Dr Torney's research focuses on comparative and global politics of climate change, environment, and energy, particularly in Ireland, the European Union, China, and India. He is the Principal Investigator on two research projects funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency: Irish Climate Policy Evaluation and Citizens' Climate. In addition, he has authored European Climate Leadership in Question: Policies toward China and India (MIT Press, 2015). He was also co-editor of European Union External Environmental Policy: Rules, Regulation and Governance Beyond Borders (Palgrave, 2018).

Dr Torney helped establish DCU's MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society, and he teaches a range of classes on the politics of climate change and environment, public policy, and international relations theories at undergraduate and Master’s level. He is currently involved with two EPA research projects, one of which is evaluating Ireland's policy response to climate change, while the other is drawing lessons for policymaking and public engagement from Ireland's Citizens' Assembly's deliberations on climate change.