Duties
Analysis of environmental governance, politics and policymaking, focusing e.g. on critical infrastructures, making of the new plastic economy, nutrient recycling and implementation of ecosystem restoration
Research and expertise
Dr Helena Valve is a social scientist with a long experience in environmental policy research. Her work draws from human geography, policy studies and science and technology studies (STS). The research topics vary from the evaluation of circular economy policies to analyses of ecosystem restoration and biodiversity action. Focusing on policy instruments opens avenues for the analysis of power and politics, but also supports generation of policy advise.
Recent scientific publications
Valve, H., D'Amato, D., Hebinck, A., Lazurko, A., de Pater, M., Jungwirth Březovská, R., Saarikoski, H., Laspidou, C., Keune, H., Ziliaskopoulos, K., Harmáčková, Z.V. 2025. Transformative change from below? Linking biodiversity governance with the diversity of bottom-up action. Environmental Science and Policy, 164: 104000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104000
Valve, H., & Valkama, P. 2024. Nature-issues: Ecosystem restoration as a reorganiser of social–material relations. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space 7(5), 2164–2181. https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486241281226
Valve, H., Lazarevic, D., Hyysalo, S., Lukkarinen, J., Marttila, T. 2023. The interrupting capacities of knowledge co-production experiments: A sociology of testing approach. Environmental Science & Policy 147: 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.06.019
Iho A., Valve H., Ekholm P., Uusitalo R., Lehtoranta J., Soinne H., Salminen J. 2023. Efficient protection of the Baltic Sea needs a revision of phosphorus metric. Ambio 2: 1389–1399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01851-2
Marttila, T., Lukkarinen, J., Hyysalo, S., Lazarevic, D. & Valve, H. 2023. Mid-range transition arenas as catalysts in a circular economy. In H. Lehtimäki, L. Aarikka-Stenroos, A. Jokinen, P. Jokinen (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Catalysts for a Sustainable Circular Economy, Routledge, pp. 339–358
Andersen, M.S., Andersson, A., Brady, M., Graversgaard, M., Kilis, E., Pedersen, A.B., Hvarregaard Thorsøe, M., Valve, H. 2023. The Helsinki Convention’s agricultural nutrient governance: how domestic institutions matter. Journal of Baltic Studies, 54(3): 443–466. https://doi.org/10.1080/01629778.2022.2155202