Research
Events
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New Publications
Jobs and Training
Calls
UACES Collaborative Research Network: The Governance of Sustainability 2nd Workshop – Call for Papers
The UACES Collaborative Research Network invites paper proposals for its forthcoming workshop in Leeds from 19th – 20th July 2010. The focus of the workshop is to investigate the influence of cognitive and normative factors in the EU's capacity to meet the challenge of governing sustainability. It will focus on energy and environmental public policy-making, two key sectors that have been the subject of rationalist and neo-functionalist spill-over accounts. Papers are invited that examine the following themes (broadly defined): environmental conscience; sustainability; and, energy and the environment. The aim of the workshop is to develop papers for later publication as a special issue of a journal, therefore paper givers will need to commit to producing their paper in good time for the workshop. Please send an abstract of 150-200 words by Friday 14th May 2010 to Jenny Fairbrass, Thomas Hoerber, and Simon Lightfoot. More…
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: Processes and Learning for ESD – Call for Information
As the lead agency for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), UNESCO has commissioned a review of authoritative literature on processes and learning for ESD. This literature review will inform Phase II of the global monitoring and evaluation process for the DESD and will feature in the 2011 DESD global report which will focus on processes and learning for ESD. The literature review will seek to: clarify what processes should be promoted to facilitate learning through ESD; and, identify learning opportunities in ESD which in turn promote and facilitate sustainable development. The value of this literature review depends on access to scholarly work and empirical studies from across the globe. The authors consider it important to ensure that culturally varied as well as appropriate responses to ESD are captured in the document. They would be very grateful to receive any key documents which can inform this literature review, ideally sent to Daniella Tilbury before 15th May 2010. The final draft of the literature review is expected to be available online at the end of June.
Sustainable Development Evaluation in Europe: From a Decade of Practices, Politics and Science to Emerging Demands – Call for Papers.
The 2010 EASY-ECO conference, which will take place from 17th to 19th November in Brussels, will be the final event in the EASY-ECO series of events and will focus on the European perspective of evaluation of sustainable development (SD). It will take stock of almost a decade of the EASY-ECO programme and SD evaluation practice at EU and national levels in order to identify the challenges ahead. The organisers invite practitioners, employees of public institutions and academics to submit abstracts by 15th June 2010. Young researchers can also apply for an EU Grant to cover the costs of their participation. The most interesting papers will be published in ‘Evaluating Sustainable Development’ (Editors A. Martinuzzi and P. Hardi) by Edward Elgar. More…
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Research
Farming Futures Survey
A new survey released by Farming Futures – an industry-led project which helps farmers respond to climate change – reveals that one in four farmers have noticed increased interest from customers in their environmental performance over the past year. 53% of those surveyed recognise that addressing climate change offers potential business opportunities – a significant rise on last year – and the number of farmers producing their own energy has doubled. Almost half are taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their land (48%), and one in three (31%) farmers are doing something to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Encouragingly, almost half (47%) of farmers are confident that the industry’s target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 11% by 2020 can be met. A significant 47% are improving energy efficiency on their farm. The survey comes on the back of a big year for farming, during which Government legislation, the Feed-in Tariffs, media debates on the environmental impact of food production, and rising energy and input costs have put farming in the spotlight. More…
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Events
Conference – “Place Based Learning’ for sustainability and global citizenship’
11th June 2010: London South Bank University, London.
‘Place-based learning’ (sometimes Place-based education) is an emerging ‘movement’ which generally orientates or ‘situates’ learning in the learners’ own “place” or home locality. This conference will be extending this notion to consider the benefits, but also dangers, of attempting to learn from other, often distant, places through linking or study visits. This conference is for anyone who is interested in sustainable and cosmopolitan ‘place-making’, such as teachers and headteachers, teacher educators, university lecturers, community educators, planning professionals, Local Authority officers and elected members, community activists, and so on. More…
Training – ‘Good Practice Stakeholder Participation’
29th June – 1st July 2010: Wye, Kent.
This three-day course will help participants: explore the benefits and challenges of involving stakeholders in decisions about the environment; understand the principles and concepts of stakeholder participation; and, learn practical facilitation skills and how to design a participation process. More details are available by email (training@dialoguematters.co.uk) and a leaflet may be downloaded online
Seminar Series – ‘Education for Sustainable Development’
May – June 2010: University of Bradford.
The 2010 Education for Sustainable Development Seminar Series sees five leaders in the sustainability sector visiting the University of Bradford to deliver an interactive set of seminars. The first, on the 15th May, will consider key drivers towards assessing the most pressing global challenges. The second (26th May) explores the demise of unilateral corporate responsibility and its implications for leaders. The third (9th June) is entitled ‘Shaping sustainability in Bradford District: Civic institutions and sustainable well-being’. The fourth (23rd June) sets the case for sustainability as regeneration. All are free to attend but booking is essential. Refreshments will be provided unless otherwise specified. More…
Masterclass – ‘Providing sustainable access to countryside attractions’
11th June 2010: The Eden Project, Cornwall.
Tourism is a major contributor to economic prosperity - especially with the boom in people holidaying at home in the UK. Yet there is a downside, as most people come by car, with air quality, tranquillity, biodiversity and landscape suffering - not to mention a huge carbon footprint. Access by bus and train, walking and cycling is good for health, the environment, social inclusion and keeping money in the local economy - fostering a positive spiral of prosperity. This event aims to pull together the varied strands of sustainable visitor travel - making the links between tourism and transport, and emphasising the need for co-operation between departments. More…
RESOLVE Seminar – ‘Sustainable lifestyles: context, practice and policy’
19th May 2010: University of Surrey.
Encouraging environmentally responsible and ‘low carbon’ lifestyles is now a centre-piece of UK policy for sustainable development (Defra, 2005). DEFRA’s current Framework for Environmental Behaviours (Defra, 2008) has embedded a social marketing approach towards behaviour change in which segmentation plays a key role in identifying and targeting population groups with specific characteristics. Using data collected from several research projects exploring environmental behaviour in both home-based and tourism contexts, this presentation by Stewart Barr (University of Exeter) will argue that whilst segmentation may have a valuable role to play in understanding and promoting specific behaviours in particular contexts, the breadth of environmental issues such as climate change can often lead to conflict between different forms of environmental practice (such as travel behaviours, waste management and energy conservation) in different social contexts (e.g. within and beyond the ‘home’ environments). For more information contact Gemma Cook
Conference – ‘Competition policy: serving the public interest?’
21st June 2010: Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London.
The global economic crisis has put market regulation at the very heart of government policy debate; nowhere more so than the UK with its looming general election and the pressing need to both resolve its structural budget deficit and secure a policy environment that enables enterprise and the regions to flourish. Critics argue, fairly or otherwise, that the crisis has been in part caused by the Western world’s over-dependence upon the 'Chicago school' version of 'laissez faire' market regulation. So what might be the public policy implications of a move to embrace a broader perspective than short term price; involving perhaps the subtly more interventionist style of regulation advocated by the competing 'post Chicago’ school of thought? Whilst there is a clear need to question and debate the metrics and the evidence base that underpin specific decisions about the competitiveness of markets, there are also crucially important behavioural aspects of market failure to be considered, such as the role of rent-seeking and associated moral hazard issues. Would a re-emphasis on the 'public interest' in competition policy formulation and execution help to resolve these fundamental market defects, or do we simply need to refine and strengthen the 'consumer interest' introduced in the 2002 Enterprise Act? In essence, who is best placed to define or defend the long term 'consumer interest'? This one-day conference will offer a range of perspectives on the above topics supported by recent case studies. Following a networking lunch, the afternoon session will develop the key arguments, concluding with a roundtable discussion, and supported by members of the UK's fledgling Competition Advocacy Group. More…
Conference – ‘Earth System Science 2010: Global change, climate and people’
10th – 13th May 2010: Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
This three-day conference will showcase recent advances in the understanding of Earth system dynamics and highlight new directions for the analysis of the interactions between humans and our environment. Participants are welcomed from all parts of the growing international community engaged in a wide range of global change research. The aim is to help in the building of much-needed bridges between the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and between policy, assessment and research. The conference themes are: Earth system modeling – from observations and process understanding to prediction and risk assessment; dynamics of biogeochemical cycles and climate – transitions, instabilities and feedbacks; and, people and resources – perspectives on the relationships among environment, ecosystems and human needs. More…
UKERC Symposium – ‘The political economy of energy choices’
19th – 21st May 2010: Holywell Park, University of Loughborough.
The UKERC Meeting Place, Loughborough University and Midlands Energy Graduate School are organising this three-day ‘Energy and Development’ symposium, which is designed to address the interplay between energy issues, climate change and international development in the aftermath of the Copenhagen Summit. It aims to bring together academic expertise from within the energy and development fields with practitioners and policy-makers drawn from government, international institutions, NGOs and the private sector to achieve four key goals: to enhance appreciation of the context of North-South relations amongst the UK energy policy and energy technology communities; to lay the foundations for the development of a rich network of different interest groups and disciplinary approaches working towards integrating energy and human development goal, via enhancing collaboration between the academic community and practitioners; to strengthen inter-disciplinary collaboration amongst academic participants; and to enrich UK and international policy-making regarding energy and development. More…
ESRC Seminar - 'Natural hazards and critical public participation'
10th June 2010: University of East Anglia, Norwich.
This one-day seminar will bring together a diverse range of researchers and practitioners to critically reflect on public participation in the context of natural hazards. The seminar is the third in a two-year ESRC Seminar Series (http://www.uea.ac.uk/env/esrcsems) on ''Critical Perspectives on Public Engagement in Science and Environmental Risk", organised by researchers at UEA, the STEPs Centre at the University of Sussex, the IHRR at Durham University, and the University of Birmingham. The series aims to build a connected learning community and forge a research agenda that is more constructively critical about participatory governance of science and the environment. If you would like to participate in this seminar, or any of the other seminars in the series, please contact Jason Chilvers. More…
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Online
Environment Health and Development Network – Climate and Health Pages
A new set of web pages focussing on Climate and Health have been added to the main network website of the Environment, Health and Development Network, with the support of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. The web pages feature details of projects and initiatives on climate and health in developing country or global contexts, together with a series of reference lists broken down into key topics. Submissions are welcome of additional project information and publications that fit this field of interest. The web pages will be regularly updated. More…
Europe’s ‘Urban Atlas’
How densely populated is your city? Where are the green areas and transport networks? The European Environment Agency (EEA) hosts detailed maps and land cover information on the 117 European cities currently included in its new 'Urban Atlas'. The Urban Atlas brings together thousands of images from European satellites and provides detailed and cost-effective mapping of larger urban zones, yielding accurate land cover and usage data. Future editions of Urban Atlas are planned every three to five years, communicating on the evolution of cities. More…
Project Dirt
Project Dirt is an active online community linking grassroots-level environmental projects. Project Dirt’s general purpose is two-fold: to help connect those doing their own projects so they can collaborate; and to enable those wanting to be greener to learn from real people doing real projects. The cornerstones of Project Dirt are: transparency (by ensuring all activity is transparent, people can share in their information); neutrality (which enables members/projects the freedom to act in the way that best suits them); and, tangibility (actual and real projects present the most reliable source of learning). Project Dirt was set up to help people and organisations collaborate over green issues and make things happen. They’re huge advocates of people’s skill, tenacity, talent and passion in making things happen. More…
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New Publications
EEA Report – ‘Towards a resource-efficient transport system (TERM)’
On its tenth anniversary, the EEA's TERM report presents an overview of transport's impact on the environment, built on an analysis of 40 policy-relevant indicators. The report's findings for the period 1997–2007 present a mixed picture, with some improvements in air pollutants and serious concerns regarding persistent growth in transport’s greenhouse gas emissions. While technological advances produce cleaner vehicles, more and more passengers and goods are travelling further distances, thereby offsetting efficiency gains. Based on analysis of long-term trends the report calls for a clear vision defining Europe's transport system by 2050 and consistent policies to achieve it. More…
New Book – ‘Dynamic Sustainabilities: Technology, Environment, Social Justice’
This book lays out a new 'pathways approach' to address sustainability challenges in today's dynamic world. Through an appreciation of dynamics, complexity, uncertainty, differing narratives and the values-based aims of sustainability, the pathways approach illustrates how some approaches are dominant, even though they do not produce the desired results, and how to create successful alternative 'pathways' of responding to the challenges we face. As well as offering new ways of thinking about sustainability, the book also suggests a series of practical ways forward - in tools and methods, forms of political engagement, and styles of knowledge-making and communication. Throughout the book, the practicalities of the pathways approach are illustrated using four case studies: water in dryland India, agricultural seeds in Africa, responses to epidemic disease and energy systems/climate change. More…
New Book – ‘Climate change policy in the European Union’
The European Union (EU) has emerged as a leading governing body in the international struggle to govern climate change. The transformation that has occurred in its policies and institutions has profoundly affected climate change politics at the international level and within its 27 Member States. Yet how has this been achieved when the EU comprises so many levels of governance, when political leadership in Europe is so dispersed and the policy choices are especially difficult? Drawing on a variety of detailed case studies spanning the interlinked challenges of mitigation and adaptation, this volume explores how different actors wrestled with the complex governance dilemmas associated with climate policy making. Opening up the EU’s inner workings to non-specialists, it provides a perspective on the unique way that the EU governs, as well as exploring its ability to maintain a leading position in international climate change politics. More…
IEEP Report – ‘The use of market-based instruments for biodiversity protection: The case of habitat banking’
The impacts of development projects (e.g. for housing, industry and transport) are an important cause of the ongoing loss of biodiversity in the EU. Although a range of policy instruments exist that aim to ensure such developments have acceptable environmental impacts, many developments result in significant residual impacts on biodiversity even after appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures. To achieve the EU target of halting the loss of biodiversity it is therefore increasingly necessary to develop measures that require and deliver compensation (i.e. biodiversity offsets) for such residual impacts. One efficient method to achieve compensation might be to establish a policy framework that supports a system of habitat banking, whereby organisations (private, public or community bodies) enhance, restore or create habitats and trade these with developers who need to offset biodiversity losses. The study examined the potential benefits and risks of establishing habitat banking systems. The economic, legal, ecological and governance aspects of existing habitat banking systems were examined in some detail with respect to their potential application to the EU. The study concluded that there is a case for establishing such systems in the EU, primarily through the promotion of a no-net-loss biodiversity policy. A strong regulatory framework would, however, be needed to ensure that compensation measures are at least equivalent to impacts and only taken after appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures, and that they provide real, measurable, additional and long-term biodiversity benefits. More…
IEEP Report – ‘Reflecting environmental land use needs into EU policy: Preserving and enhancing the environmental benefits of ‘Land Services’’
There is increasing awareness of the important benefits that ecosystems provide and growing concern that these ecosystem services are being degraded as a result of human activities. This was the subject of a recent study by IEEP, in collaboration with Alterra, for DG Environment. The study examined the potential impacts of land use change to 2030 on four land services, namely food production, water (retention and quality), soil carbon and biodiversity. In particular, it focussed on the impacts of four pressures: soil sealing, habitat fragmentation, agricultural intensification/marginalisation and the loss of permanent grassland. The study concluded that the existing EU environmental policy framework has the potential to maintain and restore the four land services (in particular biodiversity), and that few new instruments are required, other than a strong and effective Soil Framework Directive. Yet actions are required to re-orientate some existing measures (in particular the CAP), to increasingly support the provision of land services (this was also a finding of IEEP’s recent Public Goods study), to increase funding from the EU budget and to implement existing instruments more rapidly, effectively and comprehensively. There is also a clear need to consider and plan land use more holistically and strategically, so that existing instruments (e.g. incentives and regulations) can be better integrated and targeted to help optimise the provision of land services. More…
New Book – ‘Consuming Space: Placing consumption in perspective’
Space and place are made and remade, produced and re-produced through the iterative processes, iconographies and materialities of consumption. Yet, how do cultures of consumption discover and rediscover space and how do they construct and reconstruct place at different periods and in different ways? This volume engages with these questions by teasing out the implications of conceptualising consumption as a spatial, increasingly globally-scaled, yet intensely localised activity. One of the key aims of the book is the development of integrative approaches that articulate the relational and iterative processes involved in the production and consumption of space and place. This volume brings together a varied, engaging and novel array of contributions, to explore the spatiality and nature of consumption and its role in structuring contemporary capitalist political economies. More…
Relu Report – ‘Sustainable uplands: Learning to manage future change’
Upland areas of the UK include some of our most iconic landscapes, as well as providing important resources such as food, water, and recreational facilities. Yet people who live in upland communities are having to think about the future. As climate change brings added pressures, could our hills provide more food for a growing population? Or will managing carbon and wildlife be the priority? Policy and Practice Note 17 in the Rural Economy and Land Use Programme’s regular series discusses some of these issues. More…
FSA Report – ‘Food Labelling Survey’
The Food Standards Agency has published a piece of work undertaken by IPSOS MORI which looked at consumer attitudes to, and behaviours resulting from, food labelling. The key findings on general food labelling were as follows: first, there is very low engagement with food labels for habitual purchases – as a minimum requirement people need and want to see clearly the food's description, the brand, the 'use by' or 'best before' date, and the price; second, individual dietary requirements are key in determining the use of and engagement with different elements of food labels; third, consumers avoid reading the back of food packs by using words or symbols on the front as ‘beacons’ to quickly guide shopping; fourth, non-regulated marketing claims and graphics can mislead, overshadow, clutter or disengage consumers with mandatory legislation; fifth, large store brands reassure on safety; sixth, well known brands have a halo effect – signifying quality and safety, and distracting from other information; seventh, the importance of food label information increases when buying for other people, particularly babies and young children; and eighth, 'best before' and 'use by’ are confusing terms – low understanding leads to relaxed attitudes towards date labels once in the home. More…
EEA Factsheets – ‘How can waste policy contribute to a resource-efficient economy?’
Some countries are frontrunners on waste recycling and prevention; others could be inspired by these experiences. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has compiled a set of fact sheets presenting information on national strategies, targets and instruments for prevention and better management of waste. Member States use different approaches to meet the objectives set by EU waste legislation. Some have already experienced success with certain strategies and specific policy instruments. Did they use a regulatory instrument such as banning landfilling of specific waste types or a market-based instrument such as landfill tax? Have they set targets beyond the ones laid down in EU legislation? In addition to the policies implemented and their results, the 20 country fact sheets provide an overview of the legislative frameworks and waste management plans. More specifically, the fact sheets also list national approaches, targets and policy instruments related to the following three objectives: recycling of 70% of construction and demolition waste by 2020; reduction of landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste to 35% of 1995 levels by 2016; and, development of waste prevention programmes by 2013. More…
nef Report – ‘Grounded: A new approach to evaluating Runway 3’
A new analysis, using Social Return on Investment, published by independent think-tank nef (the new economics foundation), concludes that a third runway at Heathrow would leave society worse off by £5 billion. Researchers at nef used the same economic modelling program as the Department for Transport (DfT), but updated the input data on economic growth rates, exchange rates, carbon prices, fuel prices and other variables. They also estimated the costs of a new runway to the local community near Heathrow. This included re-visiting the DfT’s estimates for noise disturbance and air pollution, and for the first time, calculating the cost of additional surface congestion and community blight. The report finds that: a third runway at Heathrow would leave the UK £5 billion worse off (nef's estimate reverses the DfT’s prediction of a £5.5 billion net benefit); and that the £5 billion cost estimate includes negative impacts on the local community valued at £2.5 billion (whilst the DfT’s analysis suggested an equivalent cost of £0.4 billion). In addition, the report presents the formidable environmental hurdle faced by proponents of a third runway because of the climate change impacts of air travel. Aviation policy clashes with objectives for sustainable development, particularly for tackling climate change. The government’s 2050 target for maintaining aviation-related greenhouse gas emissions at 2005 levels, rather than demanding cuts as for other sectors, means that all other uses of fossil fuels – for heating and road transport for example – will have to be reduced much further. As it is the well-off who fly, even on budget airlines, this means the burden of emissions reduction is shifted from the rich to the poor. More…
DCSF Report – ‘Evidence of impact of sustainable schools’
Elisabeth Barratt Hacking, Bill Scott and Elsa Lee from the Centre for Research in Education and the Environment (CREE) at the University of Bath have completed a piece of work for the DCSF in which they examined what the literature had to say about the effectiveness of sustainable schools. Under five themes, they set out 15 top tips based on the impact of sustainable schools and education for sustainable development on school improvement and young people’s well-being as defined by Every Child Matters outcomes, with the expectation that these will be useful in the context of schools striving to enable learners to become successful, confident individuals and responsible, caring citizens. The themes are: improving schools - enhancing young people’s learning and well-being; bringing young people’s learning experiences together; developing young people’s participation; contributing to school, community and family life; and, modelling sustainability practices, thinking and planning. More…
WWF Report – ‘Global water scarcity: Risks and challenges for business’
Business risk around water is rapidly entering the boardroom and risk managers’ realm. A few high profile cases have alerted business leaders to these risks and some companies are responding by seeking to put in place systems for understanding and addressing water-related risks to their operations, supply chains and brands. The increasing public and corporate awareness of climate change over the past decade has focused broad attention on water as a key resource under threat. A 2008 Goldman Sachs ‘Top Five Risks’ conference identified a catastrophic global water shortage as a greater global risk than soaring food prices and exhaustion of energy reserves during the 21st Century. Most businesses will find it difficult to manage all of their water risks alone. Given the complexity of the issues and the political and social importance of water, engagement with civil society, other companies and the public sector is necessary. This report briefly outlines the nature of the global corporate risk around water and highlights ways in which business can better manage this growing risk. The report focuses on water scarcity as the major global issue affecting business, but similar issues often arise where water quality presents risks to companies. More…
Green Alliance Publication – ‘The new commandments of climate change strategy’
Green Alliance director Stephen Hale’s new pamphlet, ‘The new commandments of climate change strategy: how to cut emissions and win elections too’, brings together the key lessons from Stephen’s experiences working on climate change policy and politics over the past four years at Green Alliance, and in his previous roles. The new commandments of climate change strategy opens with an analysis of the lessons from the outcome of the Copenhagen summit, and of the past 20 years of climate change policy in developed countries. It outlines how in Stephen’s view the UK and other governments should move forward at both global and national levels, by shaping their future climate change strategy around 12 ‘commandments’. These cover the international dimension, the crucial task of building public support for action, the design of effective policy frameworks, and finally effective implementation. The task of developing and delivering national strategies that secure emissions reductions and increase public support for action is a significant challenge for the current generation of politicians. This publication argues that until now there has been too little thought given to this critical issue, but the commandments outlined in this pamphlet show how it is possible for governments to succeed in this critical task. More…
New Report - 'Sustainable participation? Mapping out and reflecting on the field of public dialogue on science and technology'.
The field of public participation in issues relating to science, technology and the environment is booming. To date much effort has gone into developing new participatory approaches and their evaluation, while most of what we know comes from individual case studies of engagement. This new report, written by Jason Chilvers for Sciencewise/BIS, builds on one of the first ever studies of public participation experts, their networks, roles and relations, to present a broader analysis of the UK public dialogue field as a whole. It draws on a recent project that involved 21 of the UK’s leading thinkers, practitioners, and policy-makers in this area reflecting on the following critical questions: What is the nature of participatory governance networks and the roles and relations of different actors within them? Who counts as an expert on public participation and how are these meanings changing over time? What are the implications of increasing institutionalisation, commercialisation and professionalisation of public dialogue? To what extent are UK science and policy institutions learning about and learning from public dialogue? Taken together, these insights indicate that the field of public dialogue on science and technology has reached a critical moment and highlight a series of challenges and recommendations for its future sustainability. More…
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Jobs and Training
Jobs and Training opportunities around the Sustainable Development Research network (including a new position on the SDRN Co-ordinating Team) are now updated frequently on the ‘Jobs and Training’ page of the SDRN website…
The SDRN Mailing is a moderated information resource and dissemination service for SDRN members. You can make use of this service by sending any information for inclusion in the mailing to Sarah Bell.
To join or leave this list, please email Sarah Bell or visit the JISCmail website.