Clair Cooper is a interdisciplinary social scientist who collaborates with industry, third sector organisations, policy makers and communities to understand how we may enable transformative change to a fairer future through decarbonisation.
Current research topics, looking for collaborators
- Just transitions for sustainable energy transformation
- Social value assessment and its contribution to a just transition
- Societal readiness assessments for low carbon technology
- Green skills and employability
- Climate adaptation and the role of nature-based solutions
Currently funded projects;
- Just transition fellow on the 'Growing Teesside’s Hydrogen Economy and Catalysing a Just Transition to Net Zero. Research England Development' (RED) Fund. 2022-2027. (led by Prof N. Dawood and Prof T. Roskilly).
- Co-I on the 'Basic energy needs for thermal comfort in small island communities' (CDICE Heating and Cooling Network++) (PI, Dr Paolo Cherubini, Island Centre for Net Zero Herriot-Watt University)
- Co-I on the 'Green Skills and Economic Inactivity: the role of Carbon Freeports' (PI, Prof. Matthew Cotton and Prof. Paul Crawshaw)
Research and impact experience:
- Engagement with industry, policy makers, SMEs and third sector organisations to understand how different stakeholders perceive just transition to a low carbon future.
- Drawing on co-design methods, worked collaboratively with communities to explore how they perceive urban wild spaces and implications for environmental stewardship.
Methodological expertise
Qualitative and quantitative research methods and analytical techniques including:
- Participatory workshops and focus groups
- Co-design methods including photo-elicitation, photo-walk focus groups and backcasting methods
- Stakeholder interviewing
- Public surveys
- Geometric data analysis methods such as PCA, MFA or correspondence analysis
Clair is also an emerging scholar publishing peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Landuse Policy, Environmental Science and Policy, Sustainability Science and Energy Research and Society.