Chantal Sullivan-Thomsett

Chantal Sullivan-Thomsett is a Senior Research Associate at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the School of Environmental Sciences, and a member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and ClimateUEA. She holds a PhD in qualitative political science focusing on the German Green Party (completed 2022). Her research examines climate politics, policy, and the interplay between institutional and civil society actors. She contributes to the ESRC-funded CAST 2 project and the ERC-funded 'Deep Decarbonisation' initiative, analyzing politicians' perceptions of climate change and policy-making in Germany and the UK.

Her work involves elite interviews with MPs, exploring how public opinion shapes climate policy. She has held roles including Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Leeds, Hourly Paid Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, and a UKRI Policy Internship at the Department for Work and Pensions. She co-convenes the PSA German Politics specialist group and provides media commentary on climate and political issues, including contributions to The Conversation and BBC4.

Key research interests include climate policy institutional differences, civil society influence, and the role of national-level politicians. She collaborates across disciplines, such as applying feminist foreign policy concepts to historical peace movements during World War I.