Dr. Katya Rhodes

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Professional information

Dr. Katya Rhodes is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Administration and member of the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria. She is a recipient of the CUFA BC 2023 Early In Career Distinguished Academic Award.

Dr. Rhodes investigates the topics of low-carbon economy transitions and climate policy design using survey tools, energy-economy models, media and content analysis. She is a member of Canada's Sustainable Development Advisory Council providing policy advice on UN's Sustainable Development Goals in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. In 2019-2022, she served as President of the Canadian Society for Ecological Economics. Prior to joining the academia, Dr. Rhodes worked in the British Columbia (BC) Climate Action Secretariat where she led greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions modelling and economic analyses for the provincial CleanBC plan. Dr. Rhodes' professional experiences also include the development of clean technology and green jobs databases at the Vancouver Economic Commission, analysis of the provincial policy for the Cumulative Effects Framework in the BC Government, the investigation of public and stakeholder perceptions of BC’s carbon tax at the Pembina Institute, and teaching Environmental Economics at Royal Roads University.

Dr. Rhodes’ current research focuses on the design of effective and politically acceptable climate policies. Her 2022-25 SSHRC Insight grant assesses political costs of achieving Canada’s net-zero emissions target using modelling of climate policy pathways and a national survey of public support for stringent climate policy. As part of her collaborative Swedish Research Council grant, Dr. Rhodes conducts case studies of comparative climate policy successes and implements international surveys to study public beliefs about the co-existence of climate sustainability and economic growth. Her SSRHC Insight Development project explores consumer motivations for adopting low-carbon heating technologies and homeowner preferences for building decarbonization policies using a survey of Canadian homeowners (n=3,804). Dr. Rhodes’ SSRHC Knowledge Synthesis project develops an inventory of energy-economy models available in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors in Canada, to help policy-makers better assess economic and GHG impacts of climate policies. Dr. Rhodes’ UVic-funded project investigates the key design features of ‘flexible’ climate regulations using cross-country comparative policy analyses. Dr. Rhodes’ PICS-funded survey of government officials in the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities region informs the development of a regional climate plan to accelerate climate action. All research by Dr. Rhodes aims to help policy-makers design targeted climate policy proposals and improve communication techniques to help Canada meet its climate targets.

Dr. Rhodes teaches interdisciplinary courses including ADMN 548 Sustainability Transitions, ADMN 509 Economics for Policy Analysis, and ADMN 581 Quantitative Methods for Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation.

Full CV

Research interests

• Decoupling economic growth from emissions
• Public acceptance of climate policy
• Consumer preferences for low-carbon technology
• Climate policy mixes
• Climate policy governance
• Economic impacts of climate policy

Selected Publications

• Dordi, T., Rhodes, E., and McPherson, M. (2023). Oil Money, Foreign Control: Exposing the Powers Behind Canada’s Oil Sands. Policy Options, August 23.
• Gransaull, G., Rhodes, E., and Fairbrother, M. (2023). The U.K.’s approach to climate governance can aid Canada’s climate ambitions. Policy Options, August 9.
• Dordi, T., Webber, O., Rhodes, E., and McPherson, M. (2023). A voice for change? Capital markets as a key leverage point in Canada’s fossil fuel industry. Energy Research and Social Science, 103, 103189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.103189 
• McCurdy, J., and Rhodes, E. (2023). What drives greenhouse gas emissions? An international scoping review of academic studies in 2010–2019. Climate Resilience and Sustainability. http://doi.org/10.1002/cli2.52
• McPherson, M., Rhodes, E., Stanislaw, L., Arjmand, R., Saffari, M., Hoicka, C., Xu, R., and Esfahlani, M. (2023). Modeling the transition to a zero emission energy system: A cross-sectoral review of building, transportation, and electricity system models in Canada. Energy Reports, 9, 4380-4400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2023.02.090
• Scott, W., Rhodes, E., and Hoicka, C. (2023). Multi-level climate governance: examining impacts and interactions between national and sub-national emissions mitigation policy mixes in Canada, Climate Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2023.2185586
• Gransaull, G., Rhodes, E., and Fairbrother, M. (2023). Institutions for effective climate policymaking: Lessons from the case of the United Kingdom. Energy Policy, 175, 113484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113484
• Rhodes, E., and Corbett, M. (2023). Targeted policies can help decarbonize Canada one home at a time. The Conversation, January 24.
• Odland, S. and Rhodes, E. (2023). Home decarbonization requires tailored policies. Policy Options, January 16.
• Corbett, M., Rhodes, E., Pardy, A., and Long, Z. (2023). Pumping up adoption: The role of policy awareness in explaining willingness to adopt heat pumps in Canada. Energy Research and Social Science, 96, 102926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102926
• Fairbrother, M., and Rhodes, E. (2023). Climate policy in British Columbia: An unexpected journey. Frontiers in Climate, 4, 1043672. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2022.1043672 
• Odland, S., Rhodes, E., Corbett, M., and Pardy, A. (2023). What policies do homeowners prefer for home heating and why? An exploration of policy support in Canada. Energy Policy, 173, 113368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113368 
• Andrew, K., Majerbi, B., and Rhodes, E. (2022). Slouching or Speeding Toward Net Zero? Evidence from COVID-19 Stimulus Policies in the G20. Ecological Economics, 107586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2022.107586 and SSRN, https://ssrn.com/abstract=4066803 
• Pardy, A., Rhodes, E., and Jaccard, M. (2022). Charactering air source heat pump market segments: A Canadian case study. Frontiers in Sustainability, 3:983454. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2022.983454
• Andrew, K., Majerbi, B. and Rhodes, E. (2022). What the 2022 federal budget says about Canada’s commitment to a green recovery. The Conversation, April 7.
• Rhodes, E., Hoyle, A., McPherson, M., & Craig, K. (2022). Understanding climate policy projections: A scoping review of energy-economy models in Canada. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 153(October 2021), 111739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111739
• Rhodes, E., and Hoyle, A. (2021). Climate policy creates winners and losers, and governments need to choose the best models to weigh the outcomes. The Conversation Canada, November 9.
• Scott, W., and Rhodes, E. (2021). Bending the emissions curve requires flexibility. Policy Options, August 13.
• Yan, L. Flexible regulations. On Rhodes, E., Scott, W., and Jaccard, M. Nature Climate Change, 11, 643. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01121-7
  
• Rhodes, E., Scott, W. A., & Jaccard, M. (2021). Designing flexible regulations to mitigate climate change: A cross-country comparative policy analysis. Energy Policy, 156, 112419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112419
• Rhodes, E., Craig, K., Hoyle, A., and McPherson, M. (2021). How do energy-economy models compare? A survey of model developers and users in Canada. Sustainability, 13(1), 5789. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115789
• Rhodes, E., Krawchenko, T., Pearce, K., & Shaw, K. (2021). Scaling up local climate action: A survey of climate policy priorities in the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities region. Canadian Planning and Policy / Aménagement Et Politique Au Canada, 2021(01), 36-69. https://doi.org/10.24908/cpp-apc.v2021i01.14469
• Rhodes, E., Craig, K., Hoyle, A., and McPherson, M. (2021). Improving Climate Policy Projections: A Pan-Canadian Review of Energy-Economy Models. University of Victoria.
• Kitt, S., Axsen, J., Long, Z., & Rhodes, E. (2021). The role of trust in citizen acceptance of climate policy : Comparing perceptions of government competence, integrity and value similarity. Ecological Economics, 183, 106958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.106958
• Krawchenko, T., Rhodes, E., Harrison, K., Pearce, K., Shaw, K., Brousselle, A., Ney, T., Mallows, C. (2020). Territorial Analysis and Survey of Local Government Priorities for Climate Action: Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities. Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Climate Leadership Plan, Victoria, B.C.
• Rhodes, E. (2020). BC’s green stimulus needs to focus on fuel switching, not energy efficiency. Policy Options, July 20. The Coronavirus Pandemic: Canada’s Response Special Feature.
• Rhodes, E., Axsen, J., and Jaccard, M. (2017). Exploring citizen support for different types of climate policy. Ecological Economics, 137, 56-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.02.027
• Rhodes, E., Axsen, J., and Jaccard, M. (2015). Gauging citizen support for a low carbon fuel standard. Energy Policy, 79, 104-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.01.019
• Rhodes, E., Axsen, J., and Jaccard, M. (2014). Does effective climate policy require well-informed citizen support? Global Environmental Change, 29, 92-104.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.09.001
• Rhodes, E., and Jaccard, M. (2013). A Tale of two climate policies: Political-economy of British Columbia’s carbon tax and clean electricity standard. Canadian Public Policy, 39, S37-51.
• Rhodes, E., and Horne, M. (2013). Assessing British Columbia’s Carbon Tax Design: Public and Stakeholder Perspectives. In Market Based Instruments: National Experiences in Environmental Sustainability (pp. 159-173), Kreiser, L. Duff, D., Milne, J.E., and Ashiabor, H. (eds.), Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781782548720
• Horne, M., and Petropavlova, E. (2012). BC’s Carbon Tax: Exploring Perspectives and Seeking Common Ground. Vancouver, BC: The Pembina Institute.