Rate My Professor Christopher Raymond

Professor Christopher Raymond is Professor of Sustainability Science at the University of Helsinki, with appointments in the Department of Environmental Sciences within the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Economics and Management within the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. Since January 2026, he has served as Director of the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), a cross-faculty research network. He leads the Human-Nature Transformations Research Group, directs the Enabling Multispecies Transitions of Cities and Regions (MUST) Strategic Research Council Project, and acts as Executive Director of the International Association of Society and Natural Resources. Raymond earned his PhD in Philosophy (Human Geography) from the University of South Australia in 2012 and a BAppSc (Honours) in Environmental Management from the same institution in 2005. Prior to academia, he served as an environmental policy officer for the South Australian Government, managed the Laratinga Wetlands for the District Council of Mt Barker, and founded and directed the environmental consultancy Enviroconnect. His academic career progressed through postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Tasmania and University of Adelaide, an assistant professorship at the University of Copenhagen, and associate and assistant professorships at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences before joining Helsinki in 2018.

Raymond's research centers on conceptualizing and assessing diverse values of nature, embedding them into sustainability transformations, and engaging diverse communities—including other species—in planning nature-based solutions for urban and regional areas. Key interests include senses of place, socio-cultural valuation of ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, restoration planning, and human-nature relationships. He has authored over 170 international peer-reviewed journal articles, including the edited volume 'Changing Senses of Place: Navigating Global Challenges' (Cambridge University Press, 2021), and recent papers such as 'Blind spots and actionable insights for urban governance of the climate-biodiversity-health nexus' (npj Urban Sustainability, 2026) and 'Applying multispecies justice in nature-based solutions and urban sustainability planning' (npj Urban Sustainability, 2025). As Coordinating Lead Author for the IPBES Values Assessment (2018-2022), his work has shaped global policy. Raymond received Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher recognition in 2019, 2020, and 2021 for papers ranking in the top 1% by citations, and the South Australian PhD Research Excellence Award in 2012. He serves as Associate Editor for npj Urban Sustainability, Ecology & Society, and Sustainability Science, and participates in evaluation panels including the European Research Council. His contributions include keynote speeches, such as at the Just GLOBE Conference in 2025.