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Dr. Catherine Farrell

Dr. Catherine Farrell

Assistant Professor in Business & Nature, School Office Trinity Business School

Biography

Dr. Catherine Farrell CIEEM was appointed Assistant Professor of Business and Nature in Trinity Business School in March 2025. Prior to this appointment, Catherine was a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Natural Sciences and Adjunct Teaching Fellow in Trinity Business School at Trinity College Dublin. A pioneer of peatland restoration and research in Ireland and internationally, Catherine has furthered her experience by developing and delivering wetland, coastal, and woodland conservation projects, engaging throughout the EU and internationally. Her research as part of BiOrbic, the National Bioeconomy Research Centre, focuses on developing mechanisms to structure, finance, monitor and communicate the direct impacts and broader societal benefits of nature restoration. A founding member of Natural Capital Ireland, she worked on the EPA funded research project INCASE, applying the UN SEEA Ecosystem Accounting framework at catchment scale in Ireland (2019-2022). Catherine has a strong commitment to community and business engagement and innovation through nature conservation and works to bridge and build connections from local / SME (bottom up) to national / corporate scales, while recognising the integral need for strong and functional governance systems (top down). Catherine works in an advisory capacity to the Community Wetlands Forum and Hometree ENGOs, and is Business Programme Lead with the Business for Biodiversity Ireland Platform. Contact: farrec23@tcd.ie LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-catherine-farrell-4a73572/

Publications and Further Research Outputs

  • Farrell CA, Coleman L, Kelly-Quinn M, Obst CG, Eigenraam M, Norton D, O'Donoghue C, Kinsella S, Delargy O, Stout JC, Applying the System of Environmental Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework at catchment scale to develop ecosystem extent and condition accounts, One Ecosystem, 6, 2021, pe65582Journal Article, 2021, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Farrell, C. A., Coleman, L., Norton, D., Kelly-Quinn, M., Obst, C., Eigenraam, M., O'Donoghue, C., Kinsella, S., Smith, F., Sheehy, I., & Stout, J. C., Developing peatland ecosystem accounts to guide targets for restoration, One Ecosystem, 6, 2021Journal Article, 2021, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Farrell, C.A. and Coleman, L. and Norton, D. and Kelly-Quinn, M. and Kinsella, S. and Obst, C. and Eigenraam, M. and O'Donoghue, C. and Sheehy, I. and Smith, F. and Stout, J.C., Applying ecosystem accounting to develop a risk register for peatlands and inform restoration targets at catchment scale: a case study from the European region, Restoration Ecology, 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Farrell C. A., Connolly, J. & Morley, T.R., Charting a course for peatland restoration in Ireland: a case study to support restoration frameworks in other regions., Restoration Ecology, 2024Journal Article, 2024, URL
  • Farrell C. A., Coleman L, Norton D, Kelly-Quinn M, Obst C, Eigenraam M, O"Donoghue C, Kinsella S, Smith F, Sheehy I, Stout JC., Applying ecosystem accounting to develop a risk register for peatlands and inform restoration targets at catchment scale: a case study from the European region., Restoration Ecology, 2022Journal Article, 2022, URL
  • Farrell C, Aronson J, Daily G, Hein L, Obst C, Woodworth P, Stout J., Natural capital approaches: shifting the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration from aspiration to reality., Restoration Ecology, 2021Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Farrell C. A., Coleman L., Kelly-Quinn M., Obst C.G., Eigenraam M., Norton D., O`Donoghue C., Kinsella S., Delargy O. and Stout J.C., Applying the System of Environmental Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework at catchment scale to develop ecosystem extent and condition accounts., One Ecosystem, 2021Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Renou-Wilson, F., Moser, G., Fallon, D., Farrell, C.A., Müller, C., Wilson, D., Rewetting degraded peatlands for climate and biodiversity benefits: Results from two raised bogs, Ecological Engineering, 127, 2019, p547-560Journal Article, 2019, DOI
  • Andersen, R., Farrell, C., Graf, M., Muller, F., Calvar, E., Frankard, P., Caporn, S., Anderson, P., An overview of the progress and challenges of peatland restoration in Western Europe, Restoration Ecology, 25, (2), 2017, p271-282Journal Article, 2017, DOI
  • Wilson, D., Farrell, C.A., Fallon, D., Moser, G., Müller, C., Renou-Wilson, F., Multiyear greenhouse gas balances at a rewetted temperate peatland, Global Change Biology, 22, (12), 2016, p4080-4095Journal Article, 2016, DOI
  • Farrell, C.A., Doyle, G.J., Rehabilitation of industrial cutaway Atlantic blanket bog in County Mayo, North-West Ireland, Wetlands Ecology and Management, 11, (1-2), 2003, p21-35Journal Article, 2003, DOI
  • Michael Vardon, Paul Lucas, Steve Bass, Matthew Agarwala, Andrea M. Bassi, Diane Coyle, Anthony Dvarskas, Catherine A. Farrell, Oliver Greenfield, Steven King, Martin Lok, Carl Obst, Brian O"Callaghan, Rosimeiry Portela, Juha Siikamäki, From COVID-19 to Green Recovery with natural capital accounting, Ambio, 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI
  • David Wilson, Francis Mackin, Juha"Pekka Tuovinen, Gerald Moser, Catherine Farrell, Florence Renou"Wilson, Carbon and climate implications of rewetting a raised bog in Ireland, Global Change Biology, 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI
  • Renou-Wilson F, Farrell CA., Peatland vulnerability to energy-related climate change policy in Ireland: the case of wind farms, Mires and Peat, 4, 2009Journal Article, 2009
  • Gilet L, Habib W, Aitova E, Byrne KA, Farrell CA, Fenton O, et al., Peatland use and peat soil land cover types in Ireland: Implications for the calculation of GHG emissions in the context of climate action., Land Use Policy, 159, 2025Journal Article, 2025
  • UNEP, Global Peatlands Assessment " The State of the World"s Peatlands: Evidence for action toward the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of peatlands. Summary for Policy Makers., United Nations Environment Programme, 2022Report, 2022
  • Stout, J.C., Farrell, C.A., Coleman L, Norton D, Kelly-Quinn M, Obst C, Eigenraam M, O"Donoghue C, Kinsella S, Smith F, Sheehy I, Kimmerman, S., Irish Natural Capital Accounting for Sustainable Environments (INCASE) (2018-NC-LS-2). EPA Research Evidence Synthesis Report., EPA Ireland, November, 2023Report, URL
  • Jane Stout, Maire Nic an Bhaird, Laoise Ni Chleirigh, Thomas P. Curran, Catherine Farrell, Nathan T. Wright, Beo, Raja and the Butterfly Effect, 2025, -Miscellaneous, URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Wilson D, Farrell CA, Muller C, Hepp S., Renou-Wilson F., Rewetted industrial cutaway peatlands in western Ireland: prime location for climate change mitigation?, Mires and Peat, 11, 2013Journal Article
  • Delargy O, Farrell CA, O'Hagan M, Stout JC, The Voluntary Nature Market in Ireland: State of Play, https://www.tcd.ie/media/tcd/business/pdfs/research/The-Voluntary-Nature-Market-in-Ireland---State-o, September, 2025Report

Research Expertise

To date my research has focused on: Natural capital approaches / accounting; Nature based Solutions; Nature finance and Nature restoration. I will continue to build on my work to date, to: i) advance understanding of how businesses can develop credible nature strategies; ii) support business in relation to reducing their impacts and dependencies on nature (minimising risk and realising opportunities); and iii) building on ReFarm, work to identify ways to leverage private finance to support landowners to address the nature challenge. I have been engaging with policy developers to identify knowledge gaps and adapt lines of inquiry accordingly, as opportunities for funding, business engagement and innovation arise over time. Key areas of focus will continue to be emerging thought areas in relation to nature credits, payments for ecosystem services, valuation methods for natural capital stocks and flows, sustainable finance, and delivery of nature positive actions through nature-related disclosure and natural capital accounting frameworks. This will incorporate action research, directly linked to supporting delivery of national / EU targets set through the EU Green Deal Framework (CSRD, TNFD and relevant business and nature targets). I am actively exploring collaborations with colleagues in EU Universities, in relation to these areas (incorporating diverse ranges of values and exploring the use of Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) alongside GDP).

  • Title
    ReFarm
    Summary
    Project ReFarm was launched in 2024, in a bid to pilot nature restoration action on farms in Ireland, by means of leveraging private finance. The objectives of the project are to: support the creation of a funding structure that will enable businesses to invest in high impact nature-positive actions on farms in Ireland; enable farmers to take nature positive actions and as a result, earn a financial return for nature-positive outcomes on their farms; and complement and enhance the impact of existing agri-environmental and other funding schemes such as CAP, as well as supporting targets set through National Restoration Plans.
    Funding Agency
    BiOrbic
    Date From
    April 2024
  • Title
    INCASE
    Summary
    Irish Natural Capital Accounting for Sustainable Environments
    Funding Agency
    EPA Ireland

Recognition

  • CIEEM present