Martha McPherson

Martha McPherson is a Policy Associate at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP).

Martha is sustainability lead at corporate consultancy Design Portfolio. She was formally Head of Green Economy and Sustainable Growth at IIPP, and her role involved co-ordinating IIPP's research and policy engagement activity on the transition to a sustainable, climate-resilient green economy.

Whilst at IIPP she oversaw the institute's work on green industrial and innovation policy and green new deals; local, regional and urban green innovation; the Just Transition; and climate-aligned finance and led IIPP's work with EIT Climate-KIC, including the PUFFIN, PELICAN, Emilia-Romagna, Transformative Governance and iParadigm projects. She also co-ordinated the Camden Renewal Commission along with the co-chairs and other team members.

Martha joined UCL in 2018 from her Master’s in International Energy at Sciences Po in Paris, writing her research thesis on European institutional investment in renewable energy. Prior this, Martha worked in strategic consulting and communications. She acts as a trustee for governance and diversity charity Getting on Board.

Selected publications

Policy briefs

Mazzucato, M., McPherson, M. (2018). IIPP Brief 04 The Green New Deal: A bold mission-oriented approach
Mazzucato, M., McPherson, M. (2019). What the green revolution can learn from the IT revolution
Various contributors. (2020). A green economic renewal after the COVID-19 crisis

Blogs

Making missions in Camden by Martha McPherson and Nick Kamber
This must be a '1968 moment' for sustainable development by Martha McPherson and Kate Roll
Unpacking systemic risk in a brave new world by Katie Kedward, Martha McPherson and Ria Sen
Mississippi thinking for climate innovation by Martha McPherson
Climate missions in a COVID-19 world by Mariana Mazzucato and Martha McPherson
The path to COVID recovery: the urgent need for the EU Green Deal and a new approach to Industrial Strategy by Mariana Mazzucato, George Dibb and Martha McPherson
Mission-oriented approaches in practice: Greater Manchester’s 2038 Carbon Neutral Challenge by Martha McPherson

In the media

A just transition (Prospect magazine) by Martha McPherson
This must be a ‘1968 moment’ for sustainable development (Times Higher Education) by Martha McPherson and Kate Roll
New paradigms explore ‘systems-oriented’ ways of managing risk (LSE blog) by Katie Kedward, Martha McPherson and Ria Sen
Why the Covid-19 recovery needs a proactive public sector (New Statesman) by Mariana Mazzucato and Martha McPherson