Summary

I am a Research Fellow for the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth and a key researcher within the University’s Global Plastics Policy Centre and Centre for Blue Governance.

I am an expert in transformative change. I am interested in how we make significant changes that bring about meaningful benefits, either within an organisation or to address complex global challenges. 

My research assesses how to change governance, which can be applied to different contexts and societal challenges, including the management of the ocean or plastic pollution. 

Ultimately, my research aims to guide future governance, identify solutions and facilitate meaningful change that benefits society and the environment. I have contributed to research that provides guidance to national governments, NGOs and prominent intergovernmental organisations such as the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

Policy is one tool for making change and I work as a core member of the University’s

Global Plastics Policy Centre, which provides an independent evidence-base to guide international policy making and governance on managing plastic pollution.

As a Senior Research Associate for the Centre for Blue Governance, I research blue economy transformations and transitions, ocean governance and ocean policy. I am the deputy lead for one of the Centre’s five research themes — Blue policies, planning and security — and I am involved in scientific management and coordination of the BlueGreen Governance project.

I have been involved in designing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Transition Framework to support countries to deliver a Sustainable Blue Economy since 2021.

I am also the Committee Secretary for the Royal Geographical Society’s Coastal and Marine Research Group.

Biography

I studied an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Marine Geography at Cardiff University. I focused on plastic pollution governance in Wales for my undergraduate research.

I completed a PhD in Transforming Governance for a Sustainable Ocean Future at the University of Portsmouth in 2023. My findings identified the complexity of transformation in-motion, and identified key recommendations for creating long-lasting change. 

I was appointed as a Research Fellow for the Revolution Plastics Institute in 2024, having worked as a Research Associate alongside my studies since 2021. 

My interest in governance began at age 16, while studying an international baccalaureate at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong. I volunteered my spare time to survey the health of coral reefs, and realised that their degradation was a result of poor management. The experience profoundly shaped my relationship with the ocean and motivated me to learn how to change and improve management practices. 

Research interests

My research interests include: 

• Transformation, transformative change, and transitions (how we get there).
• Plastics governance and policies, policy effectiveness and policy mixes.
• The blue economy, ocean and water governance, marine and freshwater policies, maritime security and spatial planning and the connections between these. 
• Governance arrangements and change, especially in relation to blue economy strategy.
• Systems change tools such as leverage points, futures thinking and foresighting.

Media availability

I am happy to take calls and emails from the media on my research, and am aware of the need to respond to journalists in a timely manner. Please email Tegan.Evans@port.ac.uk.  

Interested journalists can contact the University's Media and Communications team for support and advice on all media engagement, including out of hours.