Research
Events
Online
New Publications
Jobs and Training
Calls
Environmental change: cultural change – Call for Papers
Contributions are invited for an international conference on 'Environmental Change - Cultural Change', organised on behalf of EASLCE and ASLE-UK, the European and British affiliates of the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment. Attention will focus on two aspects of the relationship between environmental change and cultural change: first, on the cultural, social and historical framing of environmental communication, and in particular of discourses of climate change and loss of biodiversity; and second, on the challenges to contemporary environmental literature and film, and their potential contribution to ecological education and consciousness. Proposals for papers and panels are invited. Topics will include but not be restricted to: literary and filmic representations of environmental change in different cultures/ media/ historical periods, and comparisons between them; myths, lead metaphors and rhetorical tropes in historical conceptualisations of environmental change, and their role in contemporary media communication or political/ popular scientific discourse on the environment; theoretical approaches, especially posthumanism/ postsubjectivism and biosemiotics; the aesthetics of cultural responses to climate change; environmental citizenship; environmental activism between modernisation and resistance to modernisation; cognitive, emotional and cultural drivers of environmental behaviour, and materialist and aesthetic, secular and religious motivations; the global and the local in theorisations and representations of environmental change; the contribution of environmental literature, film and art to environmental literacy; and, practical demonstrations of ecocritical pedagogy. More…
Health, wellness and tourism – healthy tourists, healthy business? – Call for Papers
The deadline for submitting papers to the TTRA European Chapter Conference - ‘Health, wellness and tourism: Healthy tourists, healthy business?’ - has been extended to 30th November 2009. The major themes of the conference for which papers are welcomed include: Wellness trends in leisure and lifestyle; quality of life and tourism; medical tourism (e.g. travelling for medical reasons; to get better, to get cured, to look better); role of private and national health insurance and social tourism initiatives in health tourism; spa tourism; special interest tourism relating to health and wellness (e.g. holistic, spiritual, sport, voluntary or adventure tourism); segmentation and positioning products, brands and destinations in health and wellness tourism; innovation and technology; economic development, planning and destination management; risk and safety management and quality assurance in health and wellness tourism; and, the “health” of the tourism industry (riding the economic crisis). More…
Vulnerability, Risk and Complexity: Impacts of Global Change on Human Habitats – Call for Abstracts
Papers are invited for the 21st IAPS conference, which will take place from 27th June to 2nd July 2010 in Leipzig, Germany. The conference will focus on the impacts of ‘global change’ on the interrelations between the social, the built and the natural environment. This global change includes climate impacts, environmental risks, but also new demographic challenges and uneven economic developments. Human habitats are facing social, economic, man-made, natural and climate-induced risks, and they are vulnerable to a variety of crises and stresses. Addressing these new and complex challenges will entail a search for new scientific approaches to identify comprehensive, integrative problem solutions that can help to strengthen local and social resilience. Hence, sophisticated theories, innovative methods and appropriate empirical foundations are needed. Research should ideally integrate the social, natural and engineering or planning sciences and should work in a transdisciplinary manner. This includes close collaboration with representatives of civil society (such as Local Agenda 21 initiatives), the economy, the private sector, NGOs and political decision makers. The conference will be interested primarily in urban areas and regions which have to cope with processes of simultaneous shrinkage and growth. The deadline for abstracts is 29th November 2009. More…
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Research
Dutch evidence of a link between green spaces and health
In a new study that assessed how GP-classified illnesses relate to green spaces in their patients' living environment, researchers in the Netherlands have found more evidence that links green spaces to better health, and better mental health in particular. The study was undertaken by Dr Jolanda Maas from the EMGO Institute at VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam and colleagues, and was published as an Online First paper on 15th October in the ‘Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health’. The researchers used health indicators from general practitioner (GP) assessments to investigate suggestions that living near green spaces is linked to better health. The researchers examined data on illnesses recorded by 195 GPs in practices throughout the Netherlands. The illnesses recorded by the GPs were classified using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC), allowing the researchers to examine 24 different diseases in seven different categories. The researchers also used a database where, by inserting postal codes, they could find out the percentage of green space within a one and three kilometer radius of a household. They then used multilevel logistic regression to find which clusters of diseases most strongly linked to how much green space was nearby. When they did the analyses they first controlled for demographic and socio-economic characteristics to minimize any potential effect they may have had on the results, and then looked at what effect they did have. The results showed that: there was a positive link between lower disease prevalence and more green space; the annual prevalence rate of 15 of the 24 disease clusters was lower in environments that had more green space in a 1 km radius; the strongest link was for anxiety disorder and depression; the link was stronger for children and for people with a lower socio-economic status; and, the link was strongest in slightly urban areas and not apparent in very strongly urban areas. More…
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Events
Meeting – ‘Experiences from Berkeley Air’
26th November 09: The Carpenters Arms, Marylebone, London.
The HEDON Household Energy Network holds a monthly informal meeting in London, UK, where practitioners, policy-makers, funders, and business-owners actively pursuing a cleaner, affordable and more efficient household energy sector unite to share their experiences, learn from one another, and create new knowledge. The next meeting will take place at the Carpenters Arms on 26th November 2009 at 6.30pm. Jessica Marter Kenyon, a former Associate at the Berkeley Air Monitoring Group will present an overview of her experiences from a social venture that conducts scientific monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of initiatives designed to improve health and well-being through improved household stoves, fuels, and education. Jessica will also discuss a case study of a Berkeley Air project before opening a general discussion on issues relating to M&E, carbon finance, and stove commercialisation. More…
Conference – ‘Household Waste Prevention: Aiming High’
30th November 09: Barbican Conference Centre, London.
In this one-day conference, the Resource Recovery Forum will be offering a valuable insight into the complex world of waste prevention. Sponsored by SITA UK, and involving key agencies such as DEFRA, the Welsh Assembly Government and WRAP, the event will provide a valuable opportunity to explore major waste prevention issues, including new EU legislation and a wealth of new studies from the UK Government. It will also mark the UK launch of a timely new book published by the European Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and Sustainable Resource management. (ACR+). The day is set to cover the following topics: European policy trends; Waste Prevention guidelines from the Commission; international examples of household waste prevention; waste prevention in England, Scotland and Wales; household waste prevention behaviour - what do we know?; WRAP's waste prevention toolkit for local authorities; and, waste prevention - local authority case studies. For further information, to request a programme or to register, please email Kit Strange.
Report Launch – ‘The right route: Improving transport decision-making’
30th November 09: Hinton Room, One Birdcage Walk, London.
During this afternoon event, Green Alliance will be launching their recent report, ‘The right route: improving transport decision-making’. The report looks at the revision of the Government’s transport appraisal framework and the overall decision-making process. It explores five real-life case studies to assess how they would fare under the revised framework and urgently calls for further changes. It highlights the need for an adequate transport appraisal framework as this will determine our transport system for decades to come. Theresa Villiers MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, will provide the keynote speech, and panel members will include: Stephen Joseph (Executive Director, Campaign for Better Transport), Neil Scales (Chief Executive and Director General, Mersey Travel), and Stephen Hale (Director, Green Alliance). If you would like to attend please email Rachel Cary or phone 020 7630 4522.
Conference – ‘UK Agriculture and Climate Change’
10th December 09: Church House Conference Suite, Westminster, London.
This one-day conference is being organised by the Agricultural Economics Society. Presentations will cover a number of topics including: the contribution of agriculture to meeting the UK’s carbon budgets; marginal abatement cost curves; the human side of climate change policies – farmers, consumers, deniers and ostriches; the vulnerability of UK agriculture to climate change; extreme weather events – opportunities for adaptation in agricultural management; and, a panel discussion on mitigation and adaptation – threats and opportunities. More…
Public Lecture – ‘Geoengineering: A brave new world?’
19th January 10: The Royal Society, London.
Since the industrial revolution, mankind has made choices that have led to significant emissions of greenhouse gases, causing climate change that is expected to become much more serious during this century. Several proposals have been put forward to reduce future climate change by intervening directly in the Earth's natural climate system and these have collectively become known as geoengineering. This is a very new and rapidly developing area of science and technology and the proposals range from placing giant mirrors in space to reflect sunlight, to fertilising the oceans with nutrients in order to produce more phytoplankton to soak up atmospheric carbon dioxide. This event will introduce the science, technology and governance of geoengineering, discuss the possible benefits, drawbacks and uncertainties of the various options that have been proposed and provide an opportunity to discuss the prospects and problems that may arise with further research into this area. More…
Workshop – ‘A good practice guide for development of previously used sites for open green space and creative schemes’
9th December 09: Glasgow.
CIRIA, in collaboration with Ove Arup and Partners, is organising a consultation workshop for the CIRIA project: ‘A Good Practice Guide for Development of Previously Used Sites for Open Green Space and Creative Schemes’, from 2.30pm – 5pm on 9th December 09. The aim of the workshop is to seek your views on open green space and brownfield sites, and particularly on the barriers and opportunities involved in the creation of open space. The objectives of the project are to: help construction professionals recognise the benefits of sensitively adapting previously developed sites for good quality and accessible open green space; help local authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland implement local spatial planning policy and meet their sustainability targets via adopting good practice when redeveloping previously developed sites for good quality and accessible open green space; make recommendations on adaptation; and, provide practical guidance on remedial approaches for managing ecological risk. Further information about the project is available by emailing Joanne Kwan.
Training Event – ‘IAP2 Citizen Engagement Training’
Various dates in February, May and November; Edinburgh.
The International Association for Public Participation Training (IAP2) has published the next dates for their training courses on public participation and citizen engagement, which will take place in Edinburgh in February, May and November 2010. This is IAP2’s internationally recognized modular Certificate Programme consisting of three modules: Effective Planning (two days), Effective Communication (one day) and Techniques for Effective Public Participation (two days). More…
Workshop – ‘Spatial Perspectives for Rural Development in the UK’
9th December 09: Bristol.
This ESPON UK Network workshop, held in partnership with the RTPI Rural Planning Network, seeks to explore critical spatial issues for the future of rural policy and potential areas for future research. It is open to all practitioners and researchers interested in rural development. Previous workshops held by the ESPON UK Network this year have addressed migration issues and the evidence base for integrated regional development. Speakers will include: David Meredith (Teagasc - the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority), who will report on the ESPON project on European Development Opportunities in Rural Areas (EDORA) which aims to develop a better understanding of the development opportunities and challenges facing different types of rural areas in Europe; Ian Smith (Director of the Cities Research Centre at UWE); and Trevor Cherrett (Expert Advisor, Commission for Rural Communities). The workshop is being hosted by the Cities Research Centre and the Countryside and Community Research Institute. More…
Lecture – ‘Global Climate Change Policies and Implications for Businesses’
10th December 09: Imperial College.
The Kyoto Protocol, as the first historic global agreement attempting to address the adverse effects of climatic change, is perhaps the most widely known climate-change related agreement, but in reality there are now a multitude of different types at international, national, regional and local level in the public sector and a few thousand agreements at commercial and corporate level – all of which are centred around the management and possible mitigation of greenhouse gases and some focusing on how we could adapt to inevitable climatic change. In this lecture, James Anderson (AMEC Earth & Environmental UK Ltd) will catalogue and classify key inter-governmental policy mechanisms as well as other significant policy measures currently in existence, and will present an evidence-based analysis of the financial, social and environmental implications of these mechanisms and measures. Key UK policies and those of some of the Asian tiger economies will be show-cased along with lessons learnt. Other topics will include an overview of significant impacts of both existing and forthcoming climate change policies on key global industrial sectors such as aviation, iron & steel, power generation, renewable energy types, automotive, consumer electronics, construction & cement and manufacturing. More…
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Online
Debategraph – ‘Is the draft flood and water management bill going to address current and future flooding problems in the UK?’
The summer floods of 2007 caused huge financial, physical and personal damage to many households and communities around the UK. Reviews of flooding have highlighted critical gaps in the management of flood risk in this country, including outmoded approaches and organisational structures, an incomplete knowledge about the impacts of climate change, and an increase in the risk of flooding to individuals, communities and society more widely. Critically, current flood legislation is considered too rigid to be able to adopt the broader range of approaches necessary to respond to our increased flood risks. The Draft Bill is designed to respond to these challenges through engaging with concepts such as ‘adaptation’ and ‘resilience’ and by recognising that a broader suite of measures is necessary to tackle flooding under conditions of uncertain environmental change. This includes potentially controversial measures such as allowing some places to flood. Yet will this work? The RELU-funded research project on ‘Environmental Knowledge Controversies: The case of Flood Risk’ wishes to initiate a debate that asks the following question: Is the draft flood and water management bill going to address current and future flooding problems in the UK? They aim to do this through an online debating forum called ‘Debategraph’ in which all interested and concerned individuals can actively contribute their views and opinions. The aim is to use this debate to inform flood risk policy. If you have views and opinions on this issue or are just interested in being part of such a debate then please go to http://debategraph.org/Stream.aspx?nID=35305&sd=y.
Online Search Engine - Making Our Cities Sustainable
A new customized search engine has recently been created to open up results from a huge UK research programme focused on Sustainable Urban Environments (SUE). This single gateway allows access to over £38 million worth of government-funded research. It will enable practitioners, policy-makers and the third sector to search for the precise research, tools and evidence that they need in making decisions about cities, investment for communities, planning, buildings, transport, regeneration and other aspects of urban sustainability. To check whether there are any research findings relevant to your work please go to the SUE Search engine . This is part of the ‘Urban Sustainability Exchange’ website , which is being developed to provide a gateway to all SUE research. The SUE Search Engine has been produced by ISSUES, a team working to improve Knowledge Exchange from the ongoing SUE Programme. Both SUE and ISSUES are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). For more information contact: K.J.Beckmann@hw.ac.uk.
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New Publications
New Report – ‘Public attitudes to environmental change: a selective review of theory and practice’
This report summarises a selection of academic and non-academic evidence relevant to public attitudes to environmental change in the UK. The main aim is to inform public engagement for the Living With Environmental Change programme, but the results will be of interest to any organisation working in a similar field. The report addresses the public's attitudes to: climate change and its impacts; energy technologies and infrastructure; and, changes in ecosystems, landscapes and species. More…
FoE Publication – ‘Eating the Planet? How we can feed the world without trashing it’
'Eating the planet?', recently published by Friends of the Earth and Compassion in World Farming, reveals new research findings indicating that we can still enjoy meat several times a week whilst feeding the world using planet-friendly and humane farming methods. The research models future food production against different diets, farming methods and land use, and concludes that enough food can be produced to feed the growing world population with fairer and healthier diets whilst avoiding deforestation and animal cruelty. Continuing to eat more meat and dairy globally - the production of which already generates more climate-changing emissions than all of the world's transport - will push the world's climate and resources over the edge. Despite pushes from agribusiness to intensify farming to feed a growing global population that is expected to reach over nine billion by 2050, the researchers found that a diet equivalent to eating meat three times a week would allow forests to remain untouched, animals to be farmed in free-range conditions and greener farming methods to be used. With as many people obese in the West as malnourished in poor countries - roughly a billion of each - distributing protein more fairly is also an opportunity to tackle global health problems, the report points out. It calls for government to take action to measure and reduce the impact of the UK's meat and dairy production and consumption - and to switch subsidies from intensive to planet-friendly and humane farming. More…
New Report – ‘Adaptation to a changing climate’
July 2009 saw the publication of the Government’s plan for the transition to a low carbon economy, describing it as one of the defining issues of the 21st century. The need to adapt to inevitable climate change is fundamental to this plan succeeding. This report, by Consumer Focus, sets out how climate change will impact on British consumers, with a particular focus on the implications for property and investments – choices made by today’s consumers that are likely to be affected by tomorrow’s climate. Survey data indicates that consumers are increasingly aware of the risks of climate change, but do not have the information or the ability to prepare themselves. Consumer Focus therefore wants the Government to: embed action to make homes climate-resilient in its ‘whole-house’ approach to heat and energy saving in order to prepare every home in Great Britain for these twin challenges; incorporate information on cooling in the energy performance certificate and include climate projections in the Home Information Pack so that consumers know today what risks their property faces tomorrow; and, recognise that housing is a vital part of the nation’s infrastructure and that the Government’s approach to adapting it to prepare for a changing climate should be open to public scrutiny alongside other essential goods and services. The report also calls on businesses to provide climate-resilient products and services, particularly in the property and financial sectors where today’s investments may be affected by tomorrow’s changes in climate. More…
New Report – ‘Tourism 2023: Four scenarios, a vision and a strategy for UK outbound travel and tourism’
The Tourism 2023 project set out to help the UK outbound travel and tourism industry to understand the challenges it faces and plan for a sustainable future. Climate change, population growth, shortages of oil and other resources will have dramatic impacts on how, where, when – and even if – people travel, and will reshape the industry over time. In this project, Forum for the Future, explored how factors like these could lead to very different worlds in 2023, each holding very different futures for the industry. They worked with tourism experts to create four scenarios, and then generate a vision of the sustainable future the industry wants for itself. The scenarios explore critical uncertainties facing the UK outbound industry, and are designed to provoke debate. Will mass tourism, swollen by the Chinese and Indian middle classes, cause huge overcrowding in popular destinations? Will soaring oil prices make air travel so expensive that families have to save for years to fly abroad? Will we see “Doomsday tourism”, with visitors rushing to see glaciers and coral reefs before they’re gone for good? Or will household “carbon quotas” see Britons go back to holidaying at home? Signatories to the Tourism 2023 Vision commit to taking action individually and as an industry group to achieve a sustainable industry by 2023. It is based on six principles: protecting the environment; developing employees; providing customers with mainstream sustainable products; ensuring that destinations benefit from tourism; innovating to create sustainable transport and resorts; and developing a business which is environmentally, socially and financially sustainable. The project identified three potential work streams on issues which require urgent industry collaboration: demonstrating that tourism delivers real socio-economic benefit to tourist destinations; making tourism a low-carbon, low-impact industry; and encouraging demand from customers for sustainable tourism. More…
New Report – ‘How can cities grow whilst reducing emissions and vulnerability’
A three-year project led by Newcastle University for the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research has outlined how our major cities must respond if they are to continue to grow in the face of climate change. Using the new UK Climate Predictions '09 data for weather patterns over the next century, the research looks at the impact of predicted rises in temperature - particularly in urban areas - increased flooding in winter and less water availability in summer. The project report ‘How can cities grow whilst reducing emissions and vulnerability’ focuses on the particular challenges facing London but can be used as a model for other UK cities on how policy-makers, businesses and the public must work together to prepare for climate change. As well as protecting our homes and buildings against the increased threat of flooding from rising sea levels, the report emphasizes the need to reduce our carbon emissions, reduce our water usage and move towards cleaner, greener transport. Led by Newcastle University's Professor Jim Hall, the project is the result of three years' work to decide how our cities should respond to the threats of climate change. Promoting the development of cycleways and public transport, low-carbon energy and water recycling it also shows how solving one problem can exacerbate another. More…
FEC Discussion Paper – ‘What should supermarkets do about seasonal food?’
Drawing on work commissioned by The Co-operative, the Food Ethics Council has published this discussion paper on seasonal food and supermarkets. Government, campaigners and celebrity chefs are encouraging people to eat with the seasons. In the words of ‘Eat Seasonably’ – a government-backed initiative – this means “better value, better taste and a better deal for the planet”, whether you grow your own or you buy it. Since the majority of food is bought in multiples, buying seasonal food, for most people, means buying it from a supermarket. Many of the UK’s main food retailers back Eating Seasonably. Yet, does in-season food from a supermarket – where most people buy most of their food – live up to the promises that are made for it? Is it really better for the planet? How should a responsible retailer respond to the calls for them to act on this issue? This paper examines the evidence and makes recommendations, proposing that supermarkets should consider greater seasonal variation in their product ranges as one possible outcome – not a goal in itself – of a concerted strategy to improve the environmental and social footprints of their supply chains. It recommends that seasonal marketing should be seen as one of a package of measures that retailers can take to help match demand to variability in supply. It should be carefully monitored for its effectiveness in promoting wider objectives of campaigns on seasonal food, including green citizenship and healthy eating. Comments are welcomed on the paper, either through the Food Ethics Council’s seasonal food forum or by emailing Tom MacMillan .
IPPR Report – ‘The Future’s Green: Jobs and the UK low carbon transition’
As the Government prepares to publish its plans for overhauling the UK skills system before the end of the year, new research published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) warns that unless the Government takes action to make the UK workforce ‘climate ready’, we may not be equipped to compete in a low carbon global economy. IPPR’s report stresses that as a priority, the new skills strategy, expected before the end of the year, must ensure that existing work-based training includes additional training on low carbon skills, so that every part of the UK workforce is equipped to compete in a low carbon economy. It explains that the necessary skills will vary from job to job but, as a minimum, businesses will need a basic understanding of their contribution to climate change and how they can assist in tackling it. IPPR warns that the Government cannot expect employers alone to lead the drive for low-carbon skills. Instead, Government will need to provide leadership to ensure the right training courses and funding are available to workers. More…
New Report – ‘The Great Transition’
This report, produced by the new economics foundation, argues that nothing short of a Great Transition to a new economy is necessary and desirable, and also possible. It says that business as usual has failed; the financial crisis has exposed deep flaws in current approaches to economics. Economic liberalisation has not delivered rapid growth on a consistent basis, but has been characterised by booms and crashes. Nor has it delivered benefits to everyone: wealth has become concentrated in the hands of the few, with very little 'trickling down' to the world's poorest people. In developed countries, income inequality has increased, giving rise to a range of social problems. Life satisfaction levels in developed countries are flatlining. Meanwhile, the world is rapidly over-heating: the atmosphere cannot absorb the levels of carbon dioxide being pumped into it for much longer without triggering irreversible climate change. The majority of the planet’s ecosystems are being pushed to breaking point. The report proceeds to highlight, however, that we still have a chance to make things right. If we are willing to give up the pursuit of economic growth for the sake of something much better, for ourselves, for society and for our planet, we can tackle climate change and create a more equal and happy society. It also sets out a range of practical measures on housing, business, taxation, property and energy policy to make this Great Transition. More…
CABE Report – ‘Grey to Green: How we shift funding and skills to green our cities’
CABE’s new Grey to Green campaign argues that a switch is needed in public spending from grey infrastructure projects, like road building and heavy engineering projects, to green schemes, like street trees, parks, green roofs and waterways. Figures produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers show how a shift in spending from grey to green of just 0.5% could increase investment in urban green space by 141%. The campaign report highlights the need for more people, with the right skills, to manage the living landscape of our towns and cities. It argues that local government needs better skills to design and manage green infrastructure (GI). Each local authority needs a cabinet member with responsibility for leading on green infrastructure in their area, and a landscape architect to coordinate the policy across departments. CABE is proposing that each local authority appoint a City Gardener, in a nod to the original City Architects. Councillors should be encouraged to organise regular ‘green surgeries’, an alternative to gardeners’ question times for their wards. At a national level, CABE would welcome the establishment of a green infrastructure taskforce. Just as the urban taskforce championed an urban renaissance for our towns and cities, a panel of national experts should be convened to shape environmental policy and delivery and to champion GI. Furthermore, at the moment GI is hard to use because it isn’t mapped. There is no record of urban and suburban green spaces in England - where they are, who owns them or what condition they are in. CABE, with support from 15 organisations across the sector, wants central government to coordinate a single, shared national information resource or ‘atlas’ so that green infrastructure can be planned and managed strategically. More…
E3G Report – ‘Scorecards on best and worst policies for a Green New Deal’
A recent report by Ecofys and Germanwatch for E3G and WWF evaluates climate policies of the countries which account for around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, identifying best and worst examples and lessons learned. The top places in the report were given to an “Efficiency in buildings” programme implemented by the German government and a “Feed-in tariff for renewable electricity” initiative, also in Germany. The latter guarantees a producer of renewable energy a fixed feed-in tariff for 20 years. Germany’s buildings programme reduces emissions, creates jobs in the construction sector, and offers broad scope for replication in others countries. The report also exposes a number of bad policies, very often in the same countries where the good policies were implemented, which both fail to deliver economic benefits and block the way to a low carbon future. These include measures such as subsidizing of local mining, preferential treatment of energy-intensive industries and lack of comprehensive water management. The report estimates that industrialized governments will need to provide financing in the order of US$160 billion for adaptation and mitigation in developing countries, especially to those most vulnerable to climate change. While single policies make a difference, there is also an urgent need for more policy integration and overall coherence. More…
CRC Report – ‘Developing the English Uplands’
A report written to inform an inquiry by the Commission for Rural Communities into the future for England’s upland communities says, ‘the greatest threat to the future of upland communities [is the] ambiguity regarding the significance, value and role of upland communities themselves.’ The report goes on to say that there is a risk that upland communities will continue to be characterised by disadvantage unless we see a shift in people’s perceptions of the uplands, including those who live and work there, from “less favoured” to “highly favoured” places. It draws on international experience to conclude that England is not alone in seeking to address questions of the future development of the uplands and in having to accommodate demands from an increasingly diverse range of interests. It highlights the relevance of the uplands, both nationally and internationally, and explains why there is the need for upland communities to be much more closely involved in the policy decisions that affect them and considers how this might be achieved. More…
WRI Report – ‘Banking on Nature’s Assets: How multi-lateral development banks can strengthen development by using ecosystem services’
Humanity depends on nature for physical and spiritual sustenance, livelihoods, and survival. Ecosystems provide numerous benefits or “ecosystem services” that underpin economic development and support human well-being. The UN-led Millennium Ecosystem Assessment audited the health of 24 ecosystem services globally and reported that two-thirds had been degraded over the past half century. This degradation is undermining development progress. However, by accounting for and managing ecosystem service trade-offs, multilateral development banks (MDBs) and partner countries can improve development outcomes, help address climate change, and reduce costs to people and economies. Toward this end, a growing number of tools are emerging to help factor ecosystem services into economic development decisions. This report identifies entry points for mainstreaming ecosystem services in MDBs’ core operations and describes a portfolio of tools to help. It also presents a range of policy options that MDBs can help country partners to implement in order to sustain critical ecosystem services. More…
SEI Report – ‘Meeting the UK Climate Challenge: The contribution of resource efficiency’
This study, by the Stockholm Environment Institute, provides a detailed assessment of the reduction in Greenhouse Gases that could be achieved by implementing a range of resource efficiency strategies in the UK. It demonstrates that resource efficiency has an important role to play and offers a number of “Quick Win” opportunities to achieve emissions reductions. The authors calculated the Greenhouse Gas savings from a range of strategies that could be implemented by households, government and industry, all relating to the more efficient use of material. The key finding is that a number of resource efficiency improvements can be taken immediately, as advocated by Lord Stern, and could deliver almost 10% of the reductions required by the Low Carbon Transition Plan. To reach this target, changes in consumption and the way households use goods and services will be as crucial as changes to methods of production. Significant reductions in consumption can be made through changing behaviour related to food and drink. Changes in diets and reductions in food waste could have an immediate effect on reducing GHG emissions. Increasing the lifetime of products by making them more durable and encouraging consumers to change their buying patterns also provides a significant opportunity. For production, lean production is by far the most effective strategy. This relates to reducing the amount and type of material input in products, while delivering the same function. More…
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Jobs and Training
Jobs and Training opportunities around the Sustainable Development Research network are updated frequently on the ‘Jobs and Training’ page of the SDRN website…
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