Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Teaching Assistant
Department: Geography
Email: a.byrne@ucl.ac.uk
Biography:
I am an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in physical and human geography, environmental law and policy, and science and technology studies. My current research focuses on international and national actions to tackle air pollution and climate change. I explore the co-production of science, law, and policy, and the interactions between science, institutions, and wider political, legal, and socio-economic systems. I did my BSc at UCL, my MA at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and I returned to UCL for my PhD.
Research Projects:
- Transboundary Air Pollution
This project is centered on the history of attempts to control transboundary air pollution, that is, pollution resulting in acid rain, photochemical smog, ground-level ozone, eutrophication, fine particulate matter (PM2.5, particularly black carbon, a short-lived climate forcer), and contamination by toxic chemicals.
Byrne, A. (2017) 'Trouble in the Air: Recent Developments under the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution', Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law 26(3), pp 210–219.
Byrne, A. (2015), 'The 1979 convention on long-range transboundary air pollution: assessing its effectiveness as a multilateral environmental regime after 35 years', Transnational Environmental Law 4(1), pp. 37-67.
- Climate Change Law
This project explores the history and impact of national climate change legislation, and the relationship between science/expertise and government, initially focusing on the UK Climate Change Act.
Teaching:
I am currently teaching assistant for: