James Meadowcroft

James Meadowcroft is a professor in both the Department of Political Science and the School of Public Policy and Administration. He recently completed a 14-year term as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Governance for Sustainable Development. Meadowcroft has written widely on environmental politics and policy, democratic participation and deliberative democracy, national sustainable development strategies, and socio-technical transitions. Recent work focuses on energy and the transition to a low carbon society and includes publications on carbon capture and storage (CCS), smart grids, the development of Ontario’s electricity system, the politics of socio-technical transitions, and negative carbon emissions. Meadowcroft’s research has been funded by the UK ERSC, SSHRC, NSERC, the Ivey Foundation, McConnell Foundation, and Carbon Management Canada. He has supervised PhD students working on a variety of environment and energy-related topics including North American air pollution, the politics of biofuels, decarbonization pathways and energy futures.

Meadowcroft is currently Research Director, alongside David Layzell and Normand Mousseau, of the Transition Accelerator, which utilizes a world-leading four-step methodology to engage diverse societal stakeholders to co-create visions of what a socially and economically desirable net-zero future will look like and build out transition pathways that will enable Canada to get there. As a result of his work with the Accelerator, Meadowcroft regularly presents to senior government officials, industry leaders, and civil society groups to build momentum to make the changes needed to address climate change. Meadowcroft also leads Efficiency Canada — an independent, pan-Canadian think tank that conducts rigorous policy analysis, communicates compelling narratives, and convene and mobilize Canada’s dynamic energy efficiency sector to make our country a global leader in energy efficiency policy, technology, and jobs.

Meadowcroft has served as co-editor of the International Political Science Review (1999-2007) and Associate Editor of the Journal of Political Ideologies (2006-). He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Tampere in Finland.

• J. Meadowcroft and D. Rosenbloom. Governing the net-zero transition: Strategy, policy, and politics. PNAS (2023): 120 (47) e2207727120.
• D. Rosenbloom and J. Meadowcroft. Accelerating Pathways to Net Zero: Governance Strategies from Transition Studies and the Transition Accelerator. Current Climate Change Reports (2022).
• J. Pickering, Patterson, J., Biermann, F., Burch, S., Elliott, L., Gupta, A., Inoue, C. Y. A., Ishii, A., Kalfagianni, A., Meadowcroft, J., Okereke, C., & Persson, Å. (2022). Pluralizing Debates on the Anthropocene Requires Engaging with the Diversity of Existing Scholarship. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 1-6.
• Stevenson , G. Auld , J. Allan , L. Elliott and J. Meadowcroft. The Practical Fit of Concepts: Ecosystem Services and the Value of Nature. Global Environmental Politics (2021)
• Craig, H. Stevenson and J. Meadowcroft. Debating Nature’s Value: Epistemic Strategy and Struggle in the Story of ‘Ecosystem Services’. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 21: 811-825 (2019).
• Rosenbloom, J. Meadowcroft and B. Cashore, ‘Stability and climate policy? Harnessing insights on path dependence, policy feedback, and transition pathways‘, Energy Research and Social Science (2018).
• Rosenbloom, J. Meadowcroft, S. Sheppard, S. Burch and S. Williams, ‘Transition Experiments: Opening Up Low-Carbon Transition Pathways for Canada through Innovation and Learning‘, Canadian Public Policy/Analyze de Politiques, (2018).
• Rosenbloom, B. Haley, J. Meadowcroft, ‘Critical choices and the politics of decarbonization pathways: Exploring branching points surrounding low-carbon transitions in Canadian electricity systems‘, Energy Research and Social Science 37 (2018): 22-36.
• Meadowcroft, J. Stephens, E. Wilson and I. Rowlands, Social Dimensions of Smart Grid: Regional Analysis in Canada and the United States, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, (2017).
• Meadowcroft, ‘Let’s get this transition moving‘, Canadian Public Policy/Analyse de politiques, 42Sup1 (2016): 10-17.
• Potvin C, Sharma D, Creed I, Aitken S, Anctil F, Bennett E, Berkes F, Bernstein S, Bleau N, Bourque A, Brown B, Burch S, Byrne J, Cunsolo A, Dale A, de Lange D, Dyck B, Entz M, Etcheverry J, Faucher R, Fenech A, Fraser L, Henriques I, Heyland A, Hoffmann M, Hoberg G, Holden M, Huang G, Jacob AL, Jodoin S, Kemper A, Lucotte M, Maranger R, Margolis L, Mauro I, McDonnell J, Meadowcroft J, Messier C, Mkandawire M, Morency C, Mousseau N, Oakes K, Otto S, Palmater P, Palmer TS, Paquin D, Perl A, Potvin A, Ramos H, Raudsepp-Hearne C, Richards N, Robinson J, Sheppard S, Simard S, Sinclair BJ, Slawinski N, Stoddart M, Villard M-A, Villeneuve C, and Wright T. 2017. Stimulating a Canadian narrative for climate. FACETS 2: 131–149.
• Rosenbloom, H. Burton and J. Meadowcroft (2016), ‘Framing the sun: A discursive approach to understanding multi-dimensional interactions within socio-technical transitions through the case of solar electricity in Ontario, Canada‘, Research Policy 45 (6) (2016): 1275-1290.
• Gaede and J. Meadowcroft, ‘A Question of Authenticity Status Quo Bias and the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook‘, Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. (2016)
• Kern, James Gaede, James Meadowcroft and Jim Watson, ‘The political economy of carbon capture and storage: An analysis of two demonstration projects‘, Technological Forecasting & Social Change 102 (c) (2016): 250-260.
• Feindt, A. Duit and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Greening Leviathan: the rise of the environmental state?‘, Environmental Politics 25 (1) (2016): 1-23.
• Spence, C. Digman , D. Balmforth , J. Houldsworth , A. Saul and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Gross solids from combined sewers in dry weather and storms, elucidating production, storage and social factors‘, Urban Water Journal, (2015)
• Berton, D. Rosenbloom, O. Temby, and James Meadowcroft, ‘Using local improvement charges to finance solar photovoltaic systems in Canada‘, Energy Studies Review 22 (2015): 95-111.
• Temby, K. Kapsis, H. Berton, D. Rosenbloom, G. Gibson, A. Athienitise and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Building-Integrated Photovoltaics: Distributed Energy Development for Urban Sustainability‘, Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 56 (6) (2014): 4-16.
• Rosenbloom and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Harnessing the sun: reviewing the potential of solar photovoltaics in Canada‘, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 40 (2014): 488-496.
• Rosenbloom and J. Meadowcroft, ‘The journey towards decarbonisation: Exploring socio-technical transitions in the electricity sector in the province of Ontario (1885-2013) and potential low-carbon pathways’, Energy Policy 65 (2014): 670-679.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Reaching the limits? Developed country engagement with sustainable development in a challenging conjuncture’, Environment and Planning C, 31(6) (2013): 988 –1002.
• Stephens, E. Wilson, T. Peterson and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Getting Smart? Climate Change and the Electric Grid’, Challenges 4 (2013),
• Meadowcroft and R. Steurer, ‘Assessment practices in the policy and politics cycles: a contribution to reflexive governance for sustainable development?’, Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning (2013).
• Meadowcroft, ‘Exploring negative territory: carbon dioxide removal and climate policy initiatives‘, Climactic Change (2013) 118 (1): 137-149.
• Boyd, Y. Liu, J. Stephens, E. Wilson, M. Pollak, T. Peterson, E. Einsiedel, J. Meadowcroft, ‘Controversy in Technology Innovation: Contrasting Media and Expert Risk Perception of the Alleged Leakage at the Weyburn Carbon Dioxide Storage Demonstration Project‘, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 14 (2013): 259-269.
• Biermann, Abbott, K., Andresen, S., Bäckstrand, K., Bernstein, S., Betsill, M.M., Bulkeley, H., Cashore, B., Clapp, J., Folke, C., Gupta, A., Gupta, J., Haas, P.M., Jordan, A., Kanie, N., Kluvankova-Oravska, T., Lebel, L., Liverman, D., Meadowcroft, J., Mitchell, R.B., Newell, P., Oberthür, S. dr., Olsson, L., Pattberg, P.H., Sanchez-Rodriguez, R., Schroeder, H., Underdal, A., Carmago Vieira, S., Vogel, C., Young, O.R., Brock, A. & Zondervan, R. (2012). ‘Navigating the Anthropocene: Improving Earth System Governance‘, Science 335 (2012), 1306-1307.
• Biermann, F., K. Abbott, S. Andresen, K. Bäckstrand, S. Bernstein, M.M. Betsill, H. Bulkeley, B. Cashore, J. Clapp, C. Folke, A. Gupta, J. Gupta, P.M. Haas, A. Jordan, N. Kanie, T. Kluvánková-Oravská, L. Lebel, D. Liverman, J. Meadowcroft, R.B. Mitchell, P. Newell, S. Oberthür, L. Olsson, P. Pattberg, R. Sánchez-Rodríguez, H. Schroeder, A. Underdal, S. Camargo Vieira, C. Vogel, O.R. Young, A. Brock, and R. Zondervan, ‘Transforming governance and institutions for global sustainability: key insights from the Earth System Governance Project‘, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 4 (1), February 2012, Pages 51-60.
• Frantzeskaki, D. Loorbach and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Governing societal transitions to sustainability‘, International Journal of Sustainable Development 15 (1/2) (2012): 19-36.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Engaging with the politics of sustainability transitions’, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions1(1) (2011): 70-75.
• Torvanger and J. Meadowcroft, ‘The political economy of technology support: Making decisions about CCS and low carbon emission energy technologies’, Global Environmental Change21(2) (2011): 303-312.
• Backstrand, J. Meadowcroft and M. Oppenheimer, ‘The Politics and Policy of Carbon Capture and Storage: Framing an Emergent Technology’, Global Environmental Change 21(2) (2011): 275-281.
• Meadowcroft, ‘What about the politics? Sustainable development, transition management, and long term energy transitions’, Policy Sciences 42 (2009): 323-340.
• Meadowcroft, From welfare state to ecostate in ‘JESP symposium: Climate change and social policy’, Journal of European Social Policy 18 (2008): 331-334.
• Meadowcroft, Who is in charge here? Governance for sustainable development in a complex world, Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning 9 (2007): 299-314.
• Meadowcroft, ‘National sustainable development strategies: features, challenges and reflexivity‘, European Environment 17 (2007): 152-163.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Greening the state‘, Politics and Ethics Review 2 (2006): 109-118.
• Catney, J. Henneberry, J. Meadowcroft and R. Eiser, ‘Dealing with contaminated land in the UK through ‘Development Managerialism’, Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning 8 (2006): 331–356.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Environmental political economy, technological transitions and the state’, New Political Economy, 10 (2005): 479- 498.
• Meadowcroft, K. Farrell and J. Spangenberg, ‘Developing a Framework for Sustainability Governance in the European Union‘, International Journal of Sustainable Development 8 (2005): 3-11.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Politics and scale: some implications for environmental governance‘, Landscape and Urban Planning 61 (2002): 169-179.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Sustainable Development: A New(ish) Idea for a New Century?‘, Political Studies 48 (2000): 370-387.
• Meadowcroft, ‘The politics of sustainable development: emergent arenas and the challenge for political science‘, International Political Science Review 20 (1999): 219-237.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Co-operative management regimes: collaborative problem solving to implement sustainable development’, International Negotiation 4 (1999): 225-254.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Planning for sustainable development: insights from the literatures of political science‘, European Journal of Political Research 31 (1997): 427-454.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Planning, democracy and the challenge of sustainable development’, International Political Science Review 18 (1997): 167-190.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Taking issue with UNCED’s critics‘, New Political Economy 1 (1996): 408-413.
• Meadowcroft, ‘State, statelessness and the British political tradition‘, Contemporary Politics 1 (1995): 37-56.
• Meadowcroft and M. Taylor, ‘Liberalism and the referendum in British political thought 1890-1914‘, Twentieth Century British History 1 (1990): 35-57.

• J. Meadowcroft and D. Rosenbloom, ‘Accelerating the Low-carbon Energy Transition’ in M. Winfield, S. Hill and J. Gaede. Sustainable energy transitions in Canada: Opportunities and challenges. University of British Columbia Press, 2023.
• J. Meadowcroft. ‘The environmental state and its limits’, in J. Sowers, S. VanDeveer and E. Weinthal (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Environmental Politics. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2021.
• Runhaar, B. Wilk, P. Driessen, N. Dunphy, A. Persson, J. Meadowcroft and G. Mullally, ‘Policy Integration’, in Frank Biermann and Rakhyun Kim (eds.), Architectures of Earth System Governance: Institutional Complexity and Structural Transformation, Cambridge University Press, 2020
• Meadowcroft, ‘Epilogue: continuity and change in the Anthropocene’, in Frank Biermann and Eva Lovbrand (eds.), Anthropocene Encounters: New Directions in Green Political Thinking, Cambridge University Press, 2019.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Green technology’ in N. Castree, M. Hulme and J. Proctor (eds.), The Companion to Environmental Studies, Routledge, 2018.
• Meadowcroft, ‘The Birth of the Environment and the Evolution of Environmental Governance’, in J. Meadowcroft and D. Fiorino (eds.), Conceptual Innovation in Environmental Policy, MIT Press, 2017.
• Meadowcroft and D. Fiorino, ‘Conceptual Innovation and Environmental Policy’, in J. Meadowcroft and D. Fiorino (eds.), Conceptual Innovation in Environmental Policy, MIT Press, 2017.
• Meadowcroft and D. Fiorino, ‘The Conceptual Repertoire of Environmental Policy’, in J. Meadowcroft and D. Fiorino (eds.), Conceptual Innovation in Environmental Policy, MIT Press, 2017.
• Meadowcroft and D. Fiorino, ‘Conceptual Innovation and the Future of Environmental Policy’ in J. Meadowcroft and D. Fiorino (eds.), Conceptual Innovation in Environmental Policy, MIT Press, 2017.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Sustainable development, limits and growth: reflections on the conundrum’, in P. Victor and B. Dolter, Handbook on Growth and Sustainability, Edward Elgar, 2017.
• Gaede and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Carbon capture and storage demonstration and low-carbon energy transitions: explaining limited progress’, in B. Sovacool, F. Kern, and T. van de Graff (eds.), Handbook of the International Political Economy of Energy, Palgrave Macmillan (2016).
• Toner, J. Meadowcroft and D. Cherniak, ‘The struggle of the Canadian federal government to institutionalize sustainable development, in D. VanNijnatten (ed.), Canadian Environmental Policy and Politics: the Challenges of Austerity and Ambivalence, Oxford University Press, 4th edition, 2015, pp. 116-129.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Comparing environmental performance’, in A. Duit (ed.), Mapping the Politics of Ecology, MIT Press, 2014.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Greening the State’, in P. Steinberg and S. VanDeveer (eds.), Comparative Environmental Politics, MIT Press, 2012.
• Gough and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Decarbonising the welfare state’ in J. Dryzek, R. Norgaard and D. Schlosberg (eds.), the Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, Oxford University Press, 2011, pp. 490-503.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Sustainable Development’, in M. Bevir (ed.), The Sage Handbook of Governance, Sage, 2011, pp. 535-551.
• Meadowcroft and M. Hellin, ‘Policy making in the indeterminate world of energy transitions: carbon capture and storage as energy transition or enhanced carbon “lock in”‘, in G. Toner, L. Pal and M. Prince (eds.), Policy: From Ideas to Implementation, McGill Queens University Press, 2010, pp. 232-256.
• Toner and J. Meadowcroft, ‘Spinning Wheels and Loosing Traction: The struggle of the Canadian government to move from rhetoric to action on the institutionalization of sustainable development’, in D. VanNijnatten and R. Boardman (eds.), Canadian Environmental Policy: Context and Cases, 3rd edition, 2009.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Who is in charge here? Governance for sustainable development in a complex world’, in J. Newig, J. Voß and J. Monstadt (eds), Governance for Sustainable Development: Coping with Ambivalence, Uncertainty and Distributed Power, Routledge, 2008, pp.107-122.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Governing the transition to a new energy economy’, in F. Armstrong and K. Blundell (eds.), Energy…Beyond Oil (Oxford University Press, 2007), pp. 197-214.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Democracy and accountability: the challenge for cross-sectoral partnerships’, in P. Glasbergen, F. Biermann and A. Mol (eds.), Partnerships, Governance and Sustainable Development: Reflections on Theory and Practice (Edward Elgar, 2007), pp 194-213.
• Meadowcroft, ‘From welfare state to ecostate?’, in J. Barry and R. Eckersley (eds.), The State and the Global Ecological Crisis (MIT Press, 2005), pp. 3-23.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Environmental political economy, technological transitions and the state’, in A. Payne (ed.), Key Debates in New Political Economy (Routledge, 2005), pp. 57-78.
• Meadowcroft, Participation and sustainable development: modes of citizen, community, and organizational involvement, in W. Lafferty (ed.), Governance for Sustainable Development: The Challenge of Adapting Form to Function (Edward Elgar, 2004), pp.162-190.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Deliberative democracy’, in R. Durant, D. Fiorino and R. O’Leary and (eds.), Environmental Governance Reconsidered: Challenges, Choices and Opportunities, (MIT Press, 2004), pp. 183-218.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Green ideology at the dawn of the twenty-first century’, in M. Freeden (ed.) Reassessing Political Ideologies: The Durability of Dissent (Routledge, 2001), pp. 175-192.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Neutrality, perfectionism and the new liberal theory of the state’, in D. Weinstein and A. Simhony (eds.), The New Liberalism: Reconciling Liberty and Community (Cambridge University Press, 2001), pp. 115-136.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Nationale Pläne und Strategien zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung in Industrienationen’ in M. Janicke and H. Jörgens (eds.) Umweltplanung im internationalen Vergleich: Strategien der Nachhaltigkeit (Springer, 2000), pp. 113-129.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Co-operative management regimes: a way forward?’, in P. Glasbergen (ed.) Co-operative Environmental Governance (Kluwer Academic, 1998), pp. 21-42.
• Meadowcroft, Introduction to The Social Problem, by J. A. Hobson (Thommes Press, in the series ‘Key Texts: Classic Studies in the History of Ideas’, 1996), pp. iv-xviii.
• Meadowcroft, ‘Democratic Theory and Environmental Protection’, in S. Elworthy et al (eds.) Perspectives on the Environment 2 (Avebury, 1995), pp. 205-214.
• Meadowcroft, ‘North-South Environmental Crisis: Whose Fault? Who Pays?’, in J. Putzel (ed.), Agrarian Reform and the Environment in the Philippines and South East Asia (Catholic Institute for International Relations, 1992), pp. 149-162.

• Why experts argue governments must take risks — besides pipelines — to restart economic growth (CBC News, Jan 2021)
• La région d’Edmonton veut mener l’exploitation de l’hydrogène au Canada (Ici Radio-Canada, Nov 2020)
• Carleton’s James Meadowcroft Contributes to Final Report of Task Force for a Resilient Recovery (Sep 2020)
• Timing is everything: how Canada got into a pandemic economy — and how it might get out (CBC News, Jun 2020)
• Professor James Meadowcroft on National Recovery Taskforce (News, May 2020)
• Carleton’s James Meadowcroft is on National Task Force on Economic Recovery Post-COVID (May 2020)
• Carleton’s Author Meets Readers Panel to Discuss the Evolution of Modern Environmental Policy (Feb 2020)
• How to Fix the Climate: Accelerate Social Change (Another Take, Jan 2020)
• Carleton Ranks 2nd in Canada and 35th in the World for Campus Sustainability (Dec 2019)
• Why planting one trillion trees won’t solve climate change (CTV News, Jul 2019)
• Global Gathering: Carleton Hosts International Sustainability Conference (Jun 2019)
• Carleton-Based Energy Efficiency Think Tank Launches National Campaign to Showcase Workers Behind the Boom in Green Jobs (Jun 2019)
• Energy Efficiency Policy: Teaching Effective Policy (Apr 2019)
• Carleton Launches Efficiency Canada (Nov 2018)
• Carleton Takes Lead in Energy Efficiency (News, Nov 2018)
• Carleton Contributes to Major Report on Using Vast Low Carbon Energy Resources for Major New Economic Engine (May 2017)
• Robo-wars and Driverless Cars: New Course Covers Technology, Nature, and Power (News, May 2017)
• Climate Policy Champions (FPA Voices, Feb 2017)
• Climate Change Undermines Security (Ottawa Citizen, Nov 2015)
• Here’s How Canada Could Have 100% Renewable Electricity by 2035 (The Narwhal, Mar 2015)
• Castles in the air: Canada’s unexploitable hydrocarbon ‘resources’ (The Hill Times, Mar 2015)
• Nature Draws a Hard Line: Govts vs. Climate Change (News, Oct 2014)
• Multilevel Environmental Governance (News, Apr 2014)
• Alberta steps up battle to shed ‘dirty oil’ image (The Globe & Mail, May 2012)
• Carleton Professor Receives Honorary Degree from Finnish University (Jun 2010)
• Canada Productive But Should Do More, Experts Say (Montreal Gazette, Oct 2008)