Dr Nick Kirsop-Taylor

My career has focused on working in the field of environment and climate governance in the public, voluntary and now higher education sectors.

I am an environmental governance scholar and political ecologist with a particular research interests in how the state, and its institutions, deliver environmental governance. In particular, the national mission of nature restoration. I co-authored the (2022) Edward Elgar Handbook of the Governance of Sustainable Development and the recently published the first part in a two-part series: Governing the Nature Restoration State (Routledge, 2026). The second volume, 'The Politics of the Nature Restoration State', is due in 2028. 

I have developed and led a number sustainability and governance-facing agenda and projects for the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Exeter. I was the the sustainability coordinator for the (former) College of Social Sciences and International Studies (2019-2021); the founding Director of the Systems Thinking Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship at Exeter (2021); served as Deputy-Director of Policy@Exeter (2022-2023); and was the Chair of Sustainability for the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (2023-2026). I am currently leading the design and launch of the UKs first socio-ecological researcher degree apprenticeship - slated for launch in 2027. 

I am open to approaches from potential PhD students on subjects related to my research agenda; particularly those around my propisition of the Nature Restoration State.