KYLA TIENHAARA
CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR IN ECONOMY & ENVIRONMENT
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY / KINGSTON ONTARIO
Office
School of Environmental Studies
Queen’s University
BioSciences Complex, Room 3122
Kingston, Ontario
Canada, K7L 3N6
Email & SOCIALS
kyla.tienhaara@queensu.ca
About Me
I am an interdisciplinary social scientist who studies the intersection between environmental governance and the global economy.
I am Canada Research Chair in Economy and Environment and Associate Professor in the School of Environmental Studies and Department of Global Development Studies at Queen’s University.
One area of my work has examined investor-state disputes concerning environmental regulation that are brought to international arbitration under bilateral and regional investment agreements.
Another area of my research focuses on green stimulus/green recovery programs and efforts around the world to launch a Green New Deal.
Latest Academic Publications
Tienhaara, K., van Asselt, H., and P. Newell. “Radical Reform of the International Investment Treaty Regime: A Role for Climate Clubs?” Global Policy (2025): 1-13. Open Access.
Tienhaara, K. and F. Green. “Climate Obstruction and Capital Accumulation by Feigned Victimization: TC Energy and the Political Economy of Investor-State Dispute Settlement.” Business and Politics (2025): 1–19. Open Access.
Arcuri, A., Tienhaara, K. & Pellegrini, L. Investment law v. supply-side climate policies: insights from Rockhopper v. Italy and Lone Pine v. Canada. Int Environ Agreements (2024). Open Access.
K. Tienhaara et al. 2023, A Green and Just Recovery from COVID-19? Government Investment in the Energy Transition during the Pandemic. Cambridge Elements in Earth System Governance. Cambridge University Press. (Open Access)
K. Tienhaara, R. Thrasher, B.A. Simmons, and K.P. Gallagher, 2022, “Investor-state dispute settlement: obstructing a just energy transition”, Climate Policy.
K. Tienhaara, R. Thrasher, B.A. Simmons, and K.P. Gallagher, 2022, “Investor-state disputes threaten the global green energy transition”, Science, 376(6594): 701-703.
Latest Opinion & Policy Work
- Indonesia-Canada CEPA is not the rules-based trade we needKyla Tienhaara and Stuart Trew, 2025, CCPA.
- The new Canada-Ecuador trade deal pushes anti-democratic trade policyKyla Tienhaara and Stuart Trew, 2025, CCPA.
- Is Canada prioritizing mining interests over human rights in Ecuador trade deal?Stuart Trew, Kyla Tienhaara, and Kathy Price 2024. The Hill Times.
- Catch-22: Canada’s attempts to phase out fossil fuel might result in it paying the pollutersKyla Tienhaara, 2023. The Conversation
- Rough Trade
Teaching & Supervision
I am on sabbatical for the 2025-26 academic year. I am not accepting new students that wish to commence their graduate studies before September 2026.