Marco Sakai Diaz

Research Database

Marco is an ecological economist with more than twelve years of experience conducting macroeconomic analysis. His research mainly focuses on analysing the links between climate, resource consumption, the economy and development. Most of his work involves the use and development of large economic models, like macroeconometric models and multi-regional input-output analysis, to understand the economy-wide effects of policies aimed at reducing resource use and environmental pressures. Marco is particularly interested in assessing the ‘footprints’ or ‘virtual’ content of goods and services traded internationally (e.g. emissions, energy, water, labour, value added, etc.).

Before joining the Department of Environment and Geography, Marco held academic appointments as a research fellow in the Sustainability Research Institute of the University of Leeds and in the Stockholm Environment Institute. He also worked as a macroeconomic analyst in the Mexican Ministry of Finance and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where he contributed to author high-level policy reports. Marco also teaches Econometrics and Time Series Analysis in the Faculty of Economics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Marco is a research associate in three large RCUK-funded centres: the Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials and Products (CIE-MAP), the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP). He holds a BSc in Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), as well as an MSc (distinction) and PhD (research excellence award) in Ecological Economics from the University of Leeds.

PhD opportunities: Marco is happy to supervise students interested in questions related to the nexus between the economy, climate, international trade and development, and who are particularly interested in using large macroeconomic modelling.