Carlo Inverardi-Ferri is a geographer whose work lies at the intersection of economic geography and political ecology. His research focuses on understanding the role that production systems play in the global economy and the related social and ecological issues. This agenda is pursued through research in various theoretical and empirical areas. In recent years, Carlo has participated in research projects on socio-ecological transformations in East Asia, particularly in China. In addition to his role at the CNR, Carlo is a Lecturer in Economic Geography at Queen Mary University of London. He is also an editor of Territory, Politics, Governance and a committee member of the Economic Geography Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society with IBG.

Carlo holds a PhD in Geography and the Environment from the University of Oxford; an MPhil in Social Sciences and a degree in Chinese Studies from Inalco in Paris; and a degree in Humanities Computing from the University of Pisa. Carlo has worked as a lecturer at the University of Fribourg and as a postdoctoral researcher at the National University of Singapore. He has also held fellowships at Peking University, National Taiwan University, and the EFEO. The merits of his work have been recognized by various institutions that have awarded funding, most recently the British Academy and the European Research Council. Through personal grants and internal reviews, Carlo has helped secure over 2.6 million euros in research funds. He currently leads an ERC Starting Grant (1.5 million euros), Illicit Labour.

A key theme in his research focuses on ‘ecology and global production’ and explores how we understand the role of nature in economic processes. This research theme engages with the literature on global production networks and extends theoretical perspectives that conceive these economic systems by considering their ecological risks and distributive effects. Building on his ERC starting grant, this work examines the links between climate change mitigation and illicit economies and the related implications for ecological governance. Through an analysis of the global photovoltaic industry, a significant sector for climate change mitigation, this project aims to i) highlight those actors, practices, and processes operating in the shadow of “sustainable development” and ii) advance new theoretical perspectives on ecological risks, vulnerability, and mitigation.

Over the years, his work has appeared in international journals, including Economic Geography, Progress in Human Geography, and Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers.