University of Oxford
11a Mansfield Rd
OX1 3SZ
UK
Nature finance lead, Nature-positive Hub
Sophus zu Ermgassen
Background
Dr Sophus zu Ermgassen is Senior Research Fellow on the Oxford EARTH programme at the Department of Biology and the co-lead of the Biodiversity Finance research stream at the University of Oxford's Nature Positive Hub (with Prof Joe Bull). Sophus is an international research leader in biodiversity finance, nature markets and mitigating the biodiversity impacts of infrastructure, with specialisms in the financing of nature conservation projects and nature market and biodiversity offset design. His key case study systems include biodiversity net gain in England, and the international voluntary biodiversity credit system.
Sophus has won numerous awards for policy impact, including being named by the ENDS Report as one of the 100 most influential environmentalists in the UK in 2022 and 2026 and as the most impactful early career environmental scientist in the country in 2023 by NERC. Sophus runs and lectures on executive education programmes on biodiversity economics across several Oxford departments, and is the director of the Biodiversity Economics module on the University's Biodiversity Conservation and Nature Recovery Master's programme. Sophus consults for businesses, governments, and non-profits on biodiversity finance, biodiversity safeguards and nature markets. His work has featured regularly in the media, with over 100 media stories in the last 5 years. He has had numerous expert advisory roles in different UK government departments and the EU Commission, including in 2025 being named as the Specialist Advisor on Natural Capital to UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee.
Sophus has won numerous awards for policy impact, including being named by the ENDS Report as one of the 100 most influential environmentalists in the UK in 2022 and 2026 and as the most impactful early career environmental scientist in the country in 2023 by NERC. Sophus runs and lectures on executive education programmes on biodiversity economics across several Oxford departments, and is the director of the Biodiversity Economics module on the University's Biodiversity Conservation and Nature Recovery Master's programme. Sophus consults for businesses, governments, and non-profits on biodiversity finance, biodiversity safeguards and nature markets. His work has featured regularly in the media, with over 100 media stories in the last 5 years. He has had numerous expert advisory roles in different UK government departments and the EU Commission, including in 2025 being named as the Specialist Advisor on Natural Capital to UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee.
Research Interests
Ecological economics, infrastructure sustainability, public policy, impact evaluation, postgrowth economics, biodiversity finance, corporate biodiversity measurement and reporting, biodiversity offsetting, Biodiversity Net Gain, ecological mitigation, sand and construction minerals.
Brief CV
Education
(2018-2022) Durrell Institute for Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent – PhD. Awarded University Postgraduate award for most outstanding Postgraduate
(2016 – 2017) University of Edinburgh – Ecological Economics (MSc) – Distinction (top of class)
(2014 – 2015) Judge Business School, University of Cambridge – Management Studies (MA) – class 2.1
(2011 – 2014) University of Cambridge, Fitzwilliam College, Donald Walker Scholarship – Zoology (MA) – class 1.
Work experience
Freelance sustainability consultant (2019-onwards)
UK Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology POST Fellow (2020)
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, PhD scholar (2018-2022)
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Leipzig, Research Assistant (2018)
The Nature Conservancy, Research Assistant (part-time 2014-2018)
AECOM, Environmental Economist (2016)
OC&C Strategy Consultants, Consultant (2015)
Published papers
A full list of Sophus’ research publications can be found at his Google Scholar page: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=RiW2MhQAAAAJ&hl=en