of the wider implications of ‘economic green growth’ and potential ‘energy degrowth’ pathways, including Sustainable Development Goal 7 (energy access and economic efficiency). The findings can help provide a step change in our understanding of the energy, economic and emissions impacts of current green growth strategies, and alternative degrowth pathways.

<p><strong>Project need</strong></p> <p>Reducing energy use (via mainly energy efficiency) is a key part of many integrated assessment model scenarios, which set out pathways to reduce greenhouse emissions and stay within the 1.5-2.0°C temperature rise limits of the 2015 Paris Agreement [1]. At the same time, models include a core assumption of continued economic growth. However, such global absolute energy-GDP ‘decoupling’ has not previously occurred [2], which is a major risk that global models have not covered [3]. In fact, if energy-GDP relationships follow historical trends (~1%/year rise in GDP links to a ~0.7% rise in energy use), then we will either:</p> <ul> <li>Need more energy inputs to meet economic ‘green growth’ pathways, and consequently more renewables and carbon sequestration than currently planned.</li> <li>Or require ‘degrowth’ (negative economic growth) to meet energy reduction targets.</li> </ul> <p>Both of these scenarios are unexplored, as conventional models have weak energy-GDP linkages, which allows absolute energy-GDP decoupling to break from historical trends. New methods are urgently required to study this problem.</p> <p><strong>The 3.5 year PhD project</strong></p> <p>The successful PhD applicant will be working as part of a wider research team at Leeds to help deliver the Leverhulme Trust project: Impacts of green growth and degrowth pathways using societal exergy analysis goals - including project lead (<a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/staff/1177/dr-paul-brockway">Dr Paul Brockway</a>) and co-investigator (<a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/staff/2510/dr-emmanuel-aramendia">Dr Emmanuel Aramendia</a>). Dr Brockway has world-leading experience in the Societal Exergy Analysis field [4-6] used in this project, and co-leads an international <a href="https://exergyeconomics.wordpress.com/">Exergy Economics</a> network of active researchers the field, whilst Dr Aramendia completed his Masters [7] and PhD [8-9] in this field. Whilst Dr Brockway provides overall project direction and co-researcher input, with key inputs for global-level analysis from Dr Aramendia, the country-level analysis is led by the PhD researcher. A Research Assistant is also involved, primarily in data collection to support the global and country-level analyses.</p> <p>The PhD project will focus on the country-level analysis, enabling a successful individual PhD to be produced, but linked to the global modelling team. There are four overall Leverhulme project objectives:</p> <ol style="margin-bottom:3px"> <li>Use ‘economic green growth’ modelling scenarios to assess the impacts of assumed future higher economic growth on global energy demand and associated additional emissions mitigation needed from renewables and carbon sequestration.</li> <li>Use ‘energy degrowth’ modelling scenarios to assess the impacts of assumed lower future energy use on economic growth, ranging from lower (positive) growth to (negative) degrowth futures.</li> <li>For selected global North and South case study countries, use their ‘economic green growth’ and ‘energy degrowth’ modelling scenarios to assess the impacts on future country-level GDP trajectories and economic development, energy consumption and emissions.</li> <li>To identify, summarise and disseminate the key global and country-level results and policy / modelling implications.</li> </ol> <p> </p> <p>The PhD researcher will be free to select – with project team support - Global North and South case study countries, reflecting country-level divergence in energy use and economic affluence, and allowing study of the wider implications of ‘economic green growth’ and potential ‘energy degrowth’ pathways, including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 (energy access and economic efficiency) [10]. Candidate countries should feature both primary-final-useful energy database data [11] and have climate change targets and policies (to meet their National Determined Contribution (NDC) pledges under the Paris Agreement) for scenario analysis.  </p> <p>Wider collaboration is also possible utilising our existing links to researchers in our Exergy Economics research network who work in countries such as Portugal, France, Spain, Sweden, Austria, and the USA.</p> <p><strong>Project Methodology</strong></p> <p>The Leverhulme project is founded on the use of Societal Exergy Analysis (SEA), an interdisciplinary field which sits at the intersection between energy and economics disciplines, which studies thermodynamic conversion of energy at a societal (e.g. sector, national, global) scale, and its link to economic processes. There are three stages of energy use: primary energy (e.g. coal/oil extracted from the ground), final energy (purchased fuel such as gasoline or electricity) and useful energy (providing the energy to deliver the required energy service, e.g. heating, cooling, motion, lighting).</p> <p>As a research network, we have spent over a decade developing consistent SEA methods, culminating in the global country-level primary-final-useful (CL-PFU) energy and exergy database [11,12], co-developed by researchers at Leeds, which gives primary-final-useful stage energy (and exergy) data for over 150 countries since 1971. In parallel, SEA-based energy-economy modelling techniques have advanced over the past decade [6,13,14], and are now ready for application to the future facing global research question in this project. Methods developed which can be applied in this project include aggregate production functions, econometric and system dynamics models, which are used to link thermodynamic energy conversion to economic activities at a societal scale.</p> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p>[1].UNFCCC. Adoption of the Paris Agreement FCCC/CP/2015/L.9 [2].Brockway PE,et al. Energy efficiency and economy-wide rebound effects: A review of the evidence and its implications. Renew Sustain Energy Rev.2021;141(110781). [3].Keyßer LT, Lenzen M. 1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):1–16. [5].Heun MK, Brockway PE. Meeting 2030 primary energy and economic growth goals: Mission impossible? Appl Energy.2019 Oct;251:112697. [6].Nieto J,et al. Assessing the energy and socio-macroeconomic impacts of the EV transition : A UK case study 2020 – 2050. Appl Energy. 2024;370(123367). [7].Aramendia E, et al. Moving from final to useful stage in energy-economy analysis: A critical assessment. Appl Energy. 2021;283:116194. [8].Aramendia E, et al. Estimation of useful-stage energy returns on investment for fossil fuels and implications for renewable energy systems. Nat Energy. 2024; [9].Aramendia E, et al. Developing a Multi-Regional Physical Supply Use Table framework to improve the accuracy and reliability of energy analysis. Appl Energy. 2022;310:118413. [10].United Nations. Sustainable Development Goal #7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. 2015. <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg7">https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg7</a>. [11].Marshall Z,et al. A Country-Level Primary-Final-Useful (CL-PFU) energy and exergy database v1.2,1960-2020. University of Leeds. [Dataset] https://doi.org/10.5518/1199. 2024; [12].Brockway PE,et al. A country-level primary-final-useful (CL-PFU) energy and exergy database: overview of its construction and 1971–2020 world-level efficiency results. Environ Res Energy.2024;1(025005). [13].Sakai M,et al. Thermodynamic Efficiency Gains and their Role as a Key ‘Engine of Economic Growth.’ Energies.2019;12(110):1–14. [14].Santos J, Borges AS, Domingos T. Exploring the links between total factor productivity and energy efficiency: Portugal, 1960–2014.Energy Econ.2021;101. </p>

<p>Formal applications for research degree study should be made online through the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/research-applying/doc/applying-research-degrees">University's website</a>. Please <em>state clearly</em> in the research information section that the research degree you wish to be considered for is <strong>Impacts of green growth and degrowth pathways using societal exergy analysis: country-level case studies</strong> as well as <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/staff/1177/dr-paul-brockway">Dr. Paul Brockway</a> as your proposed supervisor.</p> <p>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the University's minimum English language requirements (below).</p> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</em></p>

Applicants to research degree programmes should normally have at least a first class or an upper second class British Bachelors Honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline. The criteria for entry for some research degrees may be higher, for example, several faculties, also require a Masters degree. Applicants are advised to check with the relevant School prior to making an application. Applicants who are uncertain about the requirements for a particular research degree are advised to contact the School or Graduate School prior to making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study is an IELTS of 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid. Some schools and faculties have a higher requirement.

<p class="MsoNoSpacing">We are offering a fully funded scholarship to study the project Impacts of green growth and degrowth pathways using societal exergy analysis: country-level case studies, at the School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds for one UK status candidate. The funding covers UK tuition fees as well as a UKRI matched maintenance stipend (currently £20,780 in 2025/26) per year, for three and a half years, subject to satisfactory progress.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">This project is only open to those with UK home fee status. </p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">If you are unsure whether you are eligible for UK fees/funding, please see our <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/undergraduate-fees/doc/fee-assessment">fee assessment page</a>.</p>

<p>For further information please contact the PGR Admissions team by emailing:</p> <p>ENV-PGR@leeds.ac.uk</p>