Dr Andrea Walton

I am a senior social scientist and Acting Group Leader with CSIRO’s Adaptive Communities and Industries group in the Sustainability Pathways Program, CSIRO Land and Water. My research focuses on sustainable development in regions and the effects of industry transition on communities. In particular, my work focuses on social acceptability of new technologies and industries and the implications for sustainable place-based development. This work often involves contested industries in local communities and the issues underpinning social licence.

I am also the Work Package Lead for Social and Behavioural Enablers in CSIRO’s Ending Plastic Waste Mission and currently involved in establishing the Circular Economy proto-mission.

Since commencing with CSIRO in 2011, my work has included social science research into community resilience and wellbeing, social licence to operate, social acceptance and trust, and perceptions of risk and benefits in relation to contested industries. I work in a range of industry sectors including energy (gas, hydrogen, and renewable energy) and waste and resource recovery with a focus on the energy transition and circular economy.

I have extensive experience in mixed methods research approaches. These include qualitative interviewing, focus group, and local community data collection and analysis; quantitative survey development and measurement; conducting local, state-wide, and national surveys; and scenario development and modelling.