Tavis Potts

Professor Tavis Potts is a Personal Chair in Sustainable Development and Environmental Governance at the University of Aberdeen, affiliated with the Department of Geography and Environment within the School of Geosciences. He is actively engaged in research on just transitions, environmental justice, marine governance, and participatory planning.

His research focuses on:

• Understanding just transitions and the social dimensions of climate and energy
• Marine resource governance and planning
• Participatory and community-based approaches to managing natural capital
• The political economy of environmental policy
• The blue economy and net zero transitions

His recent publications highlight a strong trend toward policy-relevant research on just transitions, stakeholder engagement, and environmental governance. Articles and reports examine climate assemblies, community participation in net zero planning, nuclear decommissioning, and measuring equitable outcomes in transition processes. His work integrates social science perspectives with environmental policy, emphasizing democratic participation and equity.

Key scientific contributions include commissioned reports for the Just Transition Commission and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, as well as peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Environmental Science & Policy and Marine Policy. He has led and contributed to projects funded by Interreg EU, NERC, British Council, and the World Bank.

Professor Potts advises research students and leads the Just Transition Lab at Aberdeen. He holds external advisory roles with Aberdeen City Council’s Net Zero Delivery Unit and Aberdeenshire Council’s Climate Ready Aberdeenshire Board, demonstrating active engagement with policy and practice.

He is affiliated with key research centers including the Centre for Marine and Coastal Zone Management and the Just Transition Lab, where he advances interdisciplinary work on sustainable futures and equitable environmental governance.