Professor Sarah Bracking
Professor of Climate and Society
Research interests
- Geography
- International development
Biography
Professor Sarah Bracking is a political economist who researches a range of issues in international development and financial geography. Historically this has included corruption and development, illicit financial flows and the offshore economy, poverty reduction, migrant remittances, and democratisation.
A constant in this research has been the study of money and finance, beginning with development finance and, since 2011, with the emerging climate finance architecture. Her last book explored the financialisation of the current global economy, the last financial crash of 2008 and how this has affected and changed structure of power and political economy, with a particular focus on southern Africa.
It also explored the roles of financial innovations and calculative technologies at emerging new frontiers of financialisation including in human and more-than-human relations and ecology.
Sarah is currently researching climate and development finance, climate insurance and the coproduction of finance and power in market structures. She is editor of Corruption and Development (Palgrave, 2007); author of Money and Power (Pluto, 2009) and The Financialisation of Power: How Financiers Rule Africa (Routledge, 2016); and co-editor with Sian Sullivan, Philip Woodhouse, and Aurora Fredrikson of Valuing Development, Environment and Conservation: Creating Values that Matter (Routledge, 2019).
Research
- Climate finance
- Development finance
- Financialisation of power
- Political economy of development in southern Africa
Sarah’s current research focuses on the signification of green in private capital markets by means of various technologies of disclosure, taxonomy and labelling in respect of themed fixed income assets, such as green bonds, transition bonds and related climate-inflected products.
A further project is exploring the operational efficacy of climate finance and climate insurance in respect of climate change adaptation and poverty reduction co-benefits projects in southern Africa.
Teaching
- 6SSG3087 Geographies of Financialisation and Value-Making (3rd year, UG, module leader)
- 5SSG2044 Development Geographies: Livelihood and Policy Contexts (2nd year, UG)
- 5SSG2063 BA Geography Research Tutorials (2nd year, UG)
- 4SSG1016 Geography in Action (1st year, UG)
- 7SSGN106 Fundamentals of Environment, Politics and Development (MSc)
- 7SSGN002 Practising Social Research (MSc)
- 7SSG5168 Vulnerability, Development and Disasters (MSc)
PhD supervision
Sarah would be pleased to consider supervising PhD students in the areas of financialisation, climate finance, development finance, climate change adaptation and poverty reduction.
Further details
Research
Contested Development research group
Exploring environmental, political and social questions in relation to contested and uneven processes of development.
King's Climate Research Hub
Studying climate change through the relationship between science, policy and culture, particularly in the developing world.
Political Ecology, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services
The Political Ecology, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (PEBES) group provides a collaborative focus for work on the social (re)production of nature, environmental conservation and resource management.
Climate & sustainability researchers at King’s
King's researchers working across climate and sustainability
News
A climate finance policy playbook for the new UK government
A higher Capital Gains Tax rate for heavy carbon emitters and streamlined listings rules for green companies are just two of the urgent policy recommendations...
Exchanging ideas on key climate actions needed at COP28
Students, academics, staff and visitors came together to discuss priorities for climate action ahead of this year’s COP28 meeting of world leaders.
Collective climate action needed, King's experts tell London Climate Action Week
As part of London Climate Action Week, King’s experts demonstrated the value of partnership to address policy gaps and improve climate change adaptation plans.
Sovereign green bonds: What role can they play in the transition to net zero?
In March, the Qatar Centre of Global Banking & Finance and the Climate Law and Governance Centre at King’s convened a policy forum of experts to discuss the...
Events
COP28: Time for actions not words
In the run up to the COP28 global climate summit, the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy is hosting a stimulating and interactive evening centred...
Please note: this event has passed.
Incorporating climate into governance: Perspectives from multiple industries
Join experts from across Social Science & Public Policy in discussing the importance of incorporating climate into governance.
Please note: this event has passed.
Green sovereign bonds: What role can they play in the transition to net zero?
A panel discussion on green sovereign bonds hosted by the Qatar Centre for Global Banking & Finance and Climate Law & Governance at King's.
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
COP29 climate finance promises: 'tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow'
PROFESSOR SARAH BRACKING reflects on the climate finance decisions taken at COP29
COP29: Following the money through the looking glass
SARAH BRACKING explores what is happening with the climate finance discussions at COP29.
COP28: any news on the climate finance?
Professor Sarah Bracking has been at COP28, paying close attention to the ongoing debates around climate finance.
Money makes the world cool down – or does it?
Professor Sarah Bracking from the Department of Geography examines climate finance discussions at COP26 and whether vulnerable populations are being considered.
Research
Contested Development research group
Exploring environmental, political and social questions in relation to contested and uneven processes of development.
King's Climate Research Hub
Studying climate change through the relationship between science, policy and culture, particularly in the developing world.
Political Ecology, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services
The Political Ecology, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (PEBES) group provides a collaborative focus for work on the social (re)production of nature, environmental conservation and resource management.
Climate & sustainability researchers at King’s
King's researchers working across climate and sustainability
News
A climate finance policy playbook for the new UK government
A higher Capital Gains Tax rate for heavy carbon emitters and streamlined listings rules for green companies are just two of the urgent policy recommendations...
Exchanging ideas on key climate actions needed at COP28
Students, academics, staff and visitors came together to discuss priorities for climate action ahead of this year’s COP28 meeting of world leaders.
Collective climate action needed, King's experts tell London Climate Action Week
As part of London Climate Action Week, King’s experts demonstrated the value of partnership to address policy gaps and improve climate change adaptation plans.
Sovereign green bonds: What role can they play in the transition to net zero?
In March, the Qatar Centre of Global Banking & Finance and the Climate Law and Governance Centre at King’s convened a policy forum of experts to discuss the...
Events
COP28: Time for actions not words
In the run up to the COP28 global climate summit, the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy is hosting a stimulating and interactive evening centred...
Please note: this event has passed.
Incorporating climate into governance: Perspectives from multiple industries
Join experts from across Social Science & Public Policy in discussing the importance of incorporating climate into governance.
Please note: this event has passed.
Green sovereign bonds: What role can they play in the transition to net zero?
A panel discussion on green sovereign bonds hosted by the Qatar Centre for Global Banking & Finance and Climate Law & Governance at King's.
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
COP29 climate finance promises: 'tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow'
PROFESSOR SARAH BRACKING reflects on the climate finance decisions taken at COP29
COP29: Following the money through the looking glass
SARAH BRACKING explores what is happening with the climate finance discussions at COP29.
COP28: any news on the climate finance?
Professor Sarah Bracking has been at COP28, paying close attention to the ongoing debates around climate finance.
Money makes the world cool down – or does it?
Professor Sarah Bracking from the Department of Geography examines climate finance discussions at COP26 and whether vulnerable populations are being considered.