CV
George Barber
Economist with a background in climate, energy, economic policy, and public-facing writing.
Current
Economist — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Diplomatic and Development Fast Stream; 0.2% success rate in 2025 recruitment data
- Economic analysis and policy in government.
- International development and diplomacy.
Education
MSc Economics & Policy of Energy & Environment — University College London
Distinction, 76 average
- Focus: energy, climate policy, environmental economics, econometrics, law, finance, and political economy.
- Research: distributional consequences of UK power sector decarbonisation.
- Selected marks: Environmental Measurement & Law 86; Econometrics 82; Advanced Energy-Environment-Economy Modelling 78.
- Activities: UCL Sustainability Ambassador; UCL Men’s Squash Team.
BA Philosophy, Politics & Economics — University of Oxford
First Class, 73 average; 9th of 241
- Focus: economics, political theory, climate policy, justice, and economic history.
- Research: climate-related worker heat stress and crop-yield effects in Nordhaus’s DICE model.
- Selected marks: Political Sociology 77; Environmental Economics & Climate Change 75 (highest in cohort); Macroeconomics 73.
- Activities: Oxford University Boxing Team; New College Chess Team; local primary school mentor.
A Levels and GCSEs — Pate’s Grammar School
- A Levels: Mathematics A*, English D1/A*, History A.
- GCSEs: 12 grade 9s and one grade 7; ranked 1st of 135 in the year.
Selected papers
The Class Politics of Net Zero
Direct productivity damages in MPC-DICE
Does consensus democracy reduce social inequality?
Selected experience
Research Analyst — Green Economy Society
- Green bonds, volatility, recession indicators, and the greenium effect.
- Research designed for non-specialist readers.
Features Editor — Pi Media
- Edited public-facing features across politics, culture, economics, identity, and technology.
- Commissioning, structure, line editing, and contributor support.
Research Intern — Gate One Management Consultancy
- Built Python workflows for sustainability reporting.
- Analysed Scope 3 emissions, SDG data, and client-facing process improvements.
IT and Operations Lead — New College Ball
- Led ticketing and operations for a circa GBP 500,000 event with 1,600 guests.
- Saved 100+ preparation hours and redirected savings into accessibility and sustainability improvements.
Skills
Economics and policy
- Climate, energy, development, public economics, environmental regulation, distributional analysis.
Quantitative and technical
- Python, R, MATLAB, Excel, econometrics, modelling, automation, data cleaning, scenario analysis.
Communication
- Writing, editing, briefing, stakeholder work, structured notes, public-facing explanation.