Mark Davis
@profmarkdavis.bsky.social
520 followers 430 following 27 posts
Economic Sociologist | Co-created Local Climate Bonds - raised +£30M for #netzero projects so far | Now researching social relations of retrofit | Deputy Head of School @sspatleeds.bsky.social | First-Gen | Views mine
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profmarkdavis.bsky.social
✍🏻 New Paper 📄

My first post to the bluesky community…

‘Towards a Relational Sociology of Retrofit’, published Online First today in Sociology:

doi.org/10.1177/0038...

#sociology #retrofit #energypolicy #netzero #trust #socialrelations
An image is provided of the Sociology journal logo.
Reposted by Mark Davis
sspatleeds.bsky.social
Big milestone in citizen-led climate finance!

Co-created through research by Prof. Mark Davis (@profmarkdavis.bsky.social), Community Municipal Investments (CMIs)—also known as Local Climate Bonds—have now mobilised £30 million for green projects across the UK.
Reposted by Mark Davis
sspatleeds.bsky.social
Following the announcement of @profmarkdavis.bsky.social as 2025 President of Sociology by the British Science Association, we are pleased to share our latest news article 📰

We had the chance to sit down with Prof. Davis to learn of his past achievements, current initiatives, and future vision 🎙️
Reposted by Mark Davis
luciemidd.bsky.social
This paper was mainly written at my kitchen table with @profmarkdavis.bsky.social, but with a stellar list of co-authors from the Whole Person Whole Place team: @drdonalbrown.bsky.social@ruthbookbinder.bsky.social Iain Cairns, @giuliamininni.bsky.social @mcbrisbois.bsky.social ...
Reposted by Mark Davis
sspatleeds.bsky.social
Prof. Mark Davis (@profmarkdavis.bsky.social) and Prof. Lucie Middlemiss have been awarded 'Best Paper' from Energy Research & Social Science 🎉

Their winning paper is entitled 'Developing a relational approach to energy demand: A methodological and conceptual guide'.
Reposted by Mark Davis
sspatleeds.bsky.social
We are thrilled to share that @profmarkdavis.bsky.social has been named the 2025 President of Sociology by the British Science Association.

Mark will give a Presidential Keynote at the British Science Festival, taking place from 10-14 September in Liverpool. More information in the coming months.
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
The paper is available open access via this link: doi.org/10.5871/jba/...

For more on the work of the Leeds Relational Energy Group, visit: relationalenergy.leeds.ac.uk
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
It does so in the context of The Labour Party’s 2024 “Change” Manifesto and its aim to ‘Make Britain a clean energy superpower’. We argue this energy transition must result in fairer, greener and more inclusive societies, and point to opportunities for and risks to delivering on that ambition.
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
Drawing on our empirical work from across the Leeds Relational Energy Group (LREG), this co-authored paper explores this challenge through conceptual frameworks of social change as offered by Mariana Mazzucato and Torsten Bell.
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
✍🏻 NEW PAPER ✍🏻

Should we govern the energy transition through bold ‘Mission Led’ government or pragmatic ‘Radical Incrementalism’?

This question frames our latest paper, published by @britishacademy.bsky.social in a collection using SHAPE disciplines to improve governance for rapid decarbonisation.
Reposted by Mark Davis
cmmonwealth.bsky.social
🚨 NEW: GB Energy will install rooftop solar panels on around 400 schools & hospitals in a new £200 mn investment.

This could lower energy bills for these crucial public services while giving communities a real stake in the UK’s clean energy future.

But why stop there? 🧵
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
It meant a lot to me that the room was filled with colleagues from across campus and beyond, with both current and former students, and with my family and friends.

Thanks also to those who have sent such generous emails on the lecture itself, I’m excited to see where new collaborations may lead!
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
Yeah so, last Thursday… this happened!

A sincere and very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who made the time to come along to my inaugural professorial lecture @universityofleeds.bsky.social, entitled:

“If liquid modern life is rubbish, what should we do about it? Sociological fragments”
Reposted by Mark Davis
sspatleeds.bsky.social
The School of SSP would like to congratulate @profmarkdavis.bsky.social on his lecture ‘If liquid modern life is rubbish, what should we do about it? Sociological fragments’ delivered at the ‘Faculty Inaugural Lecture Series’ on Thursday 13th March.

Read more here:

essl.leeds.ac.uk/education-so...
Professor Mark Davis delivers seventh Faculty Inaugural Lecture
The Faculty was delighted to host Professor Davis' lecture in celebration of his impressive research career.
essl.leeds.ac.uk
Reposted by Mark Davis
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
Back in 2018, I led a project that co-created Community Municipal Investments (CMIs), the model behind local climate bonds for UK councils.

This week, one of the project’s original case studies, Bristol City Council, launched its first CMI offer 🎉 More below:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Bristol council's green investment scheme to fund climate action
The council plans to utilise community investment to fund green projects across the city.
www.bbc.co.uk
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
Thanks Stephen! It’s fantastic to see Bristol CC use the model they also helped to co-create as one of the original council case studies in the Financing for Society project: baumaninstitute.leeds.ac.uk/research/fin...
Financing for Society | The Bauman Institute
baumaninstitute.leeds.ac.uk
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
Better get writing this then…

Very honoured to have been asked to give an inaugural lecture as part of this series to celebrate social science expertise @universityofleeds.bsky.social

Further details on my lecture and how to register a place via the link below:
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
Thanks to all @lssi.bsky.social for the invitation to contribute to this event, a window into some really inspiring research by social scientists in collaboration with a range of impact partners.

See below:
societal.bsky.social
The LSSI and RIS IAA Showcase highlighted the impact of IAA funding on diverse research projects from all faculties. Presentations by Research Council funding recipients showcased innovation & collaboration. Find out if you could benefit from IAA funding & read our write up here! bit.ly/42GtTfU #IAA
Banner for the LSSI and RIS Showcase event on 20/1/25. Design of a lightbulb.
Reposted by Mark Davis
sspatleeds.bsky.social
Wishing our followers a restful and restorative break.

We will be back online in the second week of January.

Please see below for a range of services available for those on campus over the holidays.
universityofleeds.bsky.social
Rocking around our campus Christmas tree🕺🎄💃

We are closed from 5pm today until 2 January, but we are still here if you need us!💚

Check out library opening times, support, and activities that will be available to those in Leeds over the winter break.

Find out more⬇️
students.leeds.ac.uk/holidayinfo
Night view of the illuminated windows of the Great Hall, with a tree adorned with twinkling lights in the foreground.
Reposted by Mark Davis
matthannon.bsky.social
Our @ukerc.bsky.social Social Relations of Energy Retrofit team, led by @drdonalbrown.bsky.social, have published a paper arguing that by paying attention to relational dynamics, we can better design retrofit policies that work with the grain of existing household practices and social relations.
Reposted by Mark Davis
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
To review all the papers published by the team - based at Leeds, Strathclyde, Sussex and York - on a relational approach to retrofit, and wider topics in energy research and social science, check out the Library pages on the Leeds Relational Energy Group site:

relationalenergy.leeds.ac.uk/library/
Library - Leeds Relational Energy Group
relationalenergy.leeds.ac.uk
profmarkdavis.bsky.social
Led by the brilliant @drdonalbrown.bsky.social, this is the latest paper from the Whole Person, Whole Place team brought together by a flex fund grant from @ukerc.bsky.social - which we have used to establish a new subfield of sociologically-informed energy research on #netzero challenges 🙌