In recent decades, the study of global inequalities has experienced a remarkable boom: economic, social and environmental inequalities have been the subject of a growing body of theoretical and empirical work, visible and influential throughout the world. The World Inequality Lab (WIL) and the Centre for Research on social InequalitieS (CRIS) have joined forces for the first edition of the Global Inequality Research Award (GiRA), which aims to recognize, every two years, researchers from all disciplines who have made a significant contribution to the understanding of global inequalities.

GiRA seeks to acknowledge major scholarship in the field of global inequality understood in two key perspectives: first, the perspective of inequality research being done in all corners of the world; and second, the perspective of inequality as a complex object that needs light from all angles to be fully grasped, understood and eventually mitigated.

The 2024 GiRA Prize is jointly awarded to Bina Argawal and James K. Boyce for their groundbreaking work in the field of social and environmental inequalities.


Bina Agarwal (Professor of Development Economics and Environment, University of Manchester), is the author of pioneering work on gender inequalities, environmental governance, feminist environmentalism and environmental inequalities.

James K. Boyce (Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst) is the author of seminal work on the relationship between social inequality and environmental degradation, and has made a major contribution to structuring the field of environmental political economy.

The two laureates will be invited to receive their awards and present an overview of their work at conferences in Paris in the fall and spring of 2024, organized in conjunction with Sciences Po’s Social-Ecological Transitions (SET) initiative.

James Boyce will give a lecture on Friday, April 5th, 2024 in Sciences Po, 7:15 pm, Amphitheater Claude Erignac (13 rue de l'Université, Paris 7e).
30 years after the publication of "Inequality as a cause of environmental degradation (pdf, 159 ko)", the first GiRA is awarded to James K  Boyce for his major contribution to structuring the field of environmental political economy.
The lecture will be introduced by Lucas Chancel and Éloi Laurent.
Admission is free, subject to availability. External audience: mandatory registration here. Thank you.

The scientific committee for the first GiRA Prize is made up of Lucas Chancel (Sciences Po - CRIS & World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics), Éloi Laurent (Sciences Po - OFCE), Thomas Piketty (EHESS & World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics) and Mirna Safi (Sciences Po - CRIS).

This conference is organized as part of the Social-Ecological Transitions (SET) initiative supported by the OFCE, CEE  and CSO, which aims to encourage collaboration between researchers working at the frontier of social and environmental issues, across disciplinary and institutional boundaries.