Advisory & Consulting
Oxford, 2018 - 2024
Speaker, Voltalia, 2024
Critically assessed key trends in the solar industry and highlighted forward-looking strategies at Voltalia's annual awary day.
Reviewer, Market Shaping Accelerator, University of Chicago, 2023
Assessed first-stage proposals for advanced market committments to bring novel green technologies to market. The Market Shaping Accelerator is led by Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer among other high profile economists.
Submission of Parliamentary Evidence on Onshore Solar, Environmental Audit Committee, UK Government, 2023
Responded to a Parliamentary Inquiry on the costs and benefits of onshore solar development with latest academic evidence.
How to Achieve Net-Zero Investment Portfolios, British International Investment, 2022
Wrote a report about how large development finance institutions can align their portfolios with global climate agreements.
Predictors of Success in a Greening World, Lombard Odier, 2021
Analysed trends in green competitiveness for large asset manager. Link.
Climate change and emerging markets after Covid-19, Pictet Asset Management, 2020
Analysed trends in green competitiveness for large asset manager. Link.
Review and feedback for The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, HM Treasury, UK Government, 2020
Provided critical review of the HM Treasury's review of biodiveristy.
Independent, 2019 -
Green Patent Analysis for Australia, ClimateWorks Australia, 2020
Analysed trends in green patenting to input into ClimateWork's advisory work for the Government of Australia
Vivid Economics, 2015-2018
Green Industrial Strategy for Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines, GIZ, 2018-2019
Supported the development of green industrial strategies for Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines. Engagement with local energy ministries, government, and private sector. In partnership with Climateworks Australia.
Guyana’s Green State Development Plan, United Nations Environment Program, 2018
Assessed Guyana’s trade, macroeconomic fundamentals, and sustainability to advise on its green development plan. Conducted growth diagnostics to see how the Guyanese economy could sustainably diversify and outlined the sources of finance to enable the transition. Considered the critical question of how Guyana will handle its newly discovered oil reserves. Work fed into the national Green State Development Plan.
Pay As You Go Market Attractiveness Index for Solar Power, International Finance Corporation, 2018.
Supported the development a market attractiveness index for off-grid PAYG energy services across 12 Sub-Saharan African countries. Set out the fundamental economic principles of the market and provided a source of information for policy makers and investors on the potential for PAYG markets to expand.
Water sector reform, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2018.
Undertook a quick scoping review to understand how competition in the UK water sector could be better structured to increase affordability and resilience.
Synthesising opportunities for carbon pricing and low-carbon development in Turkey, World Bank, 2018.
Co-authored a synthesis paper that aggregated evidence from analytical studies on the potential role of carbon pricing in Turkey. The report provided recommendations for senior policymakers. Sugandha also wrote a series of op-eds to release findings through more popular mediums.
Modelling economic, fiscal and sectoral impacts of carbon pricing in Turkey, World Bank, 2017 – 2018.
Undertook computational general equilibrium (CGE) modelling to assess the macroeconomic and sectoral impacts of carbon pricing policies in Turkey. Led the modelling workstream, liaised with local stakeholders, delivered training sessions to government officials and drafted key reports and presentations.
Blueprint for Business Leadership on the Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Global Compact, 2017.
Undertook extensive stakeholder consultations with international organisations, civil society groups and corporate entities to understand how businesses can be SDG leaders. Conducted an assessment of corporate actions across each of the SDGs. Co-authored the ‘blueprint’ for business leadership on the SDGs.
Natural capital accounting in the Lake District, National Trust, 2017.
Used natural capital accounts to assess options for land-use change in a catchment in the Lake District. Considered how the net economic value of the catchment changes across multiple scenarios including one that factored in the effects of Brexit on farm subsidies. Devised a new methodology to value flood defence and used bio-economic modelling to value carbon sequestration and raw material production. Advised on the optimal land mix and highlighted ways in which the transition could be managed.
Facilitating investment in renewable energy in Peru, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2016.
Identified legal and fiscal barriers to investment in renewable energy in Peru; mapped the potential for low cost, locally appropriate technologies; and specified pilot initiatives for quick implementation in rural areas.
Assessing the feasibility of natural capital accounting, Confidential UK utility, 2016.
Undertook a literature review of natural capital accounting methods across different ecosystem services. Determined the feasibility of natural capital accounting for a public utility in the UK. Developed a method to value ecosystem impacts for one of the utility’s major projects.
Evaluating infrastructure investment opportunities in Africa, Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2016.
Quantified infrastructure investment gaps across several verticals (health, education, energy etc.) for sub-Saharan African countries. Created an ease of business index. Mapped infrastructure gaps against ease of business to identify the best infrastructure investment opportunities.
Sizing the Green Economy in Asia, Asian Development Bank, 2016. Assessed the current and future potential of the green economy in Asia using trade, patent and output data. Drafted ADOU working paper and co-authored theme chapter on low carbon growth for ADB’s 2016 annual outlook report.
Commercial impacts of carbon prices, European private client, 2016.
Developed a sector-wide questionnaire for a key industrial sector in Europe to assess the competitiveness implications of the EU ETS. Identified sectors at risk of carbon leakage using a bespoke model that incorporated trade intensity and cost increases due to carbon pricing.
Climate Resilience and Private Sector Growth in Egyptian Agribusiness, EBRD, 2016.
Assessed strategies to foster private sector growth in Egyptian agribusiness and increase climate resilience. Undertook qualitative and quantitative assessments through stakeholder interviews, scenario analysis and market sizing analysis.
Transformational development and water resources in drylands, Overseas Development Institute, 2016.
Assessed how mega infrastructure projects have direct and indirect effects on water resources in semi-arid regions. Undertook a case study on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Catalyst Demand, Private Client, 2015.
Gathered quantitative and qualitative data to determine demand for catalysts across countries. Found limits for NOx, SO2 and PM by sector and country and prepared a country document outlining relevant laws.
Climate Finance Nigeria, Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility, 2015.
Edited and provided feedback on concept notes prepared by the Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility for accessing climate finance.