Learning from best practice in sustainable governance performance

Summary

Join the CIEEM Academia SIG for the October edition of their monthly discussion events. We will be hearing about Sophie Stenson’s research on the UK’s Nature Workforce, as part of building a more sustainable future.

Description

This discussion will explore the ongoing research being carried out by Sophie Stenson, which aims to learn from best practice in sustainable governance performance, with a particular focus on the UK’s Nature Workforce.
We now know what an important role nature plays in our lives, especially for our mental and physical health. Yet, talk to many people who work in the nature recovery sector, and you will often hear about eco-anxiety, volunteer-dependence, job instability, low pay and burnout. How can we provide people with the natural spaces that are so valuable and meet ambitious sustainability targets in the next few decades, when the workforce carrying out that work is not properly supported and potentially unstable?
Sophie’s research takes a scoping view of the ‘Nature Workforce’ across the UK as it is now and over the last decade. Using job advert data from Conservation Careers, alongside recent studies which outline the sector’s labour shortages, skills gaps and lack of diversity, this discussion will cover the importance of considering these issues in the rapidly growing Nature Workforce within the transition to a sustainable governance system. Sophie’s work also investigates the motivations and barriers to participation in nature recovery, both as paid employees and as volunteers. What maintains their resilience in the face of difficult working conditions? And what can we learn from case studies of political communities which perform well in balancing nature and sustainability, with people’s health and wellbeing?

Sophie Stenson’s research is being carried out as a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, as part of the wider RENEW project and in Partnership with Natural England.

Following a passion for wildlife conservation, Sophie completed her Bachelor’s degree in Zoology at the University of Edinburgh, which included positions as a field research assistant studying whale sharks in Mexico and managing a wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica, assessing wildlife rescue and releases. These experiences fed a fascination in the role of human-wildlife conflict and the social sciences in conservation, leading to a Master’s degree in Conservation Science and Policy. Sophie Stenson is now a PhD student at the University of Exeter, completing her research on sustainable governance as part of the wider RENEW project.

Knowledge Level

Suitable for all

Tickets