Chiara Rohlfs

Chiara is a DPhil candidate at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, where she researches how legal and social norms—particularly those originating from private initiatives—influence the framing, blind spots, contradictions, and effectiveness of EU corporate climate regulation, under the supervision of Professor Bettina Lange. Her doctoral project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Her research interests explore how Europe can reduce its energy use and material throughput, examining the intersection of corporate behavior and environmental regulation. Her work investigates why inevitable priority conflicts are navigated in particular ways during the development of both specific EU climate regulations and non-climate-specific EU policies that indirectly impact the ability to meet climate objectives.

Chiara holds a BA in Law, with a focus on international and EU environmental law, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Economics and an MPhil in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, where she was a scholar of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. Her MPhil dissertation explored the doubts and frustrations of sustainability professionals behind the corporate sustainability façade.

Before joining Oxford, Chiara gained experience as an ESG analyst at a European bank, in environmental consulting, at an ecological economics think tank, and within a human rights organization. She has also contributed to promoting youth voices through storytelling and to EU climate law research.

When not researching, Chiara loves spending time at home in the Alps on long trail running adventures.