Christopher Raymond a Professor of Sustainability Science (Sustainability Transformations and Ecosystem Services) at the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS). Raymond is jointly based at the Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, and the Department of Economics and Management in the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. Raymond is a Guest Professor at the Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Coordinating Lead Author of the IPBES Values Assessment (Chapter 2, Concepts) and leader of the Human-Nature Transformations Research Group.
Raymond coordinates the ENVISION and VIVA-PLAN projects, and is a sub-project leader on the SMARTer Greener Cities and CO-CARBON projects. ENVISION aims to develop an inclusive approach to conservation involving identifying, assessing and balancing the consequences of diverse stakeholder visions for protected area management in Europe and the United States. VIVA-PLAN aims to develop a sustainable spatial planning framework for promoting biodiversity conservation, social inclusion and well-being in vulnerable residential housing areas in Sweden and Denmark. SMARTer Greener Cities aims to make smart cities smarter and more liveable through nature-based solutions. The focus is on Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen. CO-CARBON aims to develop a new concept of carbon-smart urban green infrastructure, and through co-creative processes, create science-based solutions to support its implementation across society in Helsinki, Tampere and Hämeenlinna.
Dr. APN (Sander) van der Jagt is a postdoctoral researcher on the Horizon 2020 research project CONEXUS on assessing and co-creating nature-based solutions (NBS) in Latin American and southern European cities. He has a track record of research on urban governance of nature, forests and green infrastructure, while also bringing expertise in pathways to mainstreaming of nature-based solutions and co-creation processes. He is interested in understanding barriers and opportunities influencing urban nature innovations from a socio-ecological and socio-technical systems perspective. He is driven by an ambition to create more healthy, sustainable and inclusive cities benefiting the well-being of both people and wildlife. He takes great pleasure in working at the science-policy interface, which allows for the co-production of knowledge contributing to addressing current sustainability challenges. He was awarded with the Utrecht University's Pathways to Sustainability Award in 2020 for excellence in transdisciplinary research.
He previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University (Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development) on the H2020 NATURVATION project, as a social scientist at Forest Research in Edinburgh (UK) on the FP7 GREEN SURGE project and started his career as a research assistant at Alterra (WUR). He holds a PhD in environmental psychology (University of Aberdeen, The James Hutton Institute), an MSc (Distinction) in Social and Organizational Psychology (Leiden University) and a BSc in Psychology (Leiden University).
Dr. Hannele Pokka is Professor of Environmental Responsibility at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences starting from September 1 in 2020. Pokka has versatile expertise in high-level societal interaction and influence on Finland's environmental and nature conservation policies, as well as sustainable development. Working as a Professor of Practice she brings her practical knowledge and expertise on science-policy interaction, societal relevance for research and working life relevance for teaching.
Hannele Pokka has a long-standing working career in the policy in Finland. Her previous post was a Permanent State Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment where she led Ministry’s operations, strategic planning, implementation processes and the main focus fields of the Ministry including climate policy, environment and nature protection, as well as land use planning, building and living. She has acted as Finland’s Minister of Justice and she was an active member of the Finland’s parliament for two decades. She is also former Governor of Lapland, the post she held for 14 years. She holds a doctoral degree from the Faculty of Law from University of Helsinki and she is Adjunct Professor of Environment Law at the University of Lapland. Furthermore, Pokka is a writer and she has written nine books, both fiction as well as autobiographical work.
Dr., adjunct professor Riikka Paloniemi is leading multidisciplinary Behavior Change Unit in the Environmental Policy Centre at Finnish Environmental Institute (SYKE). In line with SYKE’s strategy, the group is developing and implementing inter- and transdisciplinary research project targeting just and sustainable transition. The main aim of my work is to understand and create prerequisites for more sustainable behavior of individuals and groups, through renewing practices and policies. My research covers, for example, sustainable agency, environmental justice, healthy lifestyles, policy and decision making, urban and regional planning, knowledge use and renewing science-policy-society interactions.
