PhD scholarship at UNSW

Modelling degrowth futures to meet ambitious climate targets in Australia

A PhD position is available in the Sustainability Assessment Program at UNSW Sydney.

Location: UNSW Sydney, Kensington Campus, NSW 2052, Sydney, Australia

Open To: Australian residents and outstanding international candidates

Remuneration: $37,684 per annum for three years

Closing Date: 31 March 2025

Project background and aims

Previous global integrated assessment modelling has shown that including degrowth into future climate mitigation scenarios is necessary to have a realistic chance of attaining internationally agreed global warming targets. A new project funded by the Australian Research Council and conducted in collaboration at UNSW, the University of Sydney and Monash University aims to develop enhanced modelling techniques that are capable of representing a degrowing economy. It will model the effects of key degrowth policies and find future pathways in which Australia can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to below its net-zero target while also improving wellbeing.

This project will be the first to build modelling capability and infrastructure to simulate degrowth pathways for Australia, including key degrowth policy feedbacks and dynamics. To do so, it will build upon specific models previously developed for Australia. Two of these models are a national integrated assessment model (MESSAGEix IAM) and a virtual laboratory-based computable general equilibrium model (IELab CGE), with which the PhD student will work. The project will provide the opportunity for the first multi-model integration and intercomparison of different modelling paradigms for simulating degrowth pathways and advancing scholarship and practice. Expected outcomes include quantitative descriptions of distinct and consistent future degrowth policies for Australia.

PhD opportunity: CGE modelling of Australian degrowth futures to meet ambitious climate targets

The PhD student will enable IELab’s CGE model for degrowth applications and will port the CGE model into the MESSAGEix IAM. This involves resolving the shortcoming of these CGE models in handling negative values for investment variables that result from declining GDP trajectories. The student will re-interpret negative investment as stranded assets and insert new and concrete technology descriptions of those assets that remain operational. They will also introduce additional behavioural constraints linking energy and non-energy demand. Later in the PhD project, the candidate will embark on a highly beneficial improvement, i.e. to port the IELab-CGE’s multi-sectorial structure into MESSAGEix, which currently represents the economy by one sector only. They will conduct intercomparisons between the two (mono- and multi-sectoral) MESSAGEix variants, and establish the consequences of this enhancement for degrowth scenarios. They will demonstrate how the multi-sectoral enhancement of the MESSAGEix CGE will enable an improved representation of degrowth pathways. Finally, the PhD student will work with the whole project team to formulate, intercompare and synthesise alternative scenario pathways from the different models. They will collaborate in disseminating their joint work at conferences and through peer-reviewed high-impact journals.

Desired student skillset

The PhD candidate will have a solid and relevant background in economics, sciences or engineering with strong experience in computer programming and data management and some experience with economy-environment/climate modelling. A first-class Honours or Masters degree is essential. They should have interest in climate change and/or sustainability science. They should be familiar with or able to learn the IAM’s Python code and the Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory (https://ielab.info ).

This background will be necessary to realise the essential parts of the CGE modelling, including the disaggregation of sectors in all model components. These tasks require strong programming and data handling skills but also allow for pioneering publications as a novel modelling framework will be created. The PhD student will participate in evaluating scenario outcomes quantitatively, including reconfiguration of model parameters and routines according to stakeholder feedback, as well as writing scientific publications and reports.

Supervisory Team and Application

The successful candidate is eligible for a UNSW tax-free stipend of $37,684 per annum for three years or may be able to secure their own primary domestic or international scholarship or any equivalent scholarship from overseas. A secondary Top-Up scholarship ($5,000) may be available to exceptional applicants, depending on the type of scholarship.

The PhD candidate will join the Sustainability Assessment Program (SAP) at UNSW, which is embedded in the Water Research Centre in the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering. This provides a focal point for multidisciplinary research in sustainability, industrial ecology and ecological economics. SAP aims to support governments and industry in improving their decision making with an integrated assessment framework that combines economic, environmental and social dimensions. We take an economy-wide systems perspective that accounts for both synergies and trade-offs.

Candidates should have the ability to conduct independent research with limited supervision, with excellent written and communication skills, and will be expected to interact regularly with other researchers and project stakeholders. Knowledge of sustainability assessment and modelling (CGE/macro-economic modelling, input-output analysis) will be beneficial for the position.

Candidates will be supervised by Prof Thomas Wiedmann and one other supervisor from UNSW Sydney as well as two supervisors from the University of Sydney. All supervisors are internationally recognised leader in sustainability and climate mitigation research with an award-winning track record of publications and a well-established professional and collaboration network. Applications should be emailed to t.wiedmann@unsw.edu.au with the subject heading “SAP PhD position”, along with a cover letter, academic transcripts, and a CV, including qualifications, academic achievements, list of publications, work history and references. Please submit your application by the deadline of 31 st March 2025 to the email address above.

- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

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