Our Issue Experts
Laura Merrill
GSI Manager and Senior Policy Advisor
Laura is a practitioner, consultant and economist in sustainable development.
Laura works on the social and environmental impacts of fossil fuel subsidies, pricing and their reform. She is an economist with expertise in energy policy. She manages the Global Subsidies Initiative of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), works alongside the Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform, and supports in-country work including in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Nigeria. She leads on fossil fuel subsidies and the link to climate change and gender impacts.
Previously based in East Africa, Laura worked for Oxfam as a regional coordinator on trade and economic justice. Laura has also worked as an advisor for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and consultant at Oxford Economic Research Associates. She holds an MBA (International Organisations from Université de Genève), MProf (Sustainable Development from Middlesex University) and MA (Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford).
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Women Could Gain Far More With Better Targeting of Government Energy Subsidies, New Research FindsMillions of dollars worth of fossil fuel subsidies could be better targeted by governments to benefit poor women. -
Success Stories and a Network on Fossil Fuel Subsidy ReformMany countries and private sector leaders shared fossil fuel subsidy reform success stories at the recent United Nations climate talks in Katowice, Poland. -
Getting on Target: Accelerating energy access through fossil fuel subsidy reformHow can reforming fossil fuel subsidies accelerate universal energy access (SDG 7)? This paper reviews the financial and practical implications of fossil fuel subsidies for SDG 7. -
Better Datasets Urgently Needed To Understand Full Scale of Fossil Fuel Subsidies Nature magazine recently released a letter detailing how fossil fuel subsidies reform could deliver carbon emission reductions of between 1 and 4 per cent globally by 2030. This is what we think... -
A Guidebook to Reviews of Fossil Fuel Subsidies: From self-reports to peer learningThis guidebook provides a step-by-step approach to government reviews of fossil fuel subsidies. The guidebook covers the design of reviews, identification, measurement and evaluation of subsidies, via country case studies and practical tools, as a first step towards transparency and reform. -
Scaling Up Green Energy Finance Swapping Fossil Fuel Subsidies for Sustainable Energy SolutionsThis video by IISD Reporting Services provides an overview of the Bonn side event hosted by GSI, "Scaling Up Green Energy Finance: Swapping Fossil Fuel Subsidies for Sustainable Energy Solutions.". The event focused on how governments can scale up investments in green energy by “making the switch” from fossil fuel subsidies to sustainable energy subsidies. -
Making the Switch: From fossil fuel subsidies to sustainable energyThis report estimates fossil fuel subsidies to be around USD 425 billion. Such subsidies represent large lost opportunities for governments to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. -
Zombie Energy: Climate benefits of ending subsidies to fossil fuel productionThis working paper explains how different production subsidies currently unlock “zombie energy” from fossil fuel deposits that would not be commercially viable to produce without government support. It also presents new modelling of the global removal of certain subsidies to fossil fuel production. -
Learning from Leaders: Nordic and International Best Practice with Fossil Fuel Subsidy ReformThis report describes how Ethiopia, Morocco, Peru and the Philippines have reformed their subsidies. It also describes how countries including Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have introduced innovative policy instruments to encourage switching towards renewable and sustainable energy. -
Gender and Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform: Current status of researchLittle is known about the gender differentiated impacts of fossil fuel subsidy reforms. This review takes stock of existing knowledge, identifies knowledge gaps and sets out plans for future research in this area. -
Building on Momentum: Recommendations from the GSI for Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform at the G20This policy brief examines the progress made to phase-out inefficient and wasteful fossil fuel subsidies, the increasing momentum behind subsidy reform in international processes and the steps needed to ensure that the commitment is met. -
Financing Adaptation and Resilience Through Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Fuel DutyOn Tuesday, 24 May 2016, the event “Financing Adaptation and Resilience Through Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Fuel Duty” took place in Bonn, Germany. -
Fiscal Instruments in INDCs: How countries are looking to fiscal policies to support INDC implementationCountries are increasingly turning to the use of fiscal instruments to support low-carbon development and efforts to reduce emissions. -
Tackling Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Climate Change: Levelling the energy playing fieldSubsidies for the consuption of fossil fuels were estimated at US$550 billion in 2013, according to the International Energy Agency. -
Fossil fuel subsidy reform – turning the tide?The recent announcement from UAE that it will reform domestic fossil fuel subsidies is the latest in a growing number of countries taking the opportunity to reform subsidies within the energy sector. -
GHG Emissions Reductions and Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform: Measurement and inclusion within INDCsThis 4 ½-minute video covers the links between fossil fuel subsidies, climate change and greenhouse gas emission reductions.Speakers address how...
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Maximizing Contributions to Emission Mitigation from Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform This short five-minute video covers the issues around the link between fossil-fuel subsidies, climate change and links to the UNFCCC.
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Fossil-Fuel Subsidies and Climate Change: Options for policy-makers within their Intended Nationally Determined ContributionsThis paper reviews international models of fossil-fuel subsidy reform and greenhouse gas emissions to support parties to the United Nations... -
Reform of Fossil-fuel Subsidies—Nordic Cooperation on fossil-fuel subsidy reform in developing countries: Assessing options and opportunitiesFossil-fuel subsidies matter.They matter for sustainable development; they matter for government budgets; they matter for the poor who benefit very... -
Financing the Sustainable Development Goals Through Fossil-fuel Subsidy Reform: Opportunities in Southeast Asia, India and China This report from the Global Subsidies Initiative of IISD was launched in conjunction with the Asia Europe Foundation, at a conference exploring the... -
Fossil-fuel Subsidies: Building a Network for ActionThis five minute video investigates the issues for civil society organizations from fossil-fuel subsidies and their reform.Speakers include Damon...
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Power, Gender and Fossil-fuel Subsidy Reform in India This paper explores the link between fossil-fuel subsidies and gender in India.It focuses on the likely gender impacts of reform across cooking,...
Education
Master of Business Administration (2012): Université de Genève
Master of Sustainable Development: Middlesex University and Forum for the Future, London
Bachelor of Arts–Politics, Philosophy and Economics (1997): Lincoln College, University of Oxford