News

G7: last chance to board the green pandemic recovery ship before it sails, say Oxford experts

Climate pledges at this week's G7 meeting of the world's major economies in Cornwall represent positive action, according to top environmental researchers at the University of Oxford. But, in response to the summit agenda, the climate experts call for strong leadership from the leading economies and insist the world needs to stop using fossil fuels now - if global warming is to be tackled effectively.

IN THE MEDIA

Enhancing urban life and heritage: Nature-based solutions in the city

'Nature' is currently widely considered a threat to built heritage. But a new paper from Oxford, by renowned heritage expert Professor Heather Viles and colleague Dr Martin Coombes, maintains that both the real and perceived risks can be overcome and nature-based solutions (NbS) adapted to bring the benefits of nature into urban heritage environments.

IN THE MEDIA

Evolutionary winners are ecological losers among oceanic island plants

Evolution of multiple species from a single colonizer is something that has happened repeatedly on oceanic islands. Such radiations, can lead to tens or even hundreds of distinct species, often occupying a range of very different habitats with the expectation that these 'evolutionary winners' will be species so well-tuned to their island environments that they should also be locally successful and abundant. In a new study in Journal of Biogeography, an international team including Prof Rob Whittaker, has shown that it may not be so simple.

Photographs © Robert J. Whittaker, March 2018
NEWS

New independent group to help tackle 'greenwashing'

Dr Ben Caldecott will contribute to a new independent group set up by HM Treasury to help tackle greenwashing in financial services. The expert group will support investors, consumers and businesses to make green financial decisions.

IN THE MEDIA

Dr Edward Oughton runner up in prestigious Lloyd's 2021 Science of Risk awards (Cyber category)

Dr Edward Oughton was awarded Runner Up in Lloyd's 2021 Science of Risk awards (Cyber category). The prize was for Dr Oughton's research quantifying the vulnerability of electricity networks from cyberattacks. The prestigious Lloyd's Science of Risk prizes are awarded to esteemed academics and PhD students who, through their published scientific work, further the understanding of risk and insurance.

Image: Karim Manjra / Unsplash
NEWS

Pastoralist-to-Pastoralist discussion on Covid-19

Pastoralists from Asia and Africa led a unique international discussion on April 19, 2021. This inspiring event brought together pastoralists from Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, Mongolia and Tanzania to talk about their lives, herding and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 'Covid-19 and Pastoralists - International Virtual Forum' was the first effort to foster pastoral debate and engagement across continents, and was organised by Drs Troy Sternberg and Ariell Ahearn.

Image: Health workers explaining about Covid-19 from yurt to yurt
NEWS

Nature-based solutions highly effective in long term - Oxford research

Nature-based solutions (NbS) can contribute to the fight against climate change up to the end of our century, according to new Oxford research in the leading scientific journal Nature. The analysis suggests that, to limit global temperature rise, we must slash emissions and increase NbS investment to protect, manage and restore ecosystems and land for the future.

IN THE MEDIA