Tom Webb (he/him)
- Email: ee22tcw@leeds.ac.uk
- Thesis title: Examining the role of inequality reduction for making welfare states more growth-resilient
- Supervisors: Professor Milena Buchs, Dr Richard Bärnthaler
Profile
I am a PhD student within the Sustainability Research Institute at the School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds. During the course of my BA in economics (2019-2022), I found mainstream economics’ treatment of the intertwined crises of climate breakdown and social/economic injustice to be inadequate and uninspiring. This led to my discovery of alternative paradigms such as degrowth, doughnut economics and ecological economics. I completed an MSc in ecological economics in 2023, and started my PhD in 2024. I believe that a lot of the issues humanity faces are, at heart, caused by the hegemony of an economic system based on accumulation, individualism, consumerism and alienation. I am passionate about exploring how we can create a more harmonious and sustainable system in which our time, money and resources are organised around the fulfillment of our collective needs and for the purpose of our collective flourishing. My PhD research focuses on the roles of inequality reduction and progressive taxation for a sustainable, post-growth welfare state.
Research interests
degrowth; eco-social policy; sustainable wellbeing; political economy; political ecology; global climate justice.
Qualifications
- BA Economics (2022)
- MSc Ecological Economics (2023)
Research groups and institutes
- Sustainability Research Institute
- Economics and Policy for Sustainability
- Social and Political Dimensions of Sustainability