Dr Claire Haggett
Job Title
Senior Lecturer

Room number
6.27Building (Address)
Chrystal Macmillan BuildingStreet (Address)
15a George SquareCity (Address)
EdinburghCountry (Address)
UKPost code (Address)
EH8 9LDResearch interests
Research interests
Sustainability, Environmental Sociology, Community energy, Environment, Participation, renewable energy, energy politics, energy security, discourse analysis
- Social responses to and acceptance of renewable energy: including on- and offshore wind farms, marine energy, hydrogen, and domestic micro-generation
- Community energy participation, politics and planning
- The social experience of noise from wind farms
- Energy consumption and domestic practices, and responses to energy technology and energy efficiency advice
- Governance, public participation, and planning, in relation to sustainable development
- The construction and dissemination of environmental risks
- The role of the media in framing environmental problems, solutions, and responsibility
- Health and well being and the natural world: particularly ‘tranquillity’ in the landscape
- Critical use of discourse analysis as a theory and method
Current PhD supervision
Ten students supervised to completion; current students:
- Ragne Low: The role of publics in energy policy: The Scottish case
- Jean Welstead (ESRC): EIA and social impact assessment for onshore renewables
Topics interested in supervising
I welcome enquiries about supervision of research on social responses to renewable energy developments (particularly wind farms, wave power, and solar). I am also interested to supervise work from a discourse analytic perspective (from discursive psychology) on a range of topics, but particularly energy, climate change, sustainability, and the media.
If you are interested in being supervised by Claire Haggett, please see the link below for more information:
- PhD in Sociology (opens in new window)
Background
Qualifications
- PhD in Sociology, University of Surrey
- MSc in Social Research and the Environment
- BSc (Hons) Sociology
Teaching interests
I currently teach the sociology of sustainability, focusing on the social construction of the environment and landscape value and quality; responses to energy generation and use of energy in the home; and the role of the media in shaping information about the environment. I also teach a range of qualitative research methods.
I am Senior PT and Exams Convenor for the MA in Sustainable Development, an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree.
Publications
Books:
Haggett, C. (2010) Discourses of Risk: Responsibility and the Construction of Blame, Berlin: Lambert
Peer-reviewed journal articles:
Haggett, C., T. ten Brink, A. Russell, M. Roach, J. Firestone, T. Dalton, and B.J. McCay (2020) ‘Offshore wind projects and fisheries: Conflict and engagement in the United Kingdom and the United States’. Oceanography 33(4):38-47, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2020.404
Creamer, E., Allen, S., and Haggett, C. (2018) 'Incomers' leading 'community-led' sustainability initiatives: A contradiction in terms? Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space https://doi.org/10.1177/0263774X18802476
Rudolph, D., Haggett, C., and Aitken, M. (2017) 'Community benefits from offshore renewables: The relationship between different understandings of impact, community, and benefit', Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 36(1): 92-117 10.1177/2399654417699206
Van Veelen, B., and Haggett, C. (2016) 'Uncommon ground: The role of different place attachments in explaining community renewable energy projects', Sociologia Ruralis, 57(S1): 533-554
Aitken, M., Haggett, C., and Rudolph, D. (2016) 'Practices and rationales of community engagement with wind farms: awareness raising, consultation, empowerment', Planning Theory and Practice, 17, 4: 557-576
Haggett, C., and Aitken, M. (2015) 'Grassroots Energy Innovations: the Role of Community Ownership and Investment, Current Sustainable Renewable Energy Reports 2:98–104
Soma, K., and Haggett, C. (2015) 'Enhancing social acceptance in marine governance in Europe', Ocean and Coastal Management, 117: 61-69
Yang, A.L., Rounsevell, M.D.A., Haggett, C. (2015) Multilevel governance, decentralisation, and environmental prioritisation: how is it working in rural development policy in Scotland? Journal of Environmental Policy and Governance, 25, 6, pp 399-411
Yang, A.L., Rounsevell, M.D.A., Piorr, A., Haggett, C. Wilson, R.M. (2015) The use of spatial econometrics, stakeholder analysis and qualitative methodologies in the evaluation of rural development policy, Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, Volume 17, Issue 02, https://doi.org/10.1142/S1464333215500234
Yang, A.L., Rounsevell, M.D.A., Haggett, C.,Wilson, R. (2014) ‘Recentralisation through regionalisation in the implementation of Rural Development Policy in Scotland’, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2014.942726
Yang, A.L., Rounsevell, M.D.A., Wilson, R., Haggett, C. (2014) 'Spatial Analysis of Agri Environmental Policy Uptake and Expenditure in Scotland', Journal of Environmental Management, 133c: 104-115.
Bell. D., Haggett, C., Gray, T., and Swaffield, J. (2013) 'Revisiting the social gap: public opinions and relations of power in the local politics of wind energy' Environmental Politics, 22, 1: 115-135.
O'Keeffe, A., and Haggett, C. (2012) 'An investigation into the potential barriers facing the development of offshore wind energy in Scotland: case study of the Firth of Forth wind farm', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16, 65: 3711-3721.
Haggett, C. and Futak-Campbell, B. (2011) 'Using discourse analysis to understand the attitude-behaviour gap in renewable energy conflicts', Journal of Mechanisms of Economic Regulation, 1, 2: 207-220.
Haggett, C. (2010) ‘Risk and responsibility at 30,000 feet: who is to blame for ‘economy class syndrome’? Journal of Social Studies of Science and Technology, 1, 3: 1-26.
Haggett, C. (2010) ‘Why not Nimby? A response, reviewing the empirical evidence’, Ethics, Place, and Environment, 13, 3: 313-316.
Haggett, C. (2010) ‘Public perceptions of offshore wind energy’ Energy Policy, 39, 2:503-510.
Haggett, C. (2008) ‘Over the sea and far away? A consideration of the planning, politics, and public perceptions of offshore wind farms’, Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 10, 3, 289 - 306.
Haggett, C., and Toke, D. (2006) ‘Crossing the great divide: Using multi-method analysis to understand opposition to wind farms’, Public Administration 84, 1, 103-120.
Bell, D., Gray, T., and Haggett, C. (2005) ‘Policy, participation and the ‘social gap’ in wind farm siting decisions’, Environmental Politics 14, 4, 460-477.
Gray, T., Haggett, C., and Bell, D. (2005) ‘Wind farm Siting – the Case of Offshore Wind farms’, Ethics, Place and Environment 8, 2, 127-140.
Book Chapters:
Haggett, C. (2021) ‘Social acceptance and interdisciplinarity: Understanding the constructive power of terminology’ Chapter 7 in S. Batel and D. Rudolph (eds) A critical approach to the social acceptance of renewable energy infrastructures: Going beyond green growth and sustainability, Palgrave, pp 120-137
Stuiver, M., van den Burg, S., Chen, W., Haggett, C., Rudolph, D., and Koundouri, P. (2020) ‘Stakeholder Involvement in Technological Design, Chapter 2 in Koundouri, P. (ed) The Oceans of Tomorrow: The Transition to Sustainability (volume 2) pages 25-37
Chen, W., Koundouri, P., González Dávila, O., Haggett, C., Rudolph, D., Lu, S.-Y.; Chi, C.-F.; Golmen, L.; and Ying, F. (2020) Social Acceptance and Socio-economic Effects of Multi-use Offshore Developments: Theory and Applications, Chapter 4 in Koundouri, P. (ed) The Oceans of Tomorrow: The Transition to Sustainability (volume 2) pages 61-82.
Krug-Firstbrook, M., Haggett, C., and van Veelen, B. (2019) ‘Consumer (Co-)Ownership in Renewables in Scotland’, chapter 18 in Lowitzsch, J. (ed) Energy Transition - Financing Consumer Co-Ownership in Renewables, Palgrave/McMillan book, pp395-420
Haggett, C., Coleman, R., and Hodges, J. (2015) 'Environment, Imagination and Aesthetics: a new environmental impact assessment for natural Scotland' in Griffith, D. (ed) Imagining Natural Scotland, published by Creative Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage
Haggett, C., Coleman, R., and Hodges, J. (2015) 'People, place and community: the missing chapter', Project report published by Creative Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage; available here: https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/library/a-new-environmental-impa…
Haggett, C. (2011) ‘Understanding people’s experience of noise from wind farms’, invited chapter in Cowell, R., Strachan, P. and Warren, C. (eds) Wind Power, Governance and Society: Lessons for Future Sustainable Energy, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Haggett. C. (2010) The principles, procedures, and pitfalls of public engagement in decision-making about renewable energy' in P. Devine-Wright (ed.) Renewable Energy and the Public, London: Earthscan
Abi-Ghanem, D. and Haggett, C. (2010) Shaping people’s engagement with microgeneration technology: the case of solar photovoltaics in UK homes, in P. Devine-Wright (ed.) Renewable Energy and the Public, London:Earthscan
Haggett, C. (2009) ‘Implications of alternative mitigation responses: renewable energy’, chapter 26 in Handbook of Climate Change and Society, London: Routledge
Haggett, C. (2009) ‘Public engagement in planning for renewable energy’, in S. Davoudi and J. Crawford (eds.) Planning for Climate Change: Strategies for mitigation and adaptation for spatial planners, London: Earthscan.
Haggett, C., Fuller, D., and Dunsford, H. (2008) ‘Tranquillity as an indicator of landscape quality’ chapter in J. Nogue (ed.) Landscape Indicators, Challenges and Perspectives Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the Foundation for the Study of Landscape
Fuller, D., Haggett, C. And Dunsford, H. (2008) ‘Landscape and health – tranquillity matters’, in J. NoguÉ (ed.) Reflections on Landscape and Health, Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and Department of Health.
Haggett, C. (2006) ‘Science and the measurement of risk’ in G. Ritzer (ed.) The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Sociology, Oxford: Blackwell
Practitioner Publications:
Haggett, C. (2010) ‘The nuclear lobby hiding in anti-wind clothing (again): opportunity missed for balanced debate’ in The Scottish Mountaineer, Issue 43, May 2010
Macfarlane, R., Haggett, C., and Fuller, D. (2005) Tranquillity Mapping: Developing a Robust Methodology for Planning Support, Report by Northumbria and Newcastle Universities for CPRE and the Countryside Agency, available from http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/tranquillity
Haggett, C. (2005) ‘Understanding public responses to renewable energy’ UK Power magazine, July edition
Haggett, C., and. Vigar, G. (2004a) ‘Tilting at windmills? Understanding opposition to windfarm applications’ Town and Country Planning, 73 (10) pp288-291
Haggett, C. (2004b) ‘Titling at windmills?’ in Elements, Publication of the Environment Council, Issue 23 06/2004
Project reports
I have recently led/co-led a series of interdisciplinary research projects commissioned through ClimateXChange (http://climatexchange.org.uk/) for the Scottish Government, on community energy; planning and public engagement for wind farms; and community benefits from offshore renewables:
Rudolph, D., Haggett, C., and Aitken, M. (2015) Community Benefits From Offshore Renewables: Good Practice Review, Research commissioned for ClimateXChange for the Scottish Government, available: http://www.climatexchange.org.uk/reducing-emissions/community-benefits-offshore-renewables-good-practice-review/
Haggett, C., Aitken, M., Rudolph, D., van Veelen, B., Harnmeijer, J., and Markantoni, M. (2014) Supporting Community Investment in Commercial Renewable Energy Schemes, Research commissioned for ClimateXChange for the Scottish Government, available: http://www.climatexchange.org.uk/reducing-emissions/supporting-community-investment-commercial-energy-schemes/
Aitken, M., Haggett, C., Rudolph, D. (2014) What is Good Community Engagement For Wind Farm Developments? Wind Farms Community Engagement Good Practice Review, Research commissioned for ClimateXChange for the Scottish Government, available: http://www.climatexchange.org.uk/reducing-emissions/what-good-community-engagement-wind-farm-developments/
Haggett, C., Creamer, E., Harnmeijer, J., Parsons, M., Bomberg, E. (2013) Community Energy in Scotland: the Social Factors for Success, Research commissioned for ClimateXChange for the Scottish Government, available:http://www.climatexchange.org.uk/reducing-emissions/community-energy-scotland-social-factors-success/
Briefing papers:
Howell, R., and Haggett, C. (2014) ‘An overview of social impact assessment: Working paper to inform Marine Scotland Work on social impacts’ School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, available here
Works within
Staff Hours and Guidance
Please email me in the first instance with any queries or to request a meeting - I am always very happy to see students. Please note that I work part time (60%).
Publications by user content
Publication | Research Explorer link |
---|---|
Haggett C, Brink TT, Russell A, Roach M, Firestone J, Dalton T et al. Offshore wind projects and fisheries: Conflict and engagement in the United Kingdom and the United States. Oceanography. 2020 Dec 15;33(4):38-47. Epub 2020 Dec 15. doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2020.404 |
View |
Krug-firstbrook M, Haggett C, Van Veelen B. Consumer (co-)ownership in renewables in Scotland (UK). In Lowitzsch J, editor, Energy Transition: Financing Consumer Co-Ownership in Renewables. Springer. 2019. p. 395-419 doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-93518-8_18 |
View |
Creamer E, Allen S, Haggett C. Incomers’ leading ‘community-led’ low carbon initiatives: a contradiction in terms? Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space. 2018 Oct 4. doi: 10.1177/0263774X18802476 |
View |
Rudolph D, Haggett C, Quiroz-Aitken M. Community benefits from offshore renewables: The relationship between different understandings of impact, community, and benefit. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space. 2018 Feb 1;36(1):92-117. Epub 2017 Mar 22. doi: 10.1177/2399654417699206 |
View |
van Veelen B, Haggett C. Uncommon ground: The role of different place attachments in explaining community renewable energy projects. Sociologia Ruralis. 2017 Dec 30;57:533-554. Epub 2016 Apr 7. doi: 10.1111/soru.12128 |
View |
Quiroz-Aitken M, Haggett C, Rudolph D. Practices and rationales of community engagement with wind farms: Awareness raising, consultation, empowerment. Planning Theory & Practice. 2016 Sept 1;17(4):557-576. doi: 10.1080/14649357.2016.1218919 |
View |
Yang AL, Rounsevell MDA, Haggett C. Multilevel Governance, Decentralization and Environmental Prioritization: How is it working in rural development policy in Scotland? Multilevel Governance and Rural Development Policy. Environmental Policy and Governance. 2015 Nov 1;25(6):399-411. doi: 10.1002/eet.1690 |
View |
Soma K, Haggett C. Enhancing social acceptance in marine governance in Europe. Ocean & Coastal Management. 2015 Nov;117:61–69. Epub 2015 Nov 11. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2015.11.001 |
View |
Yang AL, Rounsevell MDA, Haggett C, Wilson RM. Recentralisation through regionalisation in the implementation of Rural Development Policy in Scotland. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. 2015 Sept 2;58(9):1666-1689. doi: 10.1080/09640568.2014.942726 |
View |
Haggett C, Quiroz-Aitken M. Grassroots Energy Innovations: the Role of Community Ownership and Investment. Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports. 2015 Sept;2(3):98-104. Epub 2015 Jul 23. doi: 10.1007/s40518-015-0035-8 |
View |
Yang A, Rounsevell M, Haggett C, Piorr A, Wilson R. The Use of Spatial Econometrics, Stakeholder Analysis and Qualitative Methodologies in The Evaluation of Rural Development Policy. Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management. 2015 Jun 1;17(02):1550023. doi: 10.1142/S1464333215500234 |
View |
Quiroz-Aitken M, Haggett C, Rudolph D. Community benefits from offshore renewables: good practice review. ClimateXChange, 2015. |
View |
Quiroz-Aitken M, Haggett C, Markantoni M, Rudolph D, Harnmeijer J, van Veelen B. Supporting Community Investment in Commercial Renewable Energy Schemes. ClimateXChange, 2014. |
View |
Yang AL, Rounsevell MDA, Wilson RM, Haggett C. Spatial analysis of agri-environmental policy uptake and expenditure in Scotland. Journal of Environmental Management. 2014 Jan 15;133:104-115. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.11.038 |
View |
Quiroz-Aitken M, Haggett C, Rudolph D. Wind Farms Community Engagement Good Practice Review. ClimateXChange, 2014. |
View |
Haggett C, Creamer E, Harnmeijer J, Parsons M, Bomberg E. Community Energy in Scotland: the Social Factors for Success. Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, 2013. 25 p. |
View |
Bell D, Gray T, Haggett C, Swaffield J. Re-visiting the 'Social Gap': Public Opinion and Relations of Power in the Local Politics of Wind Energy. Environmental Politics. 2013;22(1):115-135. Epub 2013 Feb 13. doi: 10.1080/09644016.2013.755793 |
View |
Haggett C. The Social Experience of Noise from Wind Farms. In Szarka J, Cowell R, Ellis G, Strachan PA, Warren C, editors, Learning from Wind Power: Governance, Societal and Policy Perspectives on Sustainable Energy. Palgrave Macmillan. 2012. p. 153-173 |
View |
O'Keeffe A, Haggett C. An Investigation into the Potential Barriers Facing the Development of Offshore Wind Energy in Scotland: Case Study - Firth of Forth Offshore Wind Farm. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2012;16(6):3711-3721. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2012.03.018 |
View |
Haggett C. Understanding Public Responses to Offshore Wind Power. Energy Policy. 2011 Feb;39(2):503-510. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2010.10.014 |
View |
Haggett C, Futak-Campbell B. Tilting at Windmills? Using Discourse Analysis to Understand the Attitude-Behaviour Gap in Renewable Energy Conflicts. Mekhanizm Rehuluvannya Economiky. 2011;1(51):207-220. |
View |
Haggett C. A Call for Clarity and a Review of the Empirical Evidence: Comment on Felman and Turner's 'Why not NIMBY?'. Ethics, Place and Environment. 2010;13(3):313-316. doi: 10.1080/1366879X.2010.528625 |
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Haggett C. 'Planning and Persuasion': Public engagement in renewable energy decision-making . In Devine-Wright P, editor, Renewable Energy and the Public: From NIMBY to Participation. London: Earthscan. 2010. p. 15-28 |
View |
Abi-Ghanem D, Haggett C. Shaping People’s Engagement with Microgeneration Technology: The Case of Solar Photovoltaics in UK Homes. In Devine-Wright P, editor, Renewable Energy and the Public: From NIMBY to Participation. London: Earthscan. 2010. p. 149-166 |
View |
Haggett C. Public Opposition to Renewable Energy. In Routledge Handbook of Climate Change and Society. London: Routledge. 2010. p. 332-340. (Routledge International Handbooks). |
View |
Haggett C. Risk and Responsibility at 30,000 Feet: Who is to Blame for ‘Economy Class Syndrome’? Eä – Journal of Medical Humanities & Social Studies of Science and Technology. 2010;1(3):1-26. |
View |
Haggett C. Public Engagement in Planning for Renewable Energy. In Davoudi S, Crawford J, Mehmood A, editors, Planning for Climate Change: Strategies for Mitigation and Adaptation for Spatial Planners. Routledge. 2009. p. 297-307 |
View |
Haggett C. Over the Sea and Far Away? A Consideration of the Planning, Politics and Public Perception of Offshore Wind Farms. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. 2008;10(3):289-306. doi: 10.1080/15239080802242787 |
View |