Profile

Biography

Neil Carter graduated in Politics from the University of Durham and received his postgraduate degrees from the University of Bath. He has held visiting appointments at Griffith University, Monash University and Nuffield College. His main research and teaching interests have focused on environmental politics and policy, and on British party politics. He is currently Chair of Departmental Research Committee.

Research

Overview

Neil Carter is interested in all aspects of environmental politics and policy. The second edition of his book, The Politics of the Environment, was published in 2007. He has been awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship during 2011-2012 for a project titled: ‘Blowing Hot and Cold: A Critical Analysis of Labour’s Climate Policy’. In 2007-2008 he held an ESRC grant of over £92,000 (with Dr Charlotte Burns) for a project titled 'Is the European Parliament an Environmental Champion?' He is a founding member of the Centre for Ecology, Law and Policy at the University of York. Neil Carter also has a strong interest in British politics, particularly in political parties and elections, and in participatory democracy.

Supervision

Neil Carter welcomes research applications in any of his areas of interest. He has supervised nine PhD students to successful completion and is currently supervising five students:

• Tom Farnhill - 'Trade unions and the environment'
• Elena Gergen - 'The financial crisis and the British general election of 2010'
• Natalie Wong - 'A study on participatory environmental governance in the development of infrastructure: a comparison between Taipei, Hong Kong, and mainland China'
• John Mellors - Tracking environmental norms
• Paul Tobin - Comparative environmental policy: USA and UK

Publications

Selected publications

• 2012 (with Charlotte Burns and Nick Worsfold) ’Enlargement and the Environment: the Changing Behaviour of the European Parliament’, Journal of Common Market Studies. 50(1): 54-70. 
• 2010. (with Charlotte Burns) 'Is Co-Decision Good for the Environment', Political Studies, 58(1): 123-142
• 2009. 'Vote Blue, Go Green? Cameron’s Conservatives and the Environment', Political Quarterly, 80(2): 233-242
• 2008. 'Combating Climate Change in the UK: Challenges and Obstacles', Political Quarterly, 79(2): 194-205
• 2007. The Politics of the Environment: Ideas, Activism, Policy, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press
• 2007. (with Arthur Mol) (eds.) Environmental Governance in China, London: Routledge
• 2006. (with Elizabeth Bomberg) 'The Greens in Brussels', European Journal for Political Research, 45: S99-125
• 2006. 'Party Politicisation of the Environment in Britain', Party Politics 12(6): 747-67

External activities

Editorial duties

Associate Editor, Environmental Politics

Consultancy

Neil Carter was commissioned by Friends of the Earth to produce a study of the Labour Government’s environment policies; New Labour, New Environment? – an Analysis of the Labour Government's Policy on Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss, July 2007. He has advised the Science Museum on its climate change exhibition.

Neil Carter regularly contributes to national and local radio.