Researcher
M.Sc. (Regional Sciences and Environmental Policy)
Contact information
Email: liisa.varumo@syke.fi
Tel: +358 295 251 132
Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
Societal change
Agency
Address: Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
LinkedIn, X (former Twitter)
Research and interests
- Biodiversity offsetting and diverse approaches to biodiversity conservation
- Natural resources governance
- EU and international biodiversity policy
- Science-policy-society interfaces
Current work
My current work focuses on biodiversity offsetting in diverse contexts. I’m particularly interested in how to design offsetting schemes that are socio-ecologically sensitive and what elements contribute to the social acceptance of different biodiversity conservation mechanisms. I study the role of biodiversity offsetting in the transition towards a just No Net Loss Finland, particularly in the municipal context (BOOST project) and also the socio-ecological conflicts and strategies for local participation that biodiversity offsetting produces in mining (BIO-TRADE project). My PhD focuses on what type of natural resources governance promote sustainability transformations with a special focus on biodiversity offsetting in Finland and Colombia.
My previous work has included experimenting and evaluating different approaches to societal engagement on local and European scales for more legitimate EU-level decision-making (EKLIPSE project). I have also been involved in conducting policy analyses on the institutional settings for producing forest ecosystem services related innovations in Europe (InnoForESt project).
Publications
Varumo, L., Kotilainen, J. M., & Primmer, E. (2023). Social acceptance of biodiversity offsetting: Motivations and practices in the designing of an emerging mechanism. Environmental Policy and Governance, 33(3), 301–312. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.2031
Varumo, L., Kangas, J., Kotilainen, J., Kullberg, P., Ojala, E., Pekkonen, M., Suokas, S., & Ollikainen, M. (2023). Oppeja Suomen ensimmäisestä kunnan ekologisesta kompensaatiosta Lahdessa. Alue ja Ympäristö, 52(1), https://doi.org/10.30663/ay.127325
Primmer, E., Varumo, L., Krause, T., Orsi, F., Geneletti, D., Brogaard, S., Aukes, E., Ciolli, M., Grossmann, C., Hernández-Morcillo, M., Kister, J., Kluvánková, T., Loft, L., Maier, C., Meyer, C., Schleyer, C., Spacek, M., & Mann, C. (2021). Mapping Europe’s institutional landscape for forest ecosystem service provision, innovations and governance. Ecosystem Services, 47, 101225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101225
Varumo, L., Paloniemi, R., & Kelemen, E. (2020). Challenges and solutions in developing legitimate online participation for EU biodiversity and ecosystem services policies. Science and Public Policy, 47(4), 571–580. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scaa036
Varumo, L., Yaneva, R., Koppel, T., Koskela, I.-M., Garcia, M. C., Sozzo, S., Morello, E., & Dictor, M.-C. (2020). Perspectives on Citizen Engagement for the EU Post-2020 Biodiversity Strategy: An Empirical Study. Sustainability, 12(4), 1532. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041532
Primmer, E., Varumo, L., Kotilainen, J. M., Raitanen, E., Kattainen, M., Pekkonen, M., … Ollikainen, M. (2019). Institutions for governing biodiversity offsetting: An analysis of rights and responsibilities. Land Use Policy, 81, 776–784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.11.040
Watt, A., Ainsworth, G., Balian, E., Cojocaru, G., Darbi, M., Dicks, L., … Young, J. (2019). EKLIPSE: Engaging knowledge holders and networks for evidence-informed European policy on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Evidence & Policy, 15(2), 253-264(12). https://doi.org/info:doi/10.1332/174426418X15314036194114
Varumo, L., Paloniemi, R., Kelemen, E., Young, J., Koskela, I-M. (2018) Multiple Scales, Multiple Approaches: Towards meaningful engagement in Europe. EKLIPSE policy brief