Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Bec Colvin is a social scientist and senior lecturer with the Resources, Environment & Development Group at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Bec researches the social and political dimensions of contentious issues associated with climate policy and energy transition. Her research is focused on understanding the complexity of how different people and groups engage with social, policy, and political conflict about climate and energy issues, particularly through the theoretical lens of the social identity approach. She has explored conflict about wind energy, coal seam gas, coal, and climate policy and energy transition more broadly, in settings ranging from the public sphere through to local communities.
Most recently, she has published research on how local residents’ policy priorities for economic diversification of the coal-producing Upper Hunter region, and patterns of aggregate public opinion about climate change in Australia. In 2022, she will commence work on an Australian Research Council Discovery Project that seeks to understand the influence of ‘unconventional advocates’ – like farmers, business people, and political conservatives – on public opinion about climate policy.
At the Crawford School of Public Policy, Bec teaches courses on the role and practice of communication in climate and environmental policy, quantitative social research methods, independent research on climate policy, and is Co-Convener of the Master of Climate Change and Convenor of the Graduate Certificate of Climate Policy. Bec is on the editorial board of leading journal Environmental Research Letters, and is a regular contributor to the media on issues to do with climate and energy.
Current student projects
Primary supervision:
Nic Badullovich, ‘Towards effective climate communication: understanding the framing of climate change in an Australian context’, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy
Sarah Boddington, 'Everyday Experiences of Australians Reducing Carbon Emissions', ANU Crawford School of Public Policy
Associate supervision:
Inez Harker-Schuch, ‘Using 3D serious gaming interventions to promote climate science literacy in the 12-13-year age group’, ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society
Denis Karcher, ‘Connecting marine science with policy and practice: Lessons from science-policy ‘bright-spots’’, ANU Centre for the Public Awareness of Science
Eliza Murray, ‘Multi-level governance of carbon markets: the institutional foundations of international emissions trading’, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy
Mikayla Novak, ‘Ideas, Discourses, Actions: Social Network Perspectives on Contentious Online Engagement’, ANU School of Sociology
Phaothai Sin-Ampol, ‘Community-based Adaptation of Repeated Flooding Communities in the Yom River Basin’, ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society
Aaron Tang, ‘The Politics and Governance of Geoengineering’, ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society
Bronwyn Wilkes, ‘Cultivating support for a biosensitive food system’, ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society
Research interests
- Social & political conflict about climate and environmental issues.
- Interactions between identity, values, and ideology, in shaping attitudes toward climate and environmental issues.
- Social experiences of energy transition & development, with a focus on wind, coal, and unconventional gas.
- Effective communication on climate change and environmental issues.
- Community and stakeholder engagement process dynamics.
Available student projects
Please get in touch if you are interested in undertaking a PhD exploring the intersection of some or all of:
- Environment & climate change
- Identity, values & ideology
- Social & political conflict
- Communication & participation
Researcher's projects
Qualifications
Bachelor of Environmental Management (Hons 1, Valedictorian) 2012, The University of Queensland
PhD 2017, The University of Queensland
Expertise Areas
- Environmental Management
- HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
- Environment Policy
- Environmental Politics
- Environmental Sociology
- Social and Community Psychology
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Network (past 5 years)
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Partnering with local communities in regional Australia to increase resilience to flood events
Prinsley, R., Abel, N., Colvin, R., Cork, S., Crimp, S., Croke, B., Doran, B., Grafton, Q., Hay, N., Howden, M., Jakeman, A., McGrath, M., Pearse, R., Pittock, J., Sedighkia, M., Smith, J., Wasson, R., Wyrwoll, P. & Zhu, R.
National Recovery and Resilience Agency
31/07/22 → 31/08/24
Project: Research
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The effect of unconventional advocates on public support for climate policy
Colvin, R. & Fielding, K.
Australian Research Council (ARC)
30/06/22 → 29/06/25
Project: Research
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Climate risk guidance documents and communication
Colvin, R. & de Castella, C.
Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy
14/02/19 → 30/06/19
Project: Research
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Australia-Germany Energy Transition Hub
Jotzo, F., Blakers, A., Burke, P., Colvin, R., Hughes, L., Macintosh, A., Stocks, M. & Thiebaux, S.
Commonwealth Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
1/07/18 → 30/06/20
Project: Research
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Lessons from bright-spots for advancing knowledge exchange at the interface of marine science and policy
Karcher, D., Cvitanovic, C., van Putten, I., Colvin, R., Armitage, D., Aswani, S., Ballesteros, M., Ban, N., Barragán-Paladines, M. J., Bednarek, A. T., Bell, J. D., Brooks, C. M. & Daw, T. M., 2022, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 314, p. 1-12Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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Local residents' policy preferences in an energy contested region – The Upper Hunter, Australia
Colvin, R. & Przybyszewski, E., 2022, In: Energy Policy. 162, p. 1-13Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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Storylines of Geoengineering in the Australian Media: An Analysis of Online Coverage 2006-2018
Burnard, A. & Colvin, R., 2022, In: Environmental Communication. 16, 7, p. 977-992Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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Australian voters' attitudes to climate action and their social-political determinants
Colvin, R. & Jotzo, F., 2021, In: PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science). 16, 3Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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Carbon Dioxide Removal Policy in the Making: Assessing Developments in 9 OECD Cases
Schenuit, F., Colvin, R., Fridahl, M., McMullin, B., Reisinger, A., Sanchez, D. L., Smith, S. M., Torvanger, A., Wreford, A. & Geden, O., 2021, In: Frontiers in Climate. 3Research output: Contribution to journal › Article