Staff Profile

Prof. Darren McCauley specialises in the development of innovative policy and regulatory solutions for just transitions. He has contributed to the development of interdisciplinary frameworks such as energy justice, just transition, and sustainability. His research method involves a mix of empirical and theoretical approaches, and he collaborates with international organizations to amplify the impact of his work. McCauley has held several full time academic positions and joined Newcastle Law School in 2023. He welcomes inquiries from prospective PhD students or research assistants who are driven, open-minded, and creative thinkers.

Biography

• Professor, Newcastle Law School, Newcastle University, UK
• Professor, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Senior Lecturer, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
• Lecturer, Stirling University, Queens University and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Darren McCauley's research and publications are focused on environmental and energy policy, particularly in the field of energy justice, just transition and sustainability, with his work influencing policy frameworks and strategies at various levels, supported by numerous prestigious funding programmes.

Research and Publications

His work uncovers, interrogates, and develops new policy and regulatory solutions to social and environment inequalities. Conceptually, he has developed the inter-disciplinary frameworks of energy justice, just transition and sustainability with other leading scholars. Empirically, he has used mixed methods approaches to exploring the actions of government, business, and activists, within Europe, and more recently in Africa, Southeast Asia, US and the Arctic. 

Funding and impact

Research throughout his career has been made possible by a wide range of external sponsors including (among others) British Academy, ESRC, EPSRC, GCRF, H2020 and Horizon Europe funding programmes, Leverhulme, Dutch Council NWO, UK Energy Research Centre, the Carnegie Trust, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His research on justice has shaped policy frameworks and data analysis methods, as well as influencing national and local strategies.

For detailed examples of my research, publications, funding and impact, please see the websites below;

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3951-1129
• https://pure.eur.nl/en/persons/darren-mccauley

LAW8583 : Energy Justice: Theories, Systems, and re-designing policies

This interdisciplinary module enables students to apply justice concepts to energy systems, tackling critical ethical, political, and legal decisions. It covers various energy systems and encourages students to develop practical policy solutions for the energy justice trilemma of accessibility, availability, and sustainability. No prior knowledge is required, and all disciplines are welcome.

For more details, see https://www.ncl.ac.uk/module-catalogue/module.php?code=LAW8583

LAW8584 : International Environmental Law

The module, 'International Environmental Law', provides a comprehensive exploration of the legal framework that governs environmental concerns on a global scale. This curriculum is meticulously designed to offer an in-depth understanding of the various aspects of this complex and evolving field of law. The module commences with an introduction to International Environmental Law, offering an overview of its principles, sources, and implementation. 

For more details, see https://www.ncl.ac.uk/module-catalogue/module.php?code=LAW8584

LAW8091 : Legal Research: Theory and Method

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/module-catalogue/module.php?code=LAW8091

LAW8099 : Dissertation

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/module-catalogue/module.php?code=LAW8099

• Articles

  • McCauley D, Quintavalla A, Prifti K, Binder C, Brodden F, Brink H. Sustainability justice: a systematic review of emergent trends and themes. Sustainability Science 2024, epub ahead of print.
  • Holmes R, McCauley D, Muinzer T. Reassessing fossil fuels in a time of disruption: hydrogen, natural gas and future possibilities. International Journal of Global Energy Issues 2024, 46, 454-462.
  • Bozeman JF, Hollauer C, Ramshankar AT, Nakkasunchi S, Jambeck J, Hicks A, Bilec M, McCauley D, Heidrich O. Embed systemic equity throughout industrial ecology applications: How to address machine learning unfairness and bias. Journal of Industrial Ecology 2024, ePub ahead of Print.
  • Bulder C, Todd I, McCauley D, Burns MK. The influence of COVID‐19 on modes of governance for climate change—Expert views from the Netherlands and the UK. Environmental Policy and Governance 2023, 33(4), 351-363.
  • Heffron R, Fontenelle L, Basil C, Castiella G, Droubi S, Hazrati M, Hussein H, Kraal D, McCauley D, Philips A, Santoire E, Sartre X. Pathways of scholarship for energy justice and the social contract. Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law 2023, 41(2), 211-232.
  • McCauley D, Pettigrew K, Todd I, Milchram C. Leaders and laggards in the pursuit of an EU just transition. Ecological Economics 2023, 205, 107699.
  • McCauley D, Pettigrew K, Heffron R, Droubi S. Identifying, improving, and investing in national commitments to just transition: Reflections from Latin America and the Caribbean. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators 2023, 17, 100225.
  • McCauley D, Pettigrew K. Building a just transition in Asia-Pacific: Four strategies for reducing fossil fuel dependence and investing in clean energy. Energy Policy 2023, 183, 113808.
  • McCauley D, Pettigrew K, Bennett M, Todd I, Wood-Donnelly C. Which states will lead a just transition for the Arctic? A DeePeR analysis of global data on Arctic states and formal observer states. Global Environmental Change 2022, 73, 102480.
  • Hogan J, Warren C, Simpson M, McCauley D. What makes local energy projects acceptable? Probing the connection between ownership structures and community acceptance. Energy Policy 2022, 171, 113257.
  • Damgaard C, McCauley D, Reid L. Towards energy care ethics: Exploring ethical implications of relationality within energy systems in transition. Energy Research and Social Science 2022, 84, 102356.
  • Hirose R, McCauley D. The risks and impacts of nuclear decommissioning: Stakeholder reflections on the UK nuclear industry. Energy Policy 2022, 164, 112862.
  • Heffron R, McCauley D. The 'just transition' threat to our Energy and Climate 2030 targets. Energy Policy 2022, 165, 112949.
  • Muinzer TL, Jenkins KEH, McCauley D, Little GML. Energy justice beyond borders? Exploring the impact of Brexit on Ireland’s all-island energy market. The Electricity Journal 2022, 35, 107218.
  • Todd I, Bulder C, McCauley D, Burns MK. Assessing the post-COVID prospects for the energy transition in the Netherlands and the UK, using a policy barriers approach. Local Environment 2022, 27(6), 712-727.
  • McCauley D, Grant R, Mwathunga E. Achieving energy justice in Malawi: From key challenges to policy recommendations. Climatic Change 2022, 170, 28.
  • Droubi S, Heffron R, McCauley D. A critical review of energy democracy: A failure to deliver justice?. Energy Research and Social Science 2022, 86, 102444.
  • Jenkins KEH, Sovacool BK, Mouter N, Hacking N, Burns MK, McCauley D. The methodologies, geographies, and technologies of energy justice: a systematic and comprehensive review. Environmental Research Letters 2021, 16(4), 043009.
  • Heffron RJ, Downes L, Ramirez Rodriguez OM, McCauley D. The emergence of the ‘social licence to operate’ in the extractive industries?. Resources Policy 2021, 74, 101272.
  • Martin MA, Sendra OA, Bastos A, Bauer N, Bertram C, Blenckner T, Bowen K, Brando PM, Rudolph TB, Büchs M, Bustamante M, Chen D, Cleugh H, Dasgupta P, Denton F, Donges JF, Donkor FK, Duan H, Duarte CM, Ebi KL, Edwards CM, Engel A, Fisher E, Fuss S, Gaertner J, Gettelman A, Girardin CAJ, Golledge NR, Green JF, Grose MR, Hashizume M, Hebden S, Hepach H, Hirota M, Hsu HH, Kojima S, Lele S, Lorek S, Lotze HK, Matthews HD, McCauley D, Mebratu D, Mengis N, Nolan RH, Pihl E, Rahmstorf S, Redman A, Reid CE, Rockström J, Rogelj J, Saunois M, Sayer L, Schlosser P, Sioen GB, Spangenberg JH, Stammer D, Sterner TNS, Stevens N, Thonicke K, Tian H, Winkelmann R, Woodcock J. Ten new insights in climate science 2021: a horizon scan. Global Sustainability 2021, 4, e25.
  • Todd I, McCauley D. Assessing policy barriers to the energy transition in South Africa. Energy Policy 2021, 158, 112529.
  • Todd I, McCauley D. An inter-disciplinary approach to the energy transition in South Africa. Discover Sustainability 2021, 2, 33.
  • Grant R, McCauley D, Maltzen M, Grattage R, Mwathunga E. An Ecohealth approach to energy justice: Evidence from Malawi’s energy transition from biomass to electrification. Energy Research and Social Science 2021, 75, 101875.
  • Todd I, De Groot J, Mose T, McCauley D, Heffron R. Response to "Monyei, Jenkins, Serestina and Adewumi examining energy sufficiency and energy mobility in the global south through the energy justice framework". Energy Policy 2019, 113, 44-46.
  • McCauley D, Ramasar V, Heffron R, Sovacool B, Mebratu D, Mundaca L. Energy justice in the transition to low carbon energy systems: Exploring key themes in interdisciplinary research. Applied Energy 2019, 223, 916-921.
  • Heffron R, McCauley D. 'What is the just transition?. Geoforum 2018, 88, 74-77.
  • McCauley D. Reframing Decommissioning as Energy Infrastructural Investment: Exploring resistance framing in Scotland and Germany. Energy Research and Social Science 2018, 41, 32-38.
  • McCauley D, Heffron R. Just Transition: Integrating Climate, Energy and Environmental Justice. Energy Policy 2018, 119, 1-7.
  • Jenkins K, Sovacool B, McCauley D. Humanizing sociotechnical transitions through energy justice: an ethical framework for global transformative change. Energy Policy 2018, 117, 66-74.
  • McCauley D, Brown A, Rehner R, Heffron R, de Graff S. Energy Justice and Policy Change: A longitudinal assessment of German nuclear policy. Applied Energy 2018, 228, 317-323.
  • Heffron R, McCauley D, Zarazua de Rubens G. Balancing the Energy Trilemma through the Energy Justice Metric. Applied Energy 2018, 229, 1191-1201.
  • Heffron R, McCauley D. The concept of energy justice across the disciplines. Energy Policy 2017, 105, 658-667.
  • Badiuzzaman P, McLaughlin E, McCauley D. Substituting freshwater: can ocean desalination and water recycling capacities substitute for groundwater depletion in California?. Journal of Environmental Management 2017, 203(Part 1), 123-135.
  • Jenkins K, McCauley D, Warren CR. Attributing responsibility for energy justice: a case study of the Hinkley Point Nuclear Complex. Energy Policy 2017, 108, 836-843.
  • Damgaard C, McCauley D, Long J. Assessing the energy justice implications of bioenergy development in Nepal. Energy, Sustainability and Society 2017, 7, 8.
  • McCauley D. The Policy Challenge of Waste-to-Energy: Lessons from France. Oil, Gas and Energy Law 2016, 3, 56-72.
  • Rehner R, McCauley D. Security, justice and the energy crossroads: implications of the nuclear phase-out. Energy Policy 2016, 88, 289-298.
  • Sovacool B, Heffron R, McCauley D, Goldthau A. Reframing energy decisions as justice and social concerns. Nature Energy 2016, 1, 16024.
  • Fuller S, McCauley D. Framing energy justice: perspectives from activism and advocacy. Energy Research and Social Science 2016, 11, 1-8.
  • Jenkins K, McCauley D, Heffron R, Stephan H, Rehner R. Energy justice: a conceptual review. Energy Research and Social Science 2016, 11, 174-182.
  • McCauley D, Heffron R, Pavlenko M, Rehner R, Holmes R. Energy Justice in the Arctic: Implications for energy infrastructural development. Energy Research and Social Science 2016, 16, 141-146.
  • McCauley D. Sustainable development in energy policy: a governance assessment of environmental stakeholder inclusion in waste-to-energy. Sustainable Development 2015, 23(5), 273-284.
  • Heffron R, McCauley D, Sovacool B. Resolving society's energy trilemma through the energy justice metric. Energy Policy 2015, 87, 168-176.
  • McCauley D. Protest, Politics and Produce. Local Environment: The international journal of justice and sustainability 2015, 20(1), 34-49.
  • Johnson AA, Heffron R, McCauley D. Rethinking the scope and necessity of energy subsidies in the United Kingdom. Energy Research and Social Science 2014, 3, 1-4.
  • Jenkins K, McCauley D, Heffron R, Stephan H. Energy Justice: A Whole Systems Approach. Queen's Political Review 2014, 2(2), 74-87.
  • Heffron R, McCauley D. Achieving Sustainable Supply Chains through Energy Justice. Applied Energy 2014, 123, 435-437.
  • McCauley D. Sustainability, Governance and Time: Exploring Critical Junctures. Environmental Policy and Governance 2013, 23.
  • Heffron R, Johnson AA, McCauley D, Jenkins K. Policy Delivery for Low Carbon Energy Infrastructure in the UK. Energy Policy 2013, 60.
  • McCauley D, Heffron R, Stephan H, Jenkins K. Advancing Energy Justice: The Triumvirate of Tenets and Systems Thinking. International Energy Law Review 2013, 107.
  • McCauley D. Bottom-up Europeanization Exposed: The Anti-GMO movement in France. Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS) 2011, 49.
  • McCauley D. The Europeanisation of domestic opportunities for movements: The campaigns in France. Journal of Contemporary European Research 2010, 6.
  • Klandermans K, Mahoney C, McElroy G, Gallagher M, Keating M, Riddervold M, Williams D, McCauley D, Miranda B, Savoie D, Erb S. Social Movements and Europeanization: A Review. West European Politics 2010, 33.
  • McCauley D. Wasting Energy? An analysis of campaigns against Waste-to-Energy Plants in France. Environmental Politics 2009, 18.
  • McCauley D. Understanding Environmental Mobilisation within the context of Europeanisation. In-Spire: Journal of Politics, International Relations and the Environment 2008, 2.
  • McCauley D. Sustainable development and the ‘governance challenge’: the French experience with Natura 2000. European Environment 2008, 2.
  • McCauley D. Governance and Sustainable Development: Promoting the Inclusion of Civil Society in France. Environmental Policy and Governance 2008, 18.
  • McCauley D. Europeanisation as Resource Empowerment for NGOs. Perspectives on European Politics and Society 2008, 9.
  • McCauley D, Muentel G. The Impact of ‘Europe’ on Environmental Movements: Evidence from France and Russia. Queen's papers on Europeanization 2007, 14.
  • McCauley D. Environmental Mobilization and Resource-Opportunity Usage. French Politics 2007, 5.

• Authored Book

  • McCauley D. Energy Justice: Re-Balancing the Trilemma of Security, Poverty and Climate Change. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.

• Book Chapters

  • McCauley D, Field T-L, Todd I. What is a Just Transition?. In: McCauley D; Field T-L; Heffron R; Todd I, ed. The Future of Just Transitions: Theory and Implementation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024, pp.1-21.
  • Pettigrew K, McCauley D. Quantifying just transition for data analysis. In: McCauley D; Field T-L; Heffron R; Todd I, ed. The Future of Just Transitions: Theory and Implementation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024, pp.89–104.
  • McCauley D. Just transition and energy justice: Different objectives, common approaches?. In: McCauley D; Field T-L; Heffron R; Todd I, ed. The Future of Just Transitions: Theory and Implementation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024, pp.42–60.
  • McCauley D, Field T-L, Heffron R, Todd I. A manifesto for a global just transition. In: McCauley D; Field T-L; Heffron R; Todd I, ed. The Future of Just Transitions: Theory and Implementation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024, pp.182–206.
  • Todd I, McCauley D. The impact of Covid-19 on the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy - observations from the Netherlands, the UK and South Africa. In: Nojiyeza,S, ed. Humanities and Social Sciences perspectives on COVID-19. Cape Town, South Africa: Africa Century Editions Press, 2023.
  • Wood-Donnelly C, McCauley D, Przybylinski S. Libertarian Theories of Justice. In: Ohlsson, J;Przybylinski, S, ed. Theorising Justice. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2023, pp.32-44.
  • McCauley D. Just Transitions. In: Ohlsson, J;Przybylinski, S, ed. Theorising Justice. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2023, pp.240-256.
  • Sidortsov R, McCauley D. Energy Justice. In: Ohlsson, J.;Przybylinski, S, ed. Theorising Justice. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2023, pp.171-190.
  • McCauley D. A JUST CSR Framework for the Arctic. In: Wood-Donnelly C; Ohlsson J, ed. Arctic Justice: Environment, Society and Governance. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2023, pp.51-65.
  • McCauley D. Managing a just transition in urban contexts. In: Jan Fransen, Meine P. van Dijk, and Jurian Edelenbos, ed. Urban Planning, Management and Governance in Emerging Economies. Gloucester: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, 2021, pp.40-56.
  • Kruger R, McCauley D. Energy justice, hydropower and grid systems in the global south. In: Bombaerts G; Jenkins K; Sanusi YA; Guoyu W, ed. Energy Justice Across Borders. Cham: Springer, 2020, pp.91–109.
  • Heffron R, McCauley D. Beyond energy justice: Towards a just transition. In: Jaria-Manzano J; Borrás S, ed. Research Handbook on Global Climate Constitutionalism. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2019, pp.302–313.
  • Heffron R, Hazrati M, Gordon G, McCauley D. Background: United Kingdom. In: Pereira EG; Bjørnebye H, ed. Regulating Offshore Petroleum Resources. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2019, pp.128–164.
  • Holmes RT, McCauley D, Hanley N. Reshaping Energy Governance in the Arctic? Assessing the implications of LNG for European Shipping Companies. In: Niels Vestergaard et al, ed. Arctic Resource Governance and Development. Springer, 2018.
  • McCauley D. Fossil Fuels and Energy Justice - Coal, Oil and Gas. In: Energy Justice. Springer, 2018.
  • McCauley D. An Energy Justice Road Map—Six Key Considerations. In: Energy Justice. Springer, 2018.
  • McCauley D. Alternative Energy Sources and Energy Justice. In: Energy Justice. Springer, 2018.
  • McCauley D. Global Energy Justice: Tackling Systems of Inequality in Energy Production and Consumption. In: McCauley D, ed. Energy Justice: Re-Balancing the Trilemma of Security, Poverty and Climate Change. Cham: Springer, 2017, pp.1-26.
  • McCauley D. Framing injustice in green criminology: Activism, social movements and geography. In: Environmental Criminology. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited, 2017, pp.1-20.
  • McCauley D. Framing injustice in green criminology: activism, social movements and geography. In: Leonard L, ed. Environmental Criminology: Spatial Analysis and Regional Issues. Bingley: Emerald Group, 2017, pp.1-20.
  • McCauley D, Heffron R, Rehner R, Pavlenko M, Holmes R. Arcticness and Energy Justice. In: Ilan Kelman, ed. Arcticness and Change: Power and voice from the North. UCL Press, 2017.
  • Jenkins K, Heffron R, McCauley D. The Political Economy of Energy Justice in Canada, the UK and Australia: A Nuclear Energy Perspective. In: Thijs van de Graff et al, ed. The Palgrave Handbook of the International Political Economy of Energy. Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.
  • McCauley D. Interest Groups: Moving Beyond State-Centric Models. In: Elgie R; Grossman E; Mazur AG, ed. The Oxford Handbook of French Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016, pp.417–438.
  • McCauley D, Rehner R, Pavlenko M. Assessing the Justice Implications of Energy Infrastructural Development in the Arctic. In: Raphael Heffron and Gavin Little, ed. Delivering Energy Law and Policy in the EU and US. EUP, 2015.
  • McCauley D. Exploring Ideology as a 'Resource' for Environmental Justice: Reflections from the Anti-GMO Movement in France. In: Leonard L; Kedzior SB, ed. Occupy the Earth: Global Environmental Movements. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2014, pp.171-193.
  • McCauley D. Environmental Disputes in France. In: Liam Leonard and John Barry, ed. Global Ecological Politics. Emerald Group, 2011.
  • McCauley D. The EU, France and Wasting Energy?. In: Chris Rootes and Liam Leonard, ed. Environmental Movements and Waste Infrastructure. Routledge, 2010.

• Edited Book

  • McCauley D, Field T-L, Heffron R, Todd I, ed. The Future of Just Transitions: Theory and Implementation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024.

• Editorials

  • McCauley D, Mundaca L, Sovacool B, Heffron R, Mebratu D, Ramasar V. Low Carbon Energy Systems and Energy Justice. Applied Energy 2019, 233.
  • McCauley D, Jenkins K, Forman A. Exploring the Energy Justice Nexus. Energy Policy 2018, 109.
  • Jenkins K, McCauley D, Foreman A. Energy justice: a policy approach. Energy Policy 2017, 105, 631-634.

• Online Publication

  • McCauley D. Zorgplicht van werkgevers zal toenemen door thuiswerken. socialevraagstukken.nl, 2020. Available at: https://www.socialevraagstukken.nl/corona-en-de-toekomst-van-werk/.

• Reports

  • McCauley D, Pettigrew K. Can Europe lead a Just Transition? Strengthening social justice in the European Green Deal by using European Pillar of Social Rights indicators. Brussels: Solidar: Realising a Social Euope for all with all, 2022.
  • Onderco M, McCauley D. Going Nuclear? The Long-Term Problem is Political. The Hague: Clingendael Institute, 2021. Sustainability & economy.
  • Martin A, McCauley D, et al. 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2021. Montreal: Future Earth, the Earth League and World Climate Research Programme, 2021. 10 New Insights in Climate Science.
  • McCauley D, Todd I, Burns MK, Bulder C. Managing a Just Energy Transition Out of the Covid-19 Crisis: Final Report. NWO Dutch Research Council, 2020.
  • Mattar S, Mikulewicz M, McCauley D. Climate Justice in the Arctic: A Critical and Interdisciplinary Climate Research Agenda. Rovaniemi, Finland: Thematic Network (TN) on Geopolitics and Security of the University of the Arctic, 2020. Arctic Yearbook.

• Review

  • Jenkins K, McCauley D. Energy Security, Equality, and Justice [Book Review]. Energy 2015, 83, 805-806.