Clive Potter

Clive Potter is Professor of Environmental Policy at Imperial College London's Centre for Environmental Policy within the Faculty of Natural Sciences. His interdisciplinary work bridges environmental science and social science to inform government policy, with specific focus on plant biosecurity, ecosystem services, and stakeholder engagement in rural and urban contexts.

Professor Potter's research centers on agricultural restructuring and sustainable land use governance in industrialized nations, examining 25+ years of policy evolution and farmer responses to market, policy, and socio-cultural shifts. He investigates policy learning mechanisms and public involvement in environmental risk management, particularly regarding tree disease epidemics like ash dieback, analyzing how historical knowledge and local observations integrate into biosecurity frameworks. His approach combines natural science collaborations with social survey methodologies across UK and EU contexts.

Recent publications (2021-2024) reveal intensifying focus on urban forestry dynamics during crises (including COVID-19), socio-ecological art-science collaborations, and policy innovations for landscape-scale conservation. Key trends include systematic analysis of tree pest impacts in cities, integration of public health co-benefits in climate policy, and novel stakeholder engagement methods using digital tools. His work increasingly addresses equity dimensions in environmental governance and the role of diverse knowledge systems in managing complex socio-ecological risks.