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Christian Downie
Dr Christian Downie
Qualifications
B Econ (Hons I), Uni. of Sydney; PhD, ANU
Christian Downie is an Associate Professor in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University. He holds an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship and was previously a Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of New South Wales.
Christian has worked as an advisor to several Australian Government agencies, including the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Christian holds a PhD in international relations and political science from the Australian National University, having graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in economics. He has spent time teaching or researching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Balsillie School of International Affairs among others, and he has worked in policy think tanks in Canberra and Washington D.C.
Christian is the author of more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters including publications in Regulation & Governance, Global Environmental Politics, Energy Policy, Climate Policy, International Affairs, Business & Politics and Third World Quarterly. His latest book is Business Battles in the U.S. Energy Sector: Lessons for a clean energy transition.
For more information and list of publications visit his personal website.
Research interests
- International Relations
- Environmental Politics
Available student projects
I am always eager to hear from Masters and PhD students who have an interest in working on projects in the following areas:
- Global energy policy
- Global climate change policy
- US energy policy
- The G20
- Business actors and clean energy transitions
Please do feel free to get in contact if you would like to pursue further study in any of these areas and to see whether I would be a suitable supervisor.
However, before you do, please check your eligibility to pursue a Master of Philosophy or PhD at the ANU.

Christian Downie awarded Climate Social Science Network funding
Congratulations to Christian Downie and Darren Halpin from the ANU School of Politics and International Relations who have been awarded funding from the Climate Social Sci

Building global climate lobbying capabilities
Associate Professor Christian Downie has been awarded a philanthropic grant to explore the lobbying capabilities of the climate movement.

The US has finally passed a huge climate bill. Australia needs to keep up
by Christian Downie
If politics moves slowly, climate politics often feels like it doesn’t move at all.

Running on empty? Christian Downie on ABC RN Counterpoint
Does Australia have a fuel security problem?

IPPC report on climate mitigation
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) report provides an updated global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and pledges, and examines th

Research Fellow opportunity at RegNet
We have an exciting opportunity for a Research Fellow to work in a research intensive position on an Australian Research Council project on global climate and energy governance.

Christian Downie on Australia's position at COP26
Associate Professor Christian Downie shares his concerns that Australia is not doing enough to tackle climate change as world leaders gather for COP26.

Christian Downie speaks to Hilary Harper on ABC Radio National
Associate Professor Christian Downie speaks to Life Matter’s Hilary Harper on the importance of states taking leadership and actions on climate change, ahead of COP26.

RegNet scholars awarded APIP grant
We are delighted to announce that Associate Professor Christian Downie, Dr Yandisa Ngqangashe and Dr Lee White have secured funding from the Asia-Pacific Innovation Program (APIP

Christian Downie quoted in Financial Review
Associate Professor Christian Downie was quoted in Financial Review on Australia’s position on climate change following the G20 meeting in Italy and ahead of the

Christian Downie on EU carbon border tax - SBS News
The European Union’s new plan to address climate change includes a carbon tax proposal applied to countries outside the EU for importing fossil fuel intensive materials.

New Zealand is urging Australia to join its push to scrap fossil fuel subsidies
As New Zealand prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting this November, it’s using its position to call on regional partners, including Austral

We could be a superpower: 3 ways Australia can take advantage of the changing geopolitics of energy
The International Energy Agency confirmed last week what many already knew: the world is undergoing a huge transformation in global energy

Australia's climate reputation is in tatters after summit
The world is on the move, yet Australia is not even trying to catch up. Given the recent international spotlight on climate change, Australia was clearly lagging behind as world leaders claim to further cut emissions at US President Joe Biden’s climate summit on 26 March 2021. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s emphasis on “new technology solutions” and “gas-led recovery” will only undermine our international reputation, threaten jobs, and increase our tax burden.
Read the full article here.

Harnessing financial markets and institutional investment to increase the penetration of clean energy in Asia and the Pacific
Climate change and energy poverty are just two of the key global challenges that the world is currently facing.

As Australia's climate plans lag on the G20 stage, experts say we can no longer ‘hide in the shadows’- Dr Christian Downie interviewed by SBS News
As Joe Biden prepares to enter the White House, Dr Christian Downie argues that Australia’s inaction on climate change an
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Current

Business battles in the US energy sector: Lessons for a cleaner world
This project examines the role of business actors in the oil and gas industries, coal industry, utility industry and renewable industries across six contemporary policy contests that have taken place

Climate Finance Initiative
The Climate Finance Initiative, located within the world-renowned School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) in the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific, aims to p
Completed

Domestic politics and the international climate negotiations: A dynamic relationship
International multilateral negotiations are becoming longer and more complex.While the concept of a 'two level game' can be used to understand when and how domestic politics and internationa

Energy governance, energy security and climate change: Towards a low carbon economy
The current patchwork of policy frameworks for energy fall far short of what is needed to transition to a low carbon economy.

Author(s): Christian Downie
Date of publications: 2018
Publication type: Journal article

Author(s): Christian Downie
Date of publications: 2018
Publication type: Book chapter

Author(s): Christian Downie, Kyla Tienhaara
Date of publications: 2018
Publication type: Journal article