Marco Sakai
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor)

Profile

Biography

Marco Sakai is a Senior Lecturer in Ecological Economics at the University of York, where he serves as the Programme Lead for the undergraduate and integrated masters degrees in Economics, Ecology and Environment. His research investigates the critical intersections between climate change, resource consumption, and global development, with a specific focus on the socio-macroeconomic impacts of climate change policies.

Specialising in the development of sophisticated economic models, Marco evaluates the economy-wide effects of transitions toward sustainability. His work includes assessing the "virtual" environmental and social footprints of international trade, such as carbon emissions, energy, water, and labour. Other recent projects have explored the economic impacts of flooding for small businesses, the role of bioenergy crops in supporting farming communities in Brazil, and the macroeconomic implications of the electric vehicle transition in the UK.

Marco has published extensively in leading scientific journals, including Science and Nature, on topics ranging from trade policy and the climate agenda to the "carbon-development paradox". His expertise is further reflected in his leadership roles, including his position on the Board of the European Society for Ecological Economics and his service on the Scientific Advisory Board for Climatiq.

Prior to joining the University of York, Marco held research fellowships at the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of Leeds and the Stockholm Environment Institute. He has also served as an Economic Affairs Officer for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and a macroeconomic analyst for the Mexican Ministry of Finance. Marco holds a PhD in Climate Change and Development and an MSc in Ecological Economics from the University of Leeds, where his work was recognised with a research excellence award.