Dr. Katya Rhodes

Professional Information & Research

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 investigates the topics of low-carbon economy transitions and climate policy design using survey tools, energy-economy models, media and content analysis. 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 SSRHC-funded project reviews the key improvements and critiques of energy-economy models to develop a publicly-accessible inventory of models available in the academic, public, private, and not-for-profit sectors in Canada. This research will propose best practices for modelling 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 is also currently conducting a PICS-funded survey of government officials in the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities region to contribute to the development of a regional climate plan. 

Dr. Rhodes teaches interdisciplinary courses including ADMN470 Sustainability Transitions, ADMN 509 Economics for Policy Analysis, and ADMN 581 Quantitative Methods for Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation.

Full CV

Research interests

• Climate policy analysis
• Sustainability transitions
• Energy-economy modelling

Selected Publications

• Rhodes, E., Axsen, J., and Jaccard, M. (2017). Exploring citizen support for different types of climate policy. Ecological Economics, 137, 56-69.
• Rhodes, E., Axsen, J., and Jaccard, M. (2015). Gauging citizen support for a low carbon fuel standard. Energy Policy, 79, 104-114.
• Rhodes, E., Axsen, J., and Jaccard, M. (2014). Does effective climate policy require well-informed citizen support? Global Environmental Change, 29, 92-104.
• 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.
• Horne, M., and Petropavlova, E. (2012). BC’s Carbon Tax: Exploring Perspectives and Seeking Common Ground. Vancouver, BC: The Pembina Institute.