kaichan

Kai Chan is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair (tier 2, in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). His training spans conservation biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, policy, and ethics, and his skill sets include quantitative analysis and modeling. Kai combines these perspectives in a sustainability science research program on social-ecological interactions (including human impacts on ecosystem components and processes, and ecosystem services to benefit people) and applied environmental ethics to inform ecosystem-based management and sustainability solutions. Kai leads CHAN’S lab; he is a director on the board of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s BC chapter (CPAWS-BC), a senior fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program, and a member of the Global Young Academy.

To see Kai’s page at CHAN’S lab click here.

Announcing Season 2 of Small Planet Heroes, a CoSphere podcast—for you

If you’re reading this, maybe you’re devoted to or interested in transformation toward genuine social and ecological sustainability and justice.

If so, we made a podcast for you. Season 2 of CoSphere’s Small Planet Heroes is out.

It includes an incredible line-up of change-makers at the intersection of transformative change and science (both natural and social): Alex Morton, Suzanne Simard, Teika Newton, Eli Enns, Ingrid Waldron, David Boyd, Terre Satterfield, Sir Bob Watson, and David Suzuki.

The conversations were individually inspiring, and as a collection we hope they weave into something that can help grow an intersectional transformational community to leverage the change we need.

I hope you’ll listen, subscribe/follow, and favourite/like the series and each episode. Because it’s fun, engaging, and uplifting. And maybe educational, too.

Gaston et al., Navigating the editorial and publishing process at PaN

Gaston, K.J., M. Anderson, K.M.A. Chan, P. Dooner, R.D. Fish, R.K. Gould, S. Partelow, T. Plieninger and A. Rawluk “Navigating the editorial and publishing process at People and Nature: Advice for (and requests to) authors and reviewers.” People and Nature n/a(n/a). Doi: 10.1002/pan3.70057

Bassett et al., From tyranny to hope (for small decisions)

Bassett, C.G., S.D. Day, C.C. Konijnendijk, K.M.A. Chan and L.A. Roman (2025). “From tyranny to hope: Harnessing the power of small decisions to achieve urban sustainability goals.” Environmental Science & Policy 170: 104125. Doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104125

Chan et al, What if cultural ecosystem services were relational?

Chan, K.M.A., R.K. Gould, R. López de la Lama and H.N. Eyster (2025). What if cultural ecosystem services were relational? A research agenda for nature’s contributions to well-being—and human action. The Routledge Handbook of Cultural Ecosystem Services. P. McElwee, K. Allen, R. Gould, M. Hsu and J. Ye: 13. Doi: 10.4324/9781003414896-40

Towards a Relational Theory of Value

Kai and others argued that the complete domination of economics in policymaking is a problem, and that what’s needed is an alternative (relational) theory of value. This is the introductory editorial to a special feature in People and Nature.

Chan et al, multiple values of nature and a coherent theory of value

Chan, K.M.A., R.K. Gould, C. Maller, R. Fish, R.S. Hails and K.J. Gaston “The multiple values of nature show the lack of a coherent theory of value—In any context.” People and Nature 7(6): 1272–1285. Doi: 10.1002/pan3.70039

Kai appointed Commissioning Editor at People and Nature

After serving six years as a Founding Lead Editor, Kai is now Commissioning Editor at the British Ecological Society journal, People and Nature. In this role, Kai is commissioning three new kinds of articles. Check out this blog post to suggest someone or a topic, or to see if one of your ideas might fit.