James Hopeward

Research Interests

Adaptation to climate change Climate change impacts and adaptation Climate change mitigation strategies Climate change science Ecological Economics Economic growth Energy systems and analysis Environmentally sustainable energy activities Food sustainability Mitigation of climate change

APrf James Hopeward

Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering

School of Civil Engineering and Construction

College of Engineering and Information Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

I am a sustainability scientist and systems thinker working at the intersection of environmental engineering, policy, and community engagement. My research focuses on the big-picture challenges of our time—climate change, energy transitions, and the limits to economic growth—and the solutions required to navigate them. I explore these issues from both global and local perspectives: from modelling the world’s renewable energy potential to supporting sustainable food systems and regenerative development in communities. For an interactive example of my work, check out my Global Renewable Energy and Sectoral Electrification model. 
My work has influenced international policy discourse and sustainability assessment frameworks, including through contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations Global Environment Outlook, and the UN Sustainable Development Performance Indicator (SDPI) platform. I am a founding member of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and maintain an active role in bridging scientific research with real-world action.
At UniSA, I lead curriculum and assessment innovation across engineering and environmental programs, with a focus on authentic, inclusive learning in the era of generative AI. I teach and coordinate courses on climate change adaptation, water systems, and environmental modelling, and regularly deliver guest lectures and public talks on sustainability transitions and systems thinking.
Find me on Bluesky Social: @jameshopeward.bsky.social

Open access Global Renewable Energy and Sectoral Electrification (GREaSE) model for rapid simulation and scenario generation:

Date Position Institution name
2010 - 2025 Academic University of South Australia
2008 - 2009 Postdoctoral Research Fellow Flinders University

Date Institution name Country Title
2005 - 2008 Flinders University Australia Doctor of Philosophy
2000 - 2004 University of South Australia Australia Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
2000 - 2004 University of South Australia Australia Bachelor of Applied Science

Year Citation
2025 Bustami, R. A., Beecham, S., Hopeward, J., Belusko, M., & Khairulzaim, A. A. M. (2025). The effect of climate on thermal loads in living walls. Environments, 12(3, article no. 78), 1-23.
DOI
2025 Hopeward, J., Davis, R., O'Connor, S., & Akiki, P. (2025). The Global Renewable Energy and Sectoral Electrification (GREaSE) Model for Rapid Energy Transition Scenarios. Energies, 18(9, article no. 2205), 1-29.
DOI
2025 Devlin, J., Hopeward, J., Hopeward, K., & Saint, C. (2025). Visions of a circular future: what type of circular economy is developing in South Australia?. Journal of Circular Economy, 3(3), 1-19.
DOI
2024 Tian, J., Culley, S., Maier, H. R., Zecchin, A. C., & Hopeward, J. (2024). Diagnostic Approach and Tool for Assessing and Increasing the Sustainability of Renewable Energy Projects. Sustainability, 16(24), 10871.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2023 Devlin, J., Hopeward, K., Hopeward, J., & Saint, C. (2023). Leading the circular future: South Australia's potential influence on circular economy development in Asia-Pacific Region. Sustainability, 15(18, article no. 13756), 1-13.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4
2023 Bustami, R. A., Beecham, S., & Hopeward, J. (2023). The influence of plant type, substrate and irrigation regime on living wall performance in a semi-arid climate. Environments, 10(2, article no. 26), 26.
DOI
2023 Bustami, R. A., Rawlings, R., Beecham, S., Ward, J., & Mah, D. Y. S. (2023). Living walls in the city: community values and expectations. International Journal of Integrated Engineering, 15(9), 79-86.
DOI Scopus2
2023 Kafle, A., Hopeward, J., & Myers, B. (2023). Potential Economic, Social and Environmental Contribution Study of Urban Agriculture Based on Five Key Features Identified through Past Studies. Land, 12(10), 12 pages.
DOI Scopus3 WoS1
2023 Kafle, A., Hopeward, J., & Myers, B. (2023). Exploring Trade-Offs between Potential Economic, Social and Environmental Outcomes of Urban Agriculture in Adelaide, Australia and the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Sustainability Switzerland, 15(14), 28 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2023 Kafle, A., Hopeward, J., & Myers, B. (2023). Modelling the Benefits and Impacts of Urban Agriculture: Employment, Economy of Scale and Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Horticulturae, 9(1), 26 pages.
DOI Scopus13 WoS10
2022 Kafle, A., Hopeward, J., & Myers, B. (2022). Exploring Conventional Economic Viability as a Potential Barrier to Scalable Urban Agriculture: Examples from Two Divergent Development Contexts. Horticulturae, 8(8), 25 pages.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2022 Wang, X., Hopeward, J., Yi, I., McElroy, M. W., & Sutton, P. C. (2022). Supporting the sustainable development goals: a context sensitive indicator for sustainable use of water at the facility level. Sustainable Development, 30(5), 1184-1199.
DOI Scopus5
2022 Bustami, R. A., Beecham, S., & Hopeward, J. (2022). Evaporative cooling effect of water-sensitive urban design: comparing a living wall with a porous concrete pavement system. Water, 14(22, article no. 3759), 3759.
DOI
2021 Pereira, L., Kuiper, J. J., Selomane, O., Aguiar, A. P. D., & Ward, J. (2021). Advancing a toolkit of diverse futures approaches for global environmental assessments. Ecosystems and People, 17(1), 191-204.
DOI Scopus54 WoS51
2021 Pereira, L., Asrar, G. R., Bhargava, R., Fisher, L. H., Hsu, A., Jabbour, J., . . . Weinfurter, A. (2021). Grounding global environmental assessments through bottom-up futures based on local practices and perspectives. Sustainability Science, 16(6), 1907-1922.
DOI Scopus45 WoS40
2021 Mohr, S., Wang, J., Ward, J., & Giurco, D. (2021). Projecting the global impact of fossil fuel production from the Former Soviet Union. International Journal of Coal Science and Technology, 8(6), 1208-1226.
DOI Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC1
2021 Zimmerer, K. S., Bell, M. G., Chirisa, I., Duvall, C. S., Egerer, M., Hung, P. Y., . . . Yacamán, O. C. (2021). Grand challenges in urban agriculture: ecological and social approaches to transformative sustainability. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5(668561), 1-8.
DOI Scopus27
2020 Coscieme, L., Mortensen, L. F., Anderson, S., Ward, J., Donohue, I., & Sutton, P. (2020). Going beyond Gross Domestic Product as an indicator to bring coherence to the Sustainable Development Goals. Journal of Cleaner Production, 248(119232), 1-8.
DOI Scopus138 WoS110
2020 Semananda, N. P. K., Ward, J. D., & Myers, B. R. (2020). Experimental investigation of wicking bed irrigation using shallow-rooted crops grown under glasshouse conditions. Irrigation Science, 38(2), 117-129.
DOI Scopus5 WoS3
2020 Csortan, G., Ward, J., & Roetman, P. (2020). Productivity, resource efficiency and financial savings: an investigation of the current capabilities and potential of South Australian home food gardens. PLoS ONE, 15(4), 1-26.
DOI Scopus31 WoS25 Europe PMC5
2020 Moore, E., Ward, J., & Lennard, W. (2020). End-of-pipe horticultural reuse of recirculating aquaculture system effluent: comparing the hydro-economics of two horticulture systems. Water (Switzerland), 12(5, article no. 1409), 1-27.
DOI Scopus5 WoS3
2020 Ward, J., Mohr, S., Costanza, R., Sutton, P., & Coscieme, L. (2020). Renewable energy equivalent footprint (Reef): a method for envisioning a sustainable energy future. Energies, 13(23, article no. 6160), 1-19.
DOI Scopus9 WoS7
2019 Lennard, W., & Ward, J. (2019). A comparison of plant growth rates between an NFT hydroponic system and an NFT aquaponic system. Horticulturae, 5(2), 1-16.
DOI Scopus33 WoS21
2019 Rogers, G. B., Ward, J., Brown, A., & Wesselingh, S. L. (2019). Inclusivity and equity in human microbiome research. The lancet, 393(10173), 728-729.
DOI Scopus14 WoS13 Europe PMC12
2019 Bustami, R., Brien, C., Ward, J., Beecham, S., & Rawlings, R. (2019). A Statistically Rigorous Approach to Experimental Design of Vertical Living Walls for Green Buildings. Urban Science, 3(3), 15 pages.
DOI Scopus11 WoS9
2018 Pollard, G., Roetman, P., Ward, J., Chiera, B., & Mantzioris, E. (2018). Beyond productivity: considering the health, social value and happiness of home and community food gardens. Urban science, 2(4), 1-16.
DOI WoS24
2018 Pollard, G., Ward, J., & Roetman, P. (2018). Water use efficiency in urban food gardens: insights from a systematic review and case study. Horticulturae, 4(3), 1-24.
DOI Scopus11 WoS9
2018 Bustami, R. A., Belusko, M., Ward, J., & Beecham, S. (2018). Vertical greenery systems: A systematic review of research trends. Building and environment, 146, 226-237.
DOI Scopus163 WoS137
2018 Pollard, G., Ward, J., & Roetman, P. (2018). Typically Diverse: The Nature of Urban Agriculture in South Australia. Sustainability, 10(4), 1-18.
DOI Scopus16 WoS16
2018 Ahmed, N., Ward, J. D., Thompson, S., Saint, C. P., & Diana, J. S. (2018). Blue-green water nexus in aquaculture for resilience to climate change. Reviews in fisheries science and aquaculture, 26(2), 139-154.
DOI Scopus18
2018 Semananda, N. P. K., Ward, J. D., & Myers, B. R. (2018). A semi-systematic review of capillary irrigation: The benefits, limitations, and opportunities. Horticulturae, 4(3), 15 pages.
DOI Scopus39 WoS31
2017 Ward, J., & Symons, J. (2017). Optimising crop selection for small urban food gardens in dry climates. Horticulturae, 3(2, article no. 33), 1-12.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9
2017 Pollard, G., Ward, J. D., & Koth, B. (2017). Aquaponics in urban agriculture: social acceptance and urban food planning. Horticulturae, 3(2, article no. 39), 1-15.
DOI Scopus27
2017 Pollard, G., Roetman, P., & Ward, J. (2017). The case for citizen science in urban agriculture research. Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture & Society, 5(3), 9-20.
Scopus27 WoS24
2017 Platts, A. B., Cameron, D. A., & Ward, J. (2017). Validation of a model for two horizontal ground coupled heat exchangers based on field testing. Energy and buildings, 138, 11-25.
DOI Scopus11
2016 Brown, C., Ward, J., & Mirecki, J. (2016). A revised brackish water aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) site selection index for water resources management. Water resources management, 30(7), 2465-2481.
DOI Scopus22 WoS21
2016 Semananda, N. P. K., Ward, J. D., & Myers, B. (2016). Evaluating the efficiency of wicking bed irrigation systems for small-scale urban agriculture. Horticulturae, 2(4, article no. 13), 1-18.
DOI Scopus18 WoS15
2016 Ward, J. D., Sutton, P. C., Werner, A. D., Costanza, R., Mohr, S., & Simmons, C. (2016). Is decoupling GDP growth from environmental impact possible?. PLoS one, 2016(10), 1-14.
DOI Scopus381 Europe PMC49
2015 Ward, J. (2015). Can urban agriculture usefully improve food resilience? Insights from a linear programming approach. Journal of environmental studies and sciences, 5(4), 699-711.
DOI Scopus10
2015 Platts, A. B., Cameron, D. A., & Ward, J. (2015). Improving the performance of ground coupled heat exchangers in unsaturated soils. Energy and buildings, 104, 323-335.
DOI Scopus31 WoS28
2014 Nel, W. P., & Ward, J. D. (2014). Towards a rational sustainability framework. Sustainability Science, 10(3), 515-520.
DOI Scopus6
2014 Mohr, S. H., Wang, J., Ellem, G., Ward, J., & Giurco, D. (2014). Projection of world fossil fuels by country. Fuel, 141, 120-135.
DOI Scopus413 WoS352
2014 Ward, J., Ward, P., Saint, C. P., & Mantzioris, E. (2014). The urban agriculture revolution: implications for water use in cities. Water: journal of the Australian Water Association, 41(1), 69-74.
2014 Ward, J. D., Ward, P. J., Mantzioris, E., & Saint, C. (2014). Optimising diet decisions and urban agriculture using linear programming. FOOD SECURITY, 6(5), 701-718.
DOI Scopus28 WoS26
2014 Mohr, S., Giurco, D., Yellishetty, M., Ward, J., & Mudd, G. (2014). Projection of iron ore production. Natural resources research, 24(3), 317-327.
DOI Scopus21 WoS21
2014 Ahmed, N., Ward, J. D., & Saint, C. P. (2014). Can integrated aquaculture-agriculture (IAA) produce "more crop per drop"?. Food security, 6(6), 767-779.
DOI Scopus69
2014 Mohr, S., & Ward, J. (2014). Helium production and possible projection. Minerals, 4(1), 130-144.
DOI Scopus24 WoS22
2012 Ward, J. D., Mohr, S. H., Myers, B. R., & Nel, W. P. (2012). High estimates of supply constrained emissions scenarios for long-term climate risk assessment. Energy policy, 51, 598-604.
DOI Scopus30 WoS31
2011 Ward, J. D., Werner, A. D., Nel, W. P., & Beecham, S. (2011). The influence of constrained fossil fuel emissions scenarios on climate and water resource projections. Hydrology and earth system sciences, 15(6), 1879-1893.
DOI Scopus14 WoS15
2011 Werner, A., Alcoe, D. W., Ordens, C. M., Hutson, J. L., Ward, J. D., & Simmons, C. (2011). Current practice and future challenges in coastal aquifer management: flux-based and trigger-level approaches with application to an Australian case study. Water resources management, 25(7), 1831-1853.
DOI Scopus58
2011 Werner, A. D., Ward, J. D., Morgan, L. K., Simmons, C. T., Robinson, N. I., & Teubner, M. D. (2011). Vulnerability indicators of sea water intrusion. Ground Water, 50(1), 48-58.
DOI Scopus160 WoS147 Europe PMC18
2010 Xie, Y., Simmons, C., Werner, A., & Ward, J. D. (2010). Effect of transient solute loading on free convection in porous media. Water resources research, 46(11), 1-16.
DOI Scopus33 WoS31
2009 Reeuwijk, M. V., Mathias, S., Simmons, C., & Ward, J. D. (2009). Insights from a pseudospectral approach to the Elder problem. Water resources research, 45(4), Paper W04416.
DOI
2009 Ward, J. D., Simmons, C., Dillon, P., & Pavelic, P. (2009). Integrated assessment of lateral flow, density effects and dispersion in aquifer storage and recovery. Journal of hydrology, 370(1-4), 83-99.
DOI
2008 Nield, D. A., Simmons, C., Kuznetsov, A., & Ward, J. D. (2008). On the evolution of salt lakes: Episodic convection beneath an evaporating salt lake. Water resources research, 44(2), 1-13.
DOI WoS37
2008 Ward, J. D., Simmons, C., & Dillon, P. (2008). Variable-density modelling of multiple-cycle aquifer storage and recovery (ASR): Importance of anisotropy and layered heterogeneity in brackish aquifers. Journal of hydrology, 356(1/2), 93-105.
DOI
2007 Ward, J. D., Simmons, C., & Dillon, P. (2007). A theoretical analysis of mixed convection in aquifer storage and recovery : How important are density effects?. Journal of Hydrology, 343(3-4), 169-186.
DOI
2006 Massmann, G., Simmons, C., Love, A., Ward, J. D., & James Smith, J. (2006). On variable density surface watergroundwater interaction: A theoretical analysis of mixed convection in a stably-stratified fresh surface water saline groundwater discharge zone. Journal of Hydrology, 329(3-4), 390-402.
DOI

Year Citation
- Hopeward, J., Roetman, P., & Csortan, G. (n.d.). Raw and partially analysed data from the Edible Gardens project..
DOI

  • Living Lightly Locally for Regenerative Regions, Race for 2030, 21/10/2024 - 21/10/2027

  • Living Lightly Locally: Smarter and Stronger through Citizen Science, Green Adelaide Board, 28/06/2021 - 07/09/2024

  • Gov - Performance improvement of BiobiN© in‐vessel composting system, Phase II, Cwth Dept of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, 15/01/2018 - 15/01/2019

  • Ind - Performance improvement of BiobiN© in‐vessel composting system, Phase II, Peats Group Ltd, 03/01/2018 - 03/01/2019

  • Performance improvement of BiobiN In-vessel composting system, DISER-Innovation Connections Grant, 21/11/2016 - 21/11/2017

  • Jobson Rd - Industrial wastewater irrigation trial, City of Salisbury, 01/11/2016 - 30/06/2017

Courses I teach

  • CIVE 5074 Climate Change Adaptation (2025)
  • CIVE 5074 Climate Change Adaptation (2024)

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2020 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Saeed Hajian
2020 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr John Richard Devlin
2019 Principal Supervisor - - Master Full Time Mr Peter Graham Martin

Date Institution Department Organisation Type Country
2021 - 2024 United Nations Research Institute for Social Development UNRISD Scientific research Switzerland

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