Hello! I’m Dr Caitlin Hafferty, a postdoctoral researcher in Environmental Social Science based at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford.

I am an expert in participatory, democratic and inclusive decision-making, particularly in planning and environmental decision-making. I focus on tackling interlinked socio-economic and environmental issues through inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, conducting theoretically-informed research with real-world impacts in policy and practice.

I am passionate about championing the contributions of the social sciences to understanding sustainability transformations, and currently work on the social dimensions of nature recovery and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) initiatives in the UK.

I work with organisations in the UK public sector, as well as private and civil society leaders, to develop more collaborative ways of working at scale to tackle environmental issues and deliver multiple, integrated benefits for people, nature and climate.

My research explores how we can work in more collaborative, participatory and democratic ways to tackle complex and interlinked societal challenges to drive transformative change. I am currently working with the Nature-Based Solutions Initiative (part of the Agile Initiative) and the Leverhulme Centre of Nature Recovery on the governance and equity dimensions of nature recovery and nature-based solutions. Read an overview of my work here.

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Head to my about me section to learn more about who I am and my experience, or to my research page to find out more about what projects I am currently working on.

My research is interdisciplinary, participatory, and impact-focused and I am particularly passionate about championing the contribution of social sciences for tackling complex environmental issues. I write about a range of topics related to environmental policy and practice in the UK, public and stakeholder engagement, deliberative democracy, human-nature relationships, and the ethical implications of digital technology.

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If you have any questions about my work, please feel free to reach out via my contact page.