Mallory Zhan

Mallory is a researcher who brings her interdisciplinary background in sociology, political science and development studies to research the topics of sustainable consumption, ecological citizenship and just transition. 

She currently leads a participatory action research project on sustainable consumption, sufficiency and well-being in China. From 2021-2023, she led research activities at the Horizon2020 project DIALOGUES, delving into the topic of citizen participation and energy justice in the green transition across Europe. 

Mallory Zhan holds a Ph.D. in Environment and Sustainable Development from the University of Geneva and an M.A.inDevelopment Studies from the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Education

• Ph.D. in Environment and Sustainable Development (2023)
  University of Geneva, Switzerland
• M.A. in Development Studies (2017)
  The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
• B.A. in Development Economics (2014)
  Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, U.S.A

Septembre 2023 - septembre 2025
Postdoctoral researcher on elite consumption in China. Working closely with grassroots environmental groups, Mallory aims to co-create community initiatives that tackle overconsumption, toward the promotion of sufficiency-oriented lifestyles in urban China.

2021-2023
Inclusive DIALOGUES towards an operational concept of energy citizenship to support the Energy Union, funded under the Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Commission

2018-2023
Sustainable Consumption, Green Citizenship and Well-being: Understanding the Zero Waste Lifestyle Movement in Urban China, doctoral research project at the University of Geneva

At the School of Social Sciences, University of Geneva:

Participatory and Qualitative Methods (Master’s level – 2022)

Social and Environmental Dilemmas in Capitalism (Master’s level – 2021, 2022)

Sustainable Consumption and Social Change (Master’s level – 2021, 2022)

Summer school on Sustainable Development Goals (Mixed –2018, 2019, 2020)

• Shejale, S., Zhan, M. X., Sahakian, M., Aleksieva, R., Biresselioglu, M. E., Bogdanova, V., Cardone, B., Epp, J., Kirchler, B., Kollmann, A., Liste, L., Massullo, C., & Schibel, K.-L. (2025). Participation as a pathway to procedural justice: A review of energy initiatives across eight European countries. Energy Research & Social Science, 122, 103982. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.103982
• Sahakian, M., Zhan, M.X., Epp, J., Liste, L., Nilsen, B. T., Schibel, K., Reusswig, F., Aalto, P., Haider, J., Kirchler, B., and Kollmann, A. (2024). From dispersed practices to radical socio-technical imaginaries: the role of action labs for supporting collective energy citizenship. Consumption and Society. DOI: 10.1332/27528499Y2024D000000041
• Zhan, M.X. (2024): Active, dutiful and pragmatic: practicing green citizenship in urban China. Environmental Politics. DOI: 10.1080/09644016.2024.2319520
• Mallory Xinyu Zhan. Lifestyle for social change? Exploring framing and lifestyle politics in the Chinese zero waste movement. Consumption and Society, 2024, 3 (1), pp.56-75. ⟨hal-04402731⟩
• Zhan, M.X. (2022) Sustainable Consumption and the Well-being Dividend: Insights from the Zero-Waste Movement in Chinese Cities. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 18:1, 731-748.
• Zhan, M.X. (2022) Waste in Zero-Waste Households: The Power of Materials and Norms in Everyday Consumption. Worldwide Waste: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 5(1):4, 1-15.
• Sahakian, M. and Zhan, M.X. (2023) Practice Makes Perfect! Exploring how Practices Cause Consumption Problems and are also Part of the Solution. In Fischer, Sahakian, King, Dyer and Seyfang (eds.) Teaching and Learning Sustainable Consumption: A Guidebook. Routledge.
• Shejale, S., Zhan, M.X. and Sahakian, M. (2022) What forms of citizenship in European energy initiatives? Deterrents and enablers to further support a just energy transition. DIALOGUES Project. Available at: https://www.dialoguesproject.eu/public_result/what-forms-of-citizenship-in-european-energy-initiatives-deterrents-and-enablers-to-further-support-a-just-energy-transition/
• Clément, G., Guerrieri, M., Sahakian, M., Schibel, K.L., Zhan, M.X. (2022) Guidebook for designing and implementing Citizen Action Labs and Recruitment to the Citizen Action Labs. DIALOGUES Project. Available at : https://www.dialoguesproject.eu/public_result/guidebook-for-designing-and-implementing-citizen-action-labs-and-recruitment-to-the-citizen-action-labs/
• Zhan, M.X. and Sahakian, M. (2023) Pathways to deepening energy citizenship. DIALOGUES Project. Available at: open access link upcoming.