James Ford

New Fellow @profjamesford.bsky.social is Priestley Chair in Climate Adaptation at @priestleycentre.bsky.social! James works closely with Indigenous communities in the Arctic & globally with a focus on health & wellbeing, food security, & climate change adaptation. acss.org.uk/news/the-aca...

The Academy of Social Sciences welcomes outstanding social scientists to its Fellowship in spring 2026 – Academy of Social Sciences

I am extremely honoured to have just been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences! Thanks to colleagues and collaborators over the years who made this possible! acss.org.uk/news/the-aca... @priestleycentre.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social @universityofleeds.bsky.social

Political ecology: past, present, and future - Discover Sustainability Political ecology examines the interconnectedness of social, political, and ecological processes, offering critical insights into power dynamics, environmental governance, justice, and inequality. We ...

for political ecologists out there, see our new paper examining where has the field been and where is it going .....
link.springer.com/article/10.1... @priestleycentre.bsky.social @ishfaqmalik.bsky.social

Expert agreement on key elements of transformational adaptation to climate risks - Nature Climate Change Despite the growing literature and widespread interest in transformational adaptation, its definition remains contested. The results of a global expert survey reveal broad agreement on 13 key elements...

what are the key elements of transformational adaptation? see our paper just out today in @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41... @priestleycentre.bsky.social

Improving disaster preparedness and recovery of Bangladesh riverbank erosion areas: Insights from household perceptions and practices Riverbank erosion significantly affects lives and livelihoods but is still neglected in disaster risk reduction (DRR) research and policy, which tend …

see our new paper just out on disaster preparedness and recovery for riverbank erosion in Bangladesh www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @priestleycentre.bsky.social

🌎The Priestley Centre and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero are hosting the UK’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change community for the Seventh Assessment Cycle.

The first UK Government event of its kind, it brings together new and experienced UK IPCC authors allowing connection.

A habitability lens to boost effective local climate adaptation Climate adaptation is what we (will) make of it, that is, either a burden or an opportunity for a brighter and equitable future. Achieving effective a…

see our new paper on the concept of habitability and what it means for adaptation: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @priestleycentre.bsky.social

A critique of climate objectivity in the context of global injustice A critique of climate objectivity in the context of global injustice, Malik, Ishfaq Hussain, Ford, James D, Hamidi, Abdur Rahim

A critique of climate objectivity in the context of global injustice
doi.org/10.1088/1748...
via @ioppublishing.bsky.social

Suraje Dessai Appointed to European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change - Priestley Centre for Climate Futures The Management Board of the European Environment Agency (EEA) designated yesterday the EU scientific experts that will be members of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change for its se...

Professor Suraje Dessai, Principal Fellow at Priestley, has been appointed to the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change.
Suraje is one of the 15 independent senior scientific experts appointed to the board
climate.leeds.ac.uk/news/suraje-...

Global Environment Outlook 7 The Global Environment Outlook, Seventh Edition: A Future We Choose, the product of 287 multi-disciplinary scientists from 82 countries, is the most comprehensive scientific assessment of the global e...

@unep.org just released their GEO-7 report on the state of the global environment. For the first time the GEO includes the perspectives of Indigenous peoples. It was an honor to serve on the assessment advisory board
www.unep.org/resources/gl... @priestleycentre.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social

Just finishing an exciting and intense week for the IPCC first lead author meeting n Paris. I am on the responses to losses and damages chapter, with Canada nominating me. Lots of work ahead! @priestleycentre.bsky.social

Political ecology of climate change adaptation in the Arctic: Insights from Nunatsiavut, Canada - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications Humanities and Social Sciences Communications - Political ecology of climate change adaptation in the Arctic: Insights from Nunatsiavut, Canada

Our paper in Nature (Humanities and Social Sciences Communications) on political ecology of climate change adaptation in Nunatsiavut, environmental injustices, & barriers and limits to adaptation.”https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-06058-2 @profjamesford.bsky.social @labradorice.bsky.social

Day 9 at #COP30

Today's focus continues on from yesterday, which is to elevate both planetary and community stewardship, showcasing inclusive, grounded, and nature-aligned solutions. 🌎

Check out the graphic below to see how Leeds is involved today ⬇️

Day 2 at #COP30 🌍
Focus remains on building climate readiness and resilience across all systems and regions.

Our Leeds delegate speaking today is Prof. Steve Arnold in a session on black carbon & methane impacts in the Arctic.

📍 Cryosphere Pavilion, 14.00 Brazil time

➡️ Stay tuned for updates!

Professor Piers Forster, Director of the Priestley Centre, spoke in the plenary session at Earth Information Day at #COP30 yesterday - if you missed it, you can watch it here! unfccc.int/event/earth-...

Researching life and culture on the Arctic ice

Read about some of the work we're doing on sea ice change and livelihoods in the Arctic as part of my ERC Advanced Grant spotlight.leeds.ac.uk/researching-... @priestleycentre.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu

11 days left to apply to be a #PriestleyClimateScholar
 
From art to science, if your PhD is climate-related apply to join our 2 year programme of engagement and professional development!

👉 Find out more and apply climate.leeds.ac.uk/learn-with-u...

Send this to someone you think should go for it!

Looking forward to participating in FAOs World Food Forum next week in Rome. I'll be on a panel on Wednesday on "Ethical co-creation of knowledge." Look out for the big IPON presence in the Indigenous Nomadic tents across the week @priestleycentre.bsky.social @fao.org

How to Apply - Priestley Centre for Climate Futures The Priestley Climate Scholars programme is open to a maximum of 10 new postgraduate students per year (20 scholars in total), and requires commitment and engagement to benefit from leadership, engage...

⏰ Applications are now open to be a Priestley Climate Scholar!
No matter your discipline, if you’re a Uni of Leeds PhD student researching something related to climate, we want you to apply!
For more info and how to apply, visit the Priestley Centre website: climate.leeds.ac.uk/learn-with-u...

See our new study modeling the relationship between weather-dependent trail access and store-bought food sales in Nunavut, further developing our ethnoclimatology approach iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1... @priestleycentre.bsky.social

Recommendations for producing knowledge syntheses to inform climate change assessments - Nature Climate Change Climate change assessment reports are increasing in complexity as the knowledge base grows exponentially. In this Perspective, the authors advocate, and provide recommendations, for knowledge synthesis to become more common as a way to better inform such assessments.

For those interested in knowledge synthesis in climate change research, especially for informing IPCC AR7, here are some tips:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Excited to have been selected as a Lead Author for Chp 5 of IPCC AR7 WGII on Responses to Losses and Damages. I am looking forward to working with the diverse author teams over the next few years
@ipcc.bsky.social @priestleycentre.bsky.social

How one landmark environmental report is aiming to drive policymaking GEO-7 report to provide comprehensive overview of state of the environment, guide policymakers

Under 100 days until the 7th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) report is published!
💡Not sure what UNEP's GEO-7 report is about? Take a look at this interview with the co-chair of the GEO-7 report: www.unep.org/news-and-sto...
#GEO7 #UNEP

see our paper just out on wildfire in high latitude regions www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/... @priestleycentre.bsky.social @centrewildfires.bsky.social

⚠️ The amount of CO2 the world can emit and still have a good chance of staying within 1.5°C of global warming is 130 billion tonnes. This would be exhausted in a little more than three years if emissions remain at current levels.

🧵⬇️

Rethinking migration in a changing climate: Multifaceted and interconnected drivers and adaptive strategies in Bangladesh Climatic hazards could shape migration in regions vulnerable to climate change such as the Southwestern coast of Bangladesh. While the nexus of enviro…

see our new paper just out on the links between climate change and migration in Bangladesh www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @priestleycentre.bsky.social

Climate change adaptation in global mountain regions requires a multi-sectoral approach - Communications Earth & Environment Livelihood diversification, early warning systems, and community partnership and collaborative engagement emerge as key multi-sectoral adaptation solutions to climate change risks in mountain regions,...

see our new paper on the status of adaptation in mountain regions globally www.nature.com/articles/s43... @priestleycentre.bsky.social

Recommendations for producing knowledge syntheses to inform climate change assessments - Nature Climate Change Climate change assessment reports are increasing in complexity as the knowledge base grows exponentially. In this Perspective, the authors advocate, and provide recommendations, for knowledge synthesi...

Knowledge syntheses are urgently needed for many climate change topics/questions. We provide guidance for producing robust, transparent, reproducible, inclusive and timely syntheses @priestleycentre.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Monitoring climate change impacts, Indigenous livelihoods and adaptation: Perspectives from Inuit community of Hopedale, Nunatsiavut, Canada | Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures | Cambridge Core Monitoring climate change impacts, Indigenous livelihoods and adaptation: Perspectives from Inuit community of Hopedale, Nunatsiavut, Canada - Volume 3

Our new paper from the IMAGINE Project co-authored with Indigenous community members of Hopedale, Nunatsiavut, Canadian Arctic @profjamesford.bsky.social esford.bsky.social @labradorice.bsky.social @priestleycentre.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Climate disaster effects on acute health care: a case study and model of the 2021 heatwave in British Columbia, Canada Acute health-care systems are a final layer of protection against growing climate impacts on population health. Climate disasters over the past decade…

See our new paper just out in Lancet Planetary Health where we model how adaptation can offset health-care delays during climate disasters www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
@priestleycentre.bsky.social @dylanclarkbc.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social