read more + SoGE research in North-west Zambia: DRYCAB Project Climate change is expected to impose a considerable burden on the southern African region as it is one of two land-based areas of the planet where large-scale drying is projected to occur in future decades. A lot of the early summer drying is expected to result from the late onset of the rains after the six month long dry season. However much of what we know depends entirely on models rather than observations. In an effort to sharpen our understanding, a team from Oxford joined up with the Zambian Met Department from August to November 2022 to compile a comprehensive dataset on the onset of the rainy season as part of the NERC funded DRYCAB project.
17/11/2217 November 2022 -
read more + Can the world feed 8bn people sustainably? Dr Tara Garnett, of Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute, explores the dietary changes needed to feed 8 billion people sustainably. She argues that widespread dietary change cannot be achieved by focusing on individuals. 'Stop blaming the individual is one point I would make. There is a much greater role for government leadership and the food industry to play.'
15/11/2215 November 2022 -
read more + Expert comments: COP27 Gender Day The power of women as key drivers of climate solutions yesterday took centre stage at the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh. SoGE researchers Alex McGivern and Sugandha Srivastav, and MSc Nature, Society and Environmental Governance alumna Sana Sherif share their insights.
14/11/2214 November 2022 -
read more + Dr Alice Watson and BBC release 13 new episodes of 'Tales from Call the Midwife' To mark the anniversary of the first BBC radio broadcast, the remaining 13 episodes of the 'Tales from Call the Midwife' podcast have been released today. Presented by Dr Alice Watson, a researcher in the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford, this exciting new audio series records fans of Call the Midwife who have experienced or been touched by the show's storytelling. The latest episodes explore a range of new themes from diabetes and stillbirth to racism and disability, and capture the drama's ability to shine a light on marginalised communities.
11/11/2211 November 2022 -
read more + COP27: Net Zero guidelines aim to drive higher standards and counter 'greenwashing' accusations To counter accusations of greenwashing and vague sustainability targets, a clear set of guidelines, has today been published at COP27, establishing standards for the pathway to net zero, by the International Standards Organisation. Coming in response to the United Nations' call for comprehensive standards for policymakers, business and individuals, the new guidelines were drafted by an international team including Oxford's Kaya Axelsson, a researcher from Oxford Net Zero and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.
read more + Is the future of transport electric? Focusing solely on electric vehicles and technology is actually slowing down the path to zero emissions. Christian Brand, Associate Professor in Transport, Energy and Environment and chapter contributor to Greta Thunberg's new 'The Climate Book' explains how we meet Paris-compliant decarbonisation targets for the transport sector.
read more + 100 Most Influential People in Climate 2022 Apolitical has featured Kate Raworth and Myles Allen from the Environmental Change Institute, and Sam Fankhauser and Ben Caldecott from the Oxford Smith School on their annual list of climate luminaries.
read more + It's perfectly possible to remove CO2 from the atmosphere - Professor Myles Allen, the physicist behind net zero Professor Myles Allen is such a powerful advocate for the environment that he was dubbed 'the physicist behind Net Zero' by the BBC and is regularly asked for comment on all things related to climate and weather. But Oxford's Professor for Geosystem Science is a scientist, not an activist - despite more than two decades of work on climate change. And, he says, he was nearly not a scientist at all.
read more + Opportunities and Obstacles for EV Car Sharing Sharing electric has the potential to decarbonise our road transport systems more quickly and inclusively but a new briefing note by Dr Hannah Budnitz highlights whilst the demand for EV car sharing is on the rise a lack of funding for accessible and reliable charging infrastructure for shared EVs is preventing the demand from being met. Find out more.
18/10/2218 October 2022 -
read more + Lucas Lyko Named RGS Social and Cultural Geography Research Group Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Runner-Up The Royal Geographical Society's Social and Cultural Geography Research Group has named Lucas Lyko as the runner-up of the 2022 undergraduate dissertation prize for his dissertation: '"I don't have the luxury of being able to do nothing": Exploring Temporalities and Navigations of Everyday Mobility Through the Experiences of People with Multiple Sclerosis.'
18/10/2218 October 2022 -
read more + Why the 'energy price cap' is confusing - and how it could be better communicated If you thought energy bills in Britain were capped at £2,500, you are not alone. Even Prime Minister Liz Truss recently made the same mistake, incorrectly claiming that no household would pay more. What Britain has actually done, in common with many other countries facing an energy crisis this winter, is cap the price of units of energy - the amount you pay per watt of electricity or gas. Dr Sam Hampton explores the issue in a recent article in The Conversation.
18/10/2218 October 2022 -
read more + Oxford researcher launches 'Tales from Call the Midwife' podcast with the BBC Dr Alice Watson, a researcher in the School of Geography at the University of Oxford, has today launched a new podcast with the BBC called 'Tales from Call the Midwife'. This exciting new podcast is part of a project, funded by the Arts and Research Council, which has engaged the public in research about the BBC for its centenary.
read more + Flood warnings that don't break the banks Affordable and accurate, flood warnings have advanced to be a great tool to prevent disaster. But that's proving to be only half the battle. Linda Speight is a hydrometeorologist at the School of Geography and the Environment, whose research seeks to develop early warning systems to improve disaster risk management, particularly for flooding.
07/10/227 October 2022 -
read more + TSU hosts UDESMO project workshop On Wednesday 31 August and Thursday 1 September the TSU hosted a workshop, co-organised with colleagues at Cranfield University, as part of the Urban Development, Energy infrastructure and Sustainable MObility (UDESMO) project.
read more + Professor Giles Wiggs is the new Head of the School of Geography and the Environment On 1 October 2022, Professor Giles Wiggs became the new Head of the School of Geography and the Environment. Giles succeeds Professor Gillian Rose who was Head of School from 2019 to 2022. Giles is a Fellow, Tutor and former Dean at Brasenose College, Oxford, and has previously held positions as Reader and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield, UK.
06/10/226 October 2022 -
read more + Austerity led to twice as many excess UK deaths as previously thought - here's what that means for future cuts Cuts to public services and living standards across Britain from 2010 contributed to 335,000 excess deaths - twice as many as previously thought, according to new research. These austerity measures were introduced by the coalition government elected into office that year, partly in response to the banking crash of 2008. Prof Danny Dorling explores the consequences for future cuts in an article for The Conversation.
06/10/226 October 2022 -
read more + 20th anniversary of the Dana Declaration on Mobile Peoples and Conservation The 20th anniversary of the Dana Declaration on Mobile Peoples and Conservation was marked in Wadi Dana, Jordan, from 7-10th September 2022 with the event titled Dana+20: Mobile Indigenous Peoples, Conservation, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Two Decades after the Dana Declaration. Working with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN, Jordan), representatives of the World Alliance of Mobile Indigenous Peoples (WAMIP), concerned practitioners and academics, and representatives of Mobile Peoples from around the world - including Mongolia, Malaysia, India, Iran, Jordan, Sweden, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, and Peru - came together to discuss shared concerns.
05/10/225 October 2022 -
read more + Shining a light on energy's zero carbon future In a new film and long read article, the Oxford Martin School explores how its Programme on Integrating Renewable Energy has been working towards a future for the energy system that is not just about reaching net zero, but that is about delivering a high quality of life for everyone: a future with clean and efficient transport, affordable domestic energy, and life-enhancing benefits. The programme's interdisciplinary team includes several researchers from SoGE.
05/10/225 October 2022 -
read more + New SoGE MSc Scholarship for UK Applicants of Black Heritage The School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) is excited to offer one fully funded MSc Scholarship for UK Applicants of Black Heritage. Eligible applicants will be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, and of Black or Mixed-Black ethnicity taking up postgraduate study on one of our five MSc Programmes.
read more + New Report: Digital Reset. Redirecting Technologies for the Deep Sustainability Transformation A new report "Digital Reset" published today shows how digital technologies can support the quest for such a deep sustainability transformation. The report provides a blueprint for the European Union on how to reconceptualize digitalisation so that it first and foremost contributes to achieving carbon neutrality, resource autonomy and economic resilience while supporting equity and fully respecting citizen's rights and privacy.
29/09/2229 September 2022 -
read more + Dr Monika Zurek interviewed by Australian Radio Station ABC Dr Monika Zurek, Senior Researcher at the ECI, was interviewed for a podcast on 'Food security in a precarious world' for the Australian Radio Station ABC in September. As food security issues increase across the world, expenditure on agri-food research and development is going the other way - in fact, funding in some western countries is now back at 1980s levels.
28/09/2228 September 2022 -
read more + The UK's water industry is broken - here's how to fix it As periods of drought become more common, the consequences of an ill functioning water sector will be severe. Kevin Grecksch discusses how distrust has become a key feature of the UK's water industry, impeding its ability to function effectively and the reforms that are needed to fix it.
26/09/2226 September 2022 -
read more + New scholarship for UK-resident applicants from Black and other minority ethnic backgrounds to pursue postgraduate research in Geography at Oxford University The Bradley Wilson Scholarship in Geography and the Environment will cover three years of University tuition fees, along with a maintenance allowance (at standard UKRI rates) and research allowance, and will be available starting in the 2023/24 academic year. The scholarship is open to UK-resident applicants from Black and other minority ethnic backgrounds. Applications are welcome from candidates with a background in Geography or a related social science, physical or environmental discipline in any area of SoGE's research activity.
read more + The Global Challenges in Transport: Transjakarta - University of Oxford Programme Kick-off Today, 12th September 2022, PT Transjakarta Indonesia and the Transport Studies Unit (TSU) of the University of Oxford launched a partnership on human resource capacity development. The Transjakarta-TSU partnership aims to leverage the world-class expertise of the University of Oxford in transportation and infrastructure to address Jakarta's urban transportation challenges and is enabled by support from Equatorise Advisory.
09/09/229 September 2022 -
read more + SoGE academics' accomplishments recognised with Professorial titles Three academic members at the School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) have been awarded the title of Professor, by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their fields of research, teaching and academic service.
09/09/229 September 2022 -
read more + Louise Slater honoured with 2022 AGU Hydrologic Sciences Early Career Award Each year, the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) Honors and Recognition programme recognises individuals for meritorious work or service toward the advancement and promotion of discovery and solution science. These individuals, in various career stages, represent some of the most innovative minds in their disciplines. The 2022 awards, announced this week, honour Louise Slater for her outstanding contribution to hydrology.
06/09/226 September 2022 -
read more + Could Liz Truss allow new drilling for oil and gas and still strengthen the UK's net zero target? "The UK's new prime minister, Liz Truss, has pledged to suspend green levies on energy bills and look for 'better ways to deliver our net zero targets'. Despite a record-breaking heatwave plus wildfires, droughts and floods worldwide, neither contender for the Conservative Party leadership felt the urge, as David Cameron once did, to hug a husky during the summer leadership campaign." Prof Myles Allen writes in The Conversation.
05/09/225 September 2022 -
read more + Pakistan floods: what role did climate change play? In a recent article for The Conversation, Ben Clarke, a DPhil candidate in the School, explores whether climate change played a role in causing the most devastating and widespread floods in Pakistan's history.
24/08/2224 August 2022 -
read more + How to develop a code of conduct for ethical research fieldwork A code of conduct for ethical research fieldwork developed by two SoGE researchers has been published by the University of Oxford and taken up by departments across the institution and beyond. Stemming from the BLM movement and student led antiracist activism within our department, Catherine Fallon Grasham and Laura Picot share how they went about creating this first of its kind exemplary guidance and the lessons they learned along the way.
read more + More investment in community-scale food supply chains could increase food system resilience A new policy brief from a major research programme whose coordination team is based in the ECI has highlighted the role of small, local food enterprises in feeding communities in Covid-19, and recommends greater investment to allow these types of food providers to contribute to a more resilience UK food system.
read more + ELEVATE meeting On 28 - 29 June 2022, the Innovative Light Electric Vehicles for Active and Digital Travel (ELEVATE) team had their first in-person meeting at the SoGE. The gathering featured seven team members from the universities of Leeds, Oxford, and Brighton.
18/07/2218 July 2022 -
read more + SoGE winners at the Vice Chancellor's Environmental Sustainability Awards 2022 Congratulations to our Facilities Manager, Alex Black, for winning a Special Environmental Sustainability Staff Award, and to our graduate students Josh Ettinger, Alexis McGivern and Marcus Spiegel for coming runner-up in the Environmental Sustainability Students Awards.
read more + The value of water In a recent interview with T La Revue the French business newspaper La Tribune's magazine, Kevin Grecksch, Departmental Lecturer and Course Director for the MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management, stressed the notion that people in developed countries have lost touch with water.
read more + SoGE holds inaugural Engagement and Impact Award Ceremony SoGE's Inaugural Engagement and Impact Award Ceremony was held on 30th June 2022 in the new East Wing of the Dyson Perrins Building. Head of School, Professor Gillian Rose announced the winners and highly commended entries in two categories: Main Award and Early Career Researcher.
01/07/221 July 2022 -
read more + How to mobilise $100 trillion wisely: Oxford course on sustainable finance Well over $100 trillion dollars needs to be invested internationally to tackle climate change and this requires the global financial system to be aligned with environmental sustainability. Dr Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group, and the Lombard Odier Associate Professor of Sustainable Finance, writes about the establishment of the P3S Academy.
read more + ECI researchers win IMF's Climate Innovation Challenge A team of ECI researchers, alongside IMF colleagues, have won the Climate Innovation Challenge of the International Monetary Funds, an initiative to advance ideas to better integrate climate change into economic analysis.
16/06/2216 June 2022 -
read more + Dr Neil Hart awarded UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Dr Neil Hart is one of five Oxford University academics who have been awarded a Future Leaders Fellowship. Neil will lead a team of researchers in SoGE, in collaboration with project partners across southern Africa and the UK, to develop the predictions of rainfall season characteristics needed to manage the growing climate risk caused by delayed first rains. Neil's research programme, First Rains, will make use of cutting-edge climate prediction modelling tools pioneered in the UK paired with novel application of machine-learning approaches.
12/06/2212 June 2022 -
read more + With China's borders closed, Bristol2Beijing expedition enters final stage Despite being unable to enter China, Luke Grenfell-Shaw (2018-2019 MSc WSPM) has been completing the remaining mileage in London and aims to pass through Oxford on the 18 June on his the way to finishing in Bristol. Luke's expedition aims to raise £300,000 for cancer-related charities.
read more + IBS Distinguished Fellow Award for Professor Robert Whittaker Congratulations to Robert Whittaker, Professor of Biogeography, Fellow and Tutor of St Edmund Hall, who has been made a Distinguished Fellow of the International Biogeography Society in recognition of his contribution to the subject, especially in the fields of island biogeography and the application of biogeography to conservation.
read more + New cross-sector sustainable energy transition hub opens with energy crisis forum On Thursday 26 May Oxford University's brand new £3.25m Zero-carbon Energy Research Oxford (ZERO) Institute and Energy Systems Accelerator pilot (Mini-TESA) opened their doors to showcase the range and depth of ambition in Oxford to drive forward the energy systems transition for the UK and globally.
23/05/2223 May 2022 -
read more + Big data reveal how people feel about rivers: Oxford geographers launch River Sentiment Dashboard A team of Oxford geographers and the rivers charity Thames21 have built an innovative data-driven tool for exploring how rivers make people feel. The River Sentiment Dashboard gives insight into the changing public sentiment surrounding English rivers at a time when poor river water quality and sewage pollution are making headlines. The online dashboard will be launched during a public webinar on 25 May 2022.
23/05/2223 May 2022 -
read more + Museums Heritage Award win for Meat the Future Meat the Future: A partnership to feed minds and bodies' exhibition at Oxford's Museum of Natural History has won Partnership of the Year at the 2022 Museums and Heritage Awards. The exhibition draws on research by the LEAP Project which studies the health, environmental, social and economic impacts of meat and dairy production and consumption.
read more + Recent study explores the 15 minute neighbourhood A recently published study shows that a local shop proves to be the most important neighbourhood amenity to residents in Oxfordshire. Working with the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel (CoHSAT), Dr Brenda Boardman (Emeritus Research Fellow) has surveyed 450 residents in Oxfordshire to understand what neighbourhood amenities are most important to them.
12/05/2212 May 2022 -
read more + School of Geography and the Environment celebrates REF2021 result UK funding bodies have published the results of the most recent national research assessment exercise, the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. The School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) at the University of Oxford is delighted with our evaluation in REF 2021.
read more + Alice Watson awarded research grant in celebration of the BBC's centenary Alice Watson, a postgraduate in the School of Geography, is one of the few people to have been awarded a grant to conduct public engagement research in celebration of the BBC's centenary this year. To mark 100 years of broadcasting, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has launched an exciting programme of public engagement activities. This includes supporting seven new research projects across UK universities that will directly involve public participants to examine, explore, and articulate their connection with the BBC.
25/04/2225 April 2022 -
read more + New research takes a fork-to-farm approach to assess the potential of bean-based meals A newly launched research project led by Dr John Ingram of the Food Systems Transformation Group at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, is subverting the 'farm-to-fork' paradigm to assess how UK grown beans can help tackle the issue of HFSS (high in fat, sugar and salt) food.
read more + What the invasion of Ukraine means for the IPCC's latest climate change report The UN's new IPCC report on the mitigation of climate change says that immediate and deep emissions reductions are needed to limit global warming, along with removing carbon dioxide back out of the air in future. Meanwhile, the world's governments are urging fossil fuel companies to drill for more oil and gas as fast as possible to make up for sanctions on Russia. What on earth is going on? Prof Myles Allen and Dr Hugh Helferty write for The Conversation.
read more + Award for ECI alumni's working paper on climate regulation Recent ECI alumni Jiaxian Zhao and Linus Mattauch won the third prize at the biannual German economics prize, awarded by the Joachim Herz foundation. This years' theme of the award was environmental economics and is given for best academic papers for junior scholars.
read more + "Ghana: Roadmap for Resilient Infrastructure in a Changing Climate" Report Launch In an effort to mitigate the impact of climate change on Ghana's infrastructure systems, the Government of Ghana and the Global Center on Adaptation, with support from UNOPS, UNEP and the University of Oxford, in July 2020 decided to undertake a national assessment to assess the impacts of climate change on Ghana's National Infrastructure and identify adaptation measures to mitigate these impacts.
25/03/2225 March 2022 -
read more + Off-grid energy in East Africa needs urgent policy intervention The off-grid energy sector in East Africa is vital to the region's sustainable development and needs urgent government support to help it recover from the pandemic, according to a new policy brief from researchers at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford. The brief also details how interventions within the sector could help accelerate progress in tackling societal problems such as poverty, inequality and unemployment. Without action, 30 million people in Sub Saharan Africa risk losing access to electricity.
23/03/2223 March 2022 -
read more + Net zero pathway allows U.K. to stop Russian oil and gas imports by 2024 - analysis An analysis from a team at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment finds that the U.K. could effectively eliminate the need for Russian gas imports in 2023 and oil imports by 2024 if it takes the net zero measures recommended by the Climate Change Committee's 6th carbon budget.
23/03/2223 March 2022 -
read more + Oxford launches new multi-disciplinary ZERO Institute The University of Oxford today announces the launch of the multi-disciplinary ZERO Institute (Zero-carbon Energy Research Oxford) to tackle the challenges of an equitable, secure global zero-carbon energy transition.
22/03/2222 March 2022 -
read more + Canada to Sell Green Bond as Push to Exit Oil Rises Amid War Fossil fuels are excluded from the bond's use of proceeds. Canada is marketing C$5 billion of bonds due in December 2029. Article in Bloomberg Green includes expert comment by Dr Ben Caldecott, director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group.
read more + Individual climate action - the free and instant way to help Ukraine In the face of a constant stream of bad news - the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis, spiralling fuel poverty and looming global food shortages - positive action is the best way to cope. Alison Smith shows how there is a set of actions that we can all take to address all these emergencies simultaneously, with immediate results, and at no financial cost.
16/03/2216 March 2022 -
read more + Scholarships that are helping to change the world Oxford Giving meets Priscilla Santos, a graduate of SoGE's MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy. She talks about her Oxford experience, her current work with WWF in Italy and her motivation to support her home country of Brazil on climate and environmental issues.
16/03/2216 March 2022 -
read more + How can SMEs help to enhance food system resilience? Collaboration with larger institutions could untap the potential for small and medium sized enterprises to contribute to greater UK food security, according to the latest policy and practice brief from the GFS FSR Programme.
read more + New book examines digital experiences of urban change Professor in Human Geography and SoGE's Head of School, Gillian Rose, has co-authored a new book, The New Urban Aesthetic, alongside Mónica Montserrat Degen, Reader in Cultural Sociology at Brunel University.
08/03/228 March 2022 -
read more + SoGE community supports International Women's Day The School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) community has today (8 March) come together to mark International Women's Day. Individuals from across the department have demonstrated their support for this year's #BreakTheBias campaign by striking the break the bias pose and commenting on why it is vital we tackle gender bias.
read more + The EU taxonomy needs rescuing In 2019, Oxford Sustainable Finance Group Director Ben Caldecott named 10 reasons why the EU's then current proposals for a green taxonomy were a bad idea. Speaking to IPE in 2022, he stated: "At best, a green taxonomy is one helpful tool among many for some use cases... By far the most important use case actually has very little to do with finance and investing, but rather fiscal policy. If governments want to support 'green' things, they need to define what is green."
01/03/221 March 2022 -
read more + With a little help from... our alumni SoGE alumni are stepping up to support our current students. In Hilary term, a series of Careers Events brought our current students together with the School's alumni for advice, inspiration and plenty of networking - online and in person.
read more + UNEP: Number of Wildfires to Rise by 50 per cent by 2100 Climate change and land-use change are projected to make wildfires more frequent and intense, with a global increase of extreme fires of up to 14 per cent by 2030, 30 per cent by the end of 2050 and 50 per cent by the end of the century. This is according to a new report, released ahead of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal, for which the ECI's Dr Imma Oliveras is a contributing author.
22/02/2222 February 2022 -
read more + Towards a more resilient London food system Embedding food resilience in agendas such as climate, planning and health as well as addressing the overlap between income and food access could help London's complex and fragile food system better meet the needs of its growing population. In a new report, food system researchers at the ECI have brought together diverse perspectives to create a set of high-level and specific recommendations to increase the resilience of a complex, dynamic, diverse and potentially fragile food system, in which 99% of the food consumed is imported from outside the capital.
16/02/2216 February 2022 -
read more + As The World Heats Up, Could 'Carbon Clubs' Supercharge Climate Action? Forbes' David Vetter explores a new working paper by Bethan Adams, Kaya Axelsson and Adam Parr on the concept of an international "Carbon Club." A Carbon Club is a group of countries who individually introduce a Border Carbon Adjustment (BCA) on carbon-intensive imported goods, working independently but in parallel. Adam Parr told Vetter that "Pricing signals are a fundamental principle of how markets operate, and taxing bad stuff is a fundamental tax principle of how governments operate."
16/02/2216 February 2022 -
read more + Graduate students flock to Smith School MSc The 2022 iteration of the MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment was the University of Oxford's most applied to graduate programme in November 2021, and the 4th most applied to in January 2022, according to latest admissions figures.The programme, which is still in its inaugural year after launching in September 2021, has received over 600 applications for its 2022-23 cohort to date. The course admits just 25 students.
11/02/2211 February 2022 -
read more + Fossil fuel industry can't rely on carbon capture and bioenergy to save its assets Fossil fuel power sources producing the equivalent of ten times the global electricity production in 2018 will become unusable if global heating is to be kept below degrees, even if carbon-abatement technologies such as carbon capture and storage, bioenergy, and coal-to-gas conversions are deployed at scale, new research published in Nature Communications has revealed.
read more + Invest strategically in wind and solar farms in Africa - Oxford study A sustainable future for Africa can be achieved through strategic investment in wind and solar farms, reveals an Africa wide study from the Environmental Change Institute. Lead author Dr Jay Doorga was the winner of ECI's Environmental Change and Management Dissertation Award in 2020.
19/01/2219 January 2022 -
read more + Employees who fear technology-induced unemployment more likely to retrain Workers who feel their job is at greater risk due to technological advancements are more willing to seek retraining opportunities, according to researchers from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford and University of Zurich. Their study, Human capital investment and perceived automation risks: Evidence from 16 countries, utilised an extensive survey of 18,000 workers. It found that 30% of respondents feared losing their job to technology. Women, young workers, and those on lower incomes are more likely to be worried about the impact of technology on their career.
19/01/2219 January 2022 -
read more + Taxing meat can protect the environment Taxing meat could be an important lever for aligning Western diets with environmental goals and can be designed such that low-income households and farmers are compensated. A forthcoming paper in the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, co-authored by Dr Linus Mattauch, explores an environmental tax on meat in countries like the UK, US, and Australia to increase its price by 20-60%, depending on the meat type. This would reduce consumption of the most damaging foods and could provide revenue for sustainable farming practices and to support low-income families. The authors stress that taxing meat directly is a simple tool if more targeted and efficient policy options, such as extending carbon pricing to the livestock sector, are not available.
18/01/2218 January 2022 -
read more + Taxing meat can protect the environment Taxing meat could be an important lever for aligning Western diets with environmental goals and can be designed such that low-income households and farmers are compensated. A forthcoming paper in the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, co-authored by SSEE Director Cameron Hepburn, explores an environmental tax on meat in countries like the UK, US, and Australia to increase its price by 20-60%, depending on the meat type. This would reduce consumption of the most damaging foods and could provide revenue for sustainable farming practices and to support low-income families. The authors stress that taxing meat directly is a simple tool if more targeted and efficient policy options, such as extending carbon pricing to the livestock sector, are not available.
read more + Professor Charlie Wilson joins ECI as leader of the Energy Programme Charlie joins the institute after 11 years at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia, where he researched the intersections between innovation, behaviour and policy in the fields of energy and climate change mitigation.
10/01/2210 January 2022 -
read more + Leverhulme Trust awards £10 million to new Oxford nature recovery centre A new £10 million Oxford-based Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery has today [10 Jan] been announced - one of three UK centres established with a hotly-contested Leverhulme Trust 2021 award. On top of the 10-year Leverhulme funding, the centre, led by Professor Yadvinder Malhi, will receive £5 million in co-funding from the University of Oxford, which will support fundamental cross-disciplinary research.
read more + How much CO2 can be saved by active mobility in cities? To understand how much CO2 can be saved by active mobility in cities, Academy WebTV travelled to Oxford and London to meet with Dr Christian Brand - Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor at the ECI and TSU - and Dr Audrey de Nazelle - Senior Lecturer and Co-Deputy Director of the Centre of Environmental Policy at the Imperial College London.
05/01/225 January 2022 -
read more + Professor Myles Allen awarded CBE Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem Science at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, has been awarded a CBE in the Queen's annual New Year Honours list for services to climate change attribution, prediction and net zero.
read more + SoGE and Christ Church Scholarship The School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) and Christ Church are offering one full doctoral scholarship to applicants wishing to pursue a DPhil (PhD) in Geography and the Environment.
15/12/2115 December 2021 -
read more + SoGE joins Fairwork pledge The School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) has become a supporter of the Fairwork pledge, to help transform the global gig economy for the better.
14/12/2114 December 2021 -
read more + Tropical mountain ecosystem restoration: five directions for future research Many tropical mountain ecosystems (TMEs) are severely disturbed and require ecological restoration. However, the extent of restoration efforts across these ecosystems, and their relative successes, is not known due to a lack of syntheses on ecological restoration research. In a new paper published in Nature, Tina Christmann and Dr Imma Oliveras undertake a thorough review of existing TME restoration efforts and make five recommendations for future research.
10/12/2110 December 2021 -
read more + Katrina Charles becomes Professor of Environmental Health Risks We are delighted to announce that Katrina Charles, member of the School of Geography and the Environment, and Sloane Robinson Official Fellow in Environmental Change at Reuben College, has had the title of Professor of Environmental Health Risks conferred on her by the University, in recognition of her academic distinction.
10/12/2110 December 2021 -
read more + Yadvinder Malhi receives CBE at Windsor Castle ceremony At Windsor Castle on 8 December 2021, Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystems Science at the University of Oxford, received a CBE from the Prince of Wales for services to ecosystems science. Professor Malhi was one of three recipients highlighted by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall on their Clarence House twitter account on the day of the ceremony.
07/12/217 December 2021 -
read more + Major report points way to a more resilient UK food system Government, the food industry, financial investors, charities and researchers all have a key role to play in securing the food system into the future, according to the results of a five-year research programme. The 'Resilience of the UK Food System in a Global Context' research programme's report published today outlines multiple approaches to enhancing resilience and provides tailored messages for a range of key players and responsible stakeholders.
read more + New 'Training Diplomats' project website launched Fiona McConnell, working with Ruth Craggs and Jonathan Harris of KCL Geography, has launched a new website for their collaborative project "Training Diplomats of Postcolonial African States 1957-1997", funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
03/12/213 December 2021 -
read more + New 'Training Diplomats' project website launched Fiona McConnell, working with Ruth Craggs and Jonathan Harris of KCL Geography, has launched a new website for their collaborative project "Training Diplomats of Postcolonial African States 1957-1997", funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
02/12/212 December 2021 -
read more + When will life return to normal after the pandemic? No one can ever know for sure when life will return to normal after a particular event, not least because what's normal keeps on changing, even in normal times. Nevertheless, it's a question we can't help pondering - particularly when new COVID developments, such as the emergence of the omicron variant, keep on shifting the pandemic's goalposts - Prof Danny Dorling writes in The Conversation.
01/12/211 December 2021 -
read more + New study by the University of Oxford and Lombard Odier examines the predictors of success in a greening world A new report launched today by Lombard Odier and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford, has found that Germany, the USA and China are the countries set to benefit most from the ongoing transition to a green economy. The report, Predictors of Success in a Greening World, offers a global, 25-year-long perspective on countries' standing in global trade in high-growth green industries.
30/11/2130 November 2021 -
read more + Satellites reveal Ethiopian elephants under threat Tens of thousands of illegal human settlements pose a real threat to the continued existence of an endangered elephant population, according to satellite analysis of the Babile Elephant Sanctuary in eastern Ethiopia by University of Oxford researchers and the Born Free Foundation.
24/11/2124 November 2021 -
read more + If we all choose the fastest mode of travel in a city, the whole city gets slower - and more congested People in cities often choose how to travel based on how long it will take. We wanted to see what would happen if everyone acted selfishly. How would that compare, we wondered, with a theoretical case in which people chose their mode to minimise travel times for society as a whole and not only for themselves. Dr Juan Pablo Orjuela explores what happens in an article for The Conversation.
22/11/2122 November 2021 -
read more + IKEA Foundation pledges £4.5m to back Oxford sustainable finance action The IKEA Foundation is supporting, with a grant of £4.5 million over three years, four key University of Oxford Sustainable Finance Group projects, aimed at making a significant contribution to aligning finance and the financial system with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
22/11/2122 November 2021 -
read more + The Heather Viles on ruins, rocks, rubble and winning a certain gold medal There is no red carpet, no statuette and no large cash prize for Geography. There is, however, a Gold Founders Medal. Just one is awarded each year and last year, Professor Heather Viles, former head of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment, won it. It is a seriously big deal.
19/11/2119 November 2021 -
read more + Climate change: how elephants help pump planet-warming carbon underground ECI's Jeppe Kristensen explains how large animals can play a crucial role in carbon storage in The Conversation. "You'd be forgiven for thinking that their voracious appetites and blundering steps might be disturbing and releasing the carbon stored in this ecosystem in much the same way wildfires do. But, incredibly, the way herbivores disturb the landscape actually helps it lock up more carbon in durable stores that are difficult to reach. In a new review which compiled evidence from lots of different studies, we uncovered how large herbivores could help slow climate change this way."
18/11/2118 November 2021 -
read more + Tropical tree growth sensitivity to climate is driven by species intrinsic growth rate and leaf traits A better understanding of how climate affects growth in tree species is essential for improved predictions of forest dynamics under climate change. A new study, led by David Bauman at ECI, utilises an exceptional dataset of 49 years of growth data for 509 tree species across 23 tropical rainforest plots along a climatic gradient to examine how multiannual tree growth responds to both climate means and anomalies, and how species' functional traits mediate these responses. The study demonstrates that both climate means and anomalies shape tree growth in tropical forests, and that species traits can provide insights into understanding these demographic responses to climate change. ECI's Jeppe Kristensen explains how large animals will be crucial in
17/11/2117 November 2021 -
read more + US$150 billion per year: Tallying the cost of delayed climate action US$150 billion per year. That's the expected additional loss that the financial sector could face when climate action by companies is delayed, according to the launch report of a joint initiative by the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group at the University of Oxford and the non-profit think tank 2° Investing Initiative.
read more + Decarbonising global transport - Prof Tim Schwanen interviewed on ABC Australian national radio Last year, the British government announced the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans would be banned by 2030. To achieve this, the UK needs to rapidly stimulate uptake of electric vehicles to meet the end-of-decade goal. Prof Tim Schwanen spoke to ABC NewsRadio's Thomas Oriti on ABC NewsRadio's national breakfast radio programme.
10/11/2110 November 2021 -
read more + Transport, gender and care roles: Lessons from Medellín in lockdown The confluence of the health emergency from the COVID-19 pandemic and the new agreements coming out from Glasgow at COP26 place us at a decisive moment on how we want our cities to look like in the future. At no other time in history has it been clearer that transport infrastructures play an essential role in enabling us to care for our families, friends, and ourselves. As we start looking for strategies to reconnect our communities in the wake of COVID-19, and consider how to address the inevitable climate crisis, it is time we put care at the centre of transport's role in our societies.
10/11/2110 November 2021 -
read more + COP26: Seven reasons global transport is so hard to decarbonise Transport accounts for 21% of global carbon emissions. It is now the largest emitting sector in many developed countries. On 'transport day' at the COP26 climate summit, Dr Christian Brand provides seven reasons why global transport is particularly hard to decarbonise. Part of The Conversation's coverage on COP26.
10/11/2110 November 2021 -
read more + Stay or sell? The $110tn investment industry gets tougher on climate Some asset managers are tiring of quiet conversations with companies about emissions and are now threatening to divest. Article in the Financial Times features comment from Dr Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group.
10/11/2110 November 2021 -
read more + COP26: how unlocking nature's power can help the UK step up its fight against climate change World leaders have been gathering at COP26, the UN climate summit in Glasgow, against a backdrop of flooded homes, closed roads and cancelled trains across the UK caused by extreme weather. These conditions are a stark reminder that as well as dramatically reducing our carbon emissions, we must also begin adapting to a climate that is already irreversibly changing.
read more + COP26: here's what it would take to end coal power worldwide Why is coal such a stubborn relic of energy systems around the world - even where cleaner alternatives like solar power are cheaper? Alex Clark, DPhil candidate at the School, explores what can be done about it in an article in The Conversation. Part of The Conversation's coverage on COP26.
read more + We mapped every large solar plant on the planet using satellites and machine learning Lucas Kruitwagen explains the findings of his recent research with Descartes Labs and the World Resources Institute in The Conversation. He highlights the need to 'carefully consider the impact that a ten-fold expansion of solar PV generating capacity will have in the coming decades on food systems, biodiversity, and lands used by vulnerable populations.'
read more + MSc student uncovers revolutionary approach to solar microgrids Sohara Mehroze Shachi is a 2021 Masters of Science (MSc) student at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford and Head of Solutions Mapping at UNDP's Accelerator Lab. She is also a freelance journalist, and in early 2021 Sohara was given the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh for a short documentary on ME SOLshare Ltd, a peer to peer solar energy company that is revolutionising energy systems in parts of rural India.
02/11/212 November 2021 -
read more + Carney Vows 'Hard Numbers' as Big Finance Faces CO2 Reckoning Mark Carney, the former central banker turned climate finance envoy, says the banking industry is about to deliver 'hard numbers' to show it can wipe out its carbon footprint. Article in Bloomberg Green features comment from Dr Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group.
read more + First global inventory of solar energy installations created using remote sensing and AI The number of solar energy installations across the world soared by more than 81% from 2016 to 2018, according to ground-breaking research from an international Oxford University-led team. Solar energy is key to meeting net zero targets, with International Energy Agency (IEA) projections showing a ten-fold increase by 2040 necessary if the goals of the Paris Agreement are to be met. The research, published in Nature, was conducted in collaboration with Descartes Labs and World Resources Institute (WRI).
read more + What do we really know about climate, migration and cities? Researcher of the Oxford Martin Programme on Informal Cities, Jin-ho Chung, tells us the research trends of climate mobilities that show the growing significance of the urban lens through which climate migration is understood. It demonstrates why it is important to consider the dynamics of the urban systems that would be affected by both climate-related migration, and the direct impacts of climate change.
20/10/2120 October 2021 -
read more + Why World Car Free Day matters To celebrate this year's World Car Free Day held on the 22nd of September, TSU researcher Christian Brand provided some facts and figures on how reducing or changing our car use can positively impact the environment.
read more + Net-zero transition planning should be mandatory across the economy Economic net-zero is set to start in the UK. In its Greening Finance roadmap published yesterday ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, the UK Government confirmed that it will introduce mandatory sustainability disclosures across the economy that will incorporate the requirement to disclose net-zero transition plans on a comply or explain basis. This is a world first. Its implementation now needs to be accelerated and copied internationally.
13/10/2113 October 2021 -
read more + Infrastructure centrally important to achieving the Paris Agreement and the SDGs Published ahead of COP26, this new report highlights the key role that infrastructure plays in delivering climate action and sustainable development. Developed through collaboration between UNOPS, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the University of Oxford, it finds that infrastructure is responsible for 79 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, and accounts for 88 per cent of all adaptation costs.
read more + In memoriam: Douglas Boyes The School of Geography and the Environment is very saddened to hear the tragic news that Douglas Boyes (MSc in BCM 2017-18) died on 26 September.
read more + ECI Alumni Dinner 2021 The Environmental Change Institute (ECI) has been holding Alumni Dinners since 1996 without fail, so after the 2020 edition had to be cancelled due to COVID, it was high on the agenda to make this event happen in person again this year, not least to give the leaving cohort of ECM students a good send off at the end of a more than unusual MSc year.
read more + SoGE secures Athena Swan Silver The University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) has been awarded Athena Swan Silver, recognising the department's commitment to advancing gender equality.
30/09/2130 September 2021 -
read more + Professors Patricia Daley, Tim Schwanen and Dariusz Wójcik awarded Academy of Social Sciences Fellowships Patricia Daley, Professor of the Human Geography of Africa, Tim Schwanen, Professor of Transport Geography and Director of the Transport Studies Unit (TSU), and Dariusz Wójcik, Professor of Economic Geography, have been awarded prestigious fellowships by the Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS), which recognise excellence and impact in the social sciences.
read more + Dr Friederike Otto leaves ECI after meteoric decade in climate research After ten years at the University of Oxford, Dr Friederike Otto, Associate Director of ECI, is leaving the University to take up the position of Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute of Climate Change and the Environment. Fredi joined the University in 2011 as a postdoctoral researcher on the climateprediction.net project. Alongside her colleague Geert Jan van Oldenborgh at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, and following initial discussions with Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem Science, she founded the World Weather Attribution initiative (WWA) in 2014 to answer an urgent question in climate research: to what extent is human activity responsible for extreme weather events?
28/09/2128 September 2021 -
read more + SoGE academics out in force at RGS/IBG conference Researchers from across the University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) gave lectures and presented research as part of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) annual conference.
read more + Scorching and surrounded by water, Singapore is on climate's front lines Associate Professor Radhika Khosla told the Financial Times that rising temperatures and changing demographics will increase the demand for cooling systems in Asia. 'It is hard to say to families at the cusp of an increase in income that they should not have access to a service that is tied to the idea of development... India and Indonesia are on track for very high penetration of air conditioners in the next decade,' she said.
15/09/2109 September 2021 -
read more + Rethink 'cost-benefit analysis' to tackle climate crisis In a new paper, a group of leading researchers and policy experts including Dr Matt Ives argue that improving and enriching existing policy analysis methods, including costs and benefits among multiple other factors such as uncertainty, resilience and a better understanding of innovation, would lead to better decisions.
09/09/2109 September 2021 -
read more + European power companies face 114 billion euro 'debt trap' if they delay climate action An Oxford University and University College Cork study today reveals the scale of the challenge facing large power companies in the EU and UK if they delay aligning their portfolios with net zero. Dr Ben Caldecott, a co-author and the Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme and the Lombard Odier Associate Professor of Sustainable Finance at the University of Oxford said, 'To avoid negative impacts on share prices, credit ratings, and financial returns, we find that European power companies should increase spending on green technologies early on, to generate new income streams that will mitigate future stranded fossil fuel assets.'
09/09/2109 September 2021 -
read more + European power companies face 114 billion euro 'debt trap' if they delay climate action An Oxford University and University College Cork study today reveals the scale of the challenge facing large power companies in the EU and UK if they delay aligning their portfolios with net zero. Dr Conor Hickey, lead author and a Research Fellow at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, said, 'Reduced profits from stranded fossil fuel assets will create pressure on debt repayments and have wider implications for pensions, jobs and asset owners further up the investment chain. This study quantifies the issue and offers a framework for investor and policy engagement.'
08/09/218 September 2021 -
read more + Dr Louise Slater awarded UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Dr Louise Slater is one of eight Oxford University academics who have been awarded significant financial funding from the UKRI 'Future Leaders Fellowships scheme' that was created to help develop the next wave of world-class research and innovation leaders in academia and business.
07/09/217 September 2021 -
read more + As nature climbs up the political agenda, how can researchers better engage with policy on biodiversity? Researchers from the University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment, Jasper Montana, Rosaria, Trisha Gopalakrishna and E. A. Welden, explore how academics can help inform policy on biodiversity following a series of three seminars and a workshop in early Summer 2021, which brought together academics from across the Oxford Biodiversity Network to share their experience working with policymakers.
read more + Gas is less affected by environmental policies than coal, finds machine-learning study Growth in natural gas capacity is substantially less affected by environmental policies, such as carbon pricing, than coal, concludes a new University of Oxford study published today in iScience. The findings are cause for concern because, although gas can play a useful role in balancing grids which use intermittent renewable energy sources, an expansion in gas capacity increases the risk of carbon lock-in and stranded assets.
12/08/2112 August 2021 -
read more + Dr Brendan Doody selected as recipient of 2021 Divisional Teaching Excellence Award Dr Brendan Doody was selected as the recipient of a 2021 Divisional Teaching Excellence Award for Excellence in Supervision by the University of Oxford Social Sciences Divisional Board. The award recognises Dr Doody's outstanding contribution to teaching and doctoral supervision within the School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE), and the Division.
09/08/219 August 2021 -
read more + Earth will hit 1.5°C climate limit within 20 years, says IPCC report Scientists from across the world including ECI Associate Director Friederike Otto contributed to the IPCC's sixth assessment report, released today. The findings have been described as the starkest warning yet, with earth likely to hit the 'critical threshold' of 1.5 degrees warming within twenty years without decisive action. By 2100, in a worse case scenario, the earth would have warmed by 4.4 degrees and the consequences for life on earth would be devastating. In a best-case scenario, sustained action would see net zero achieved and warming limited to 1.4 degrees by 2100. Dr Otto was a leading author of the report.
05/08/214 August 2021 -
read more + The Final 25%: How to tackle hard-to-reach emissions Electricity, transport and heating account for a massive 80% of greenhouse gas emissions and are at the forefront of the battle to achieve Net Zero. But reaching Net Zero means also dealing with the hard-to-reach 20% of emissions: agriculture, plastics, cement, and waste, and extracting at least 5% extra from the atmosphere to account for the emissions that we simply cannot get rid of. Today, the Smith School published three reports from its 'Final 25%' series which explore ways of tackling this urgent problem.
04/08/214 August 2021 -
read more + Are extreme events worse than climate scientists projected? 'The ignorance of even the possibility that weather can be deadly is shocking for me as a scientist,' - ECI's Associate Director Friederike Otto writes in The Hill on recent extreme weather events that have taken unprepared populations and governments by surprise.
03/08/213 August 2021 -
read more + No evidence in claims climate change is fuelling East African migration, warns Oxford study No link currently exists proving climate change is driving migration out of East Africa, despite a widespread acceptance that human mobility is a key impact of climate change, according to research today from a multi-disciplinary Oxford University team, which maintains the factors driving migration are complex.
read more + Emmanuel Opoku awarded COVID-19 African Innovation Seed Fund grant Emmanuel Opoku, a masters student at the School of Geography and the Environment, has been awarded a £1,000 grant from the Vice Chancellor's COVID-19 African Innovation Seed Fund for entrepreneurial projects aimed at addressing global challenges stemming from the pandemic.
read more + Epicentre of major Amazon droughts and fires saw 2.5 billion trees and vines killed A major drought and forest fires in the Amazon rainforest killed billions of trees and plants and turned one of the world's largest carbon sinks into one of its biggest polluters. Examining the Amazonian epicentre of the El Niño - Brazil's Lower Tapajós, an eastern Amazonia area around twice the size of Belgium - the research team, led by scientists from Lancaster University, the Environmental Change Insitute, University of Oxford, and The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation found the damage lasts for multiple years.
read more + Future generations will face crippling costs without action now on carbon debt The historic UN Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C in the long run, but the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is still rising. If this trend continues, within just 10 years the world will exceed the total CO2 emissions that are consistent with limiting global warming to no more than 1.5°C. If the Paris climate goals are to be achieved, every tonne of CO2 emitted in excess of this 'carbon budget' will have to be removed at a later date, creating a rapidly increasing 'carbon debt.' Future generations can be spared the economic consequences of this carbon debt if policy action is taken now, according to plans set out by University of Oxford scientists and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
05/07/215 July 2021 -
read more + BBVA and the University of Oxford join forces to develop CIB Sustainability Leadership Programme BBVA Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) has joined forces with the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment to launch CIB Sustainability Leadership Programme. This programme aims to provide key originators, bankers and product specialists across all CIB's geographies the necessary tools to understand the fundamental drivers of sustainability transition for key industries.
02/07/212 July 2021 -
read more + Launch of new film on the daily challenges facing India's auto-rickshaw drivers A new public awareness film aimed at customers in Bangalore to draw attention to the challenges and precarity of auto rickshaw drivers has been launched. 'For Mahesh' traces the day-to-day lived experiences of auto-rickshaw drivers who form a key component of Indian mobility systems. The film was written and produced by Dr Lucy Baker.
read more + Poor use of science jeopardises climate lawsuits, finds Oxford research Newly-available scientific evidence, which could prove critical to the success of climate-related lawsuits, is often not produced in court, according to a new study published by the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme and Environmental Change Institute.
read more + Contracts-for-difference can aid shipping industry decarbonisation - research Incentivising private investment is key to the scaling and adoption of clean fuels and technology by the shipping industry, and the implementation of contracts-for-difference (CfDs) by the public sector is a tried and tested means of achieving this, according to a report from the Smith School.
25/06/2125 June 2021 -
read more + Vance Tan wins Oxford SU Impact Award Vance Tan Zong Hao, a Bruneian doctoral student at the School of Geography and the Environment, was awarded the prestigious Impact Award from Oxford University Student Union (Oxford SU) on 20th June.
24/06/2124 June 2021 -
read more + Splendid Isolation or Fish out of Water? With Brexit, British fishing grew from a tool of the political class to a determinant of constitutional and political affairs, suggests a new interdisciplinary paper by Aadil Siddiqi, current MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management student.
18/06/2118 June 2021 -
read more + China and the UK: Making an international collaboration work Working with colleagues on the other side of the world can mean a lot of challenges. There are differences in language, in time zone, in culture, even in the practise of doing science. But scientific collaborations, such as the one between Hong Zhang, Jenny Richards and Heather Viles at SoGE and Qinglin Guo's team at Dunhuang Academy in China, can also provide a wealth of benefits. In a new documentary by Nature, the two teams reflect on making this ambitious project work and how other teams could do the same.
17/06/2117 June 2021 -
read more + U.S. ETFs increase fossil-fuel bond buying in 2020 Fossil-fuel financing by U.S. fixed-income ETFs increased by 72% in 2020 after funds bought large quantities of new bonds issued amid the COVID-19 crisis. Article in Pensions and Investments features new Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme report and comment from Dr Ben Caldecott, director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
read more + Climate change increased the likelihood of damaging frosts in France Between 6 and 8 April 2021 an intense late frost episode damaged agricultural lands in France. Vineyards in particular were severely affected, with early assessments estimating losses of almost 2 billion euros. The cold wave hit France after the country experienced record high temperatures in March. A group of researchers including ECI's Dr Friederike Otto has quantified the role that human-caused climate change played in the event.
16/06/2116 June 2021 -
read more + Dr Pam Berry warns UK is unprepared for climate change Action to improve the UK's climate resilience is inadequate and fails to keep pace with global warming and associated risks, says an independent report from the Climate Change Committee co-authored by ECI researcher Dr Pam Berry.
read more + Exchange Traded Funds are directly financing fossil fuel companies at large scale Financial institutions with over $70 trillion in assets have pledged to achieve net zero portfolios and loanbooks by 2050, including meeting ambitious interim 2030 targets. However, new research by the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme reveals that passive funds not only hold fossil fuel assets, but directly finance them by buying large quantities of new bonds issued by fossil fuel companies.
read more + 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.
10/06/2110 June 2021 -
read more + 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.
09/09/219 June 2021 -
read more + Miners' troubles show need for climate 'bad banks' The transition to net zero may need new models to quarantine 'stranded' toxic assets and run them down. Article in the Financial Times includes expert comment by Dr Ben Caldecott, director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
09/06/219 June 2021 -
read more + 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.
09/06/219 June 2021 -
read more + 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.
01/06/211 June 2021 -
read more + 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.
read more + 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.
26/05/2126 May 2021 -
read more + Professor Myles Allen discusses Net Zero on BBC2 Myles Allen told BBC 2 listeners that it is irresponsible not to take the 'net' in 'net zero' seriously, because we need to stop climate change before the world stops using fossil fuels. He commented: 'Offsetting emissions with forestry or other nature based solutions can help, but we can 't keep turning rocks into trees forever. So anyone using fossil fuels today has a duty to make sure that some of the money being spent on them is invested in safe and permanent alternatives to dumping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.' Skip to 12:35 to hear the interview.
read more + Trials to suck carbon dioxide from the air to start across the UK Professor Cameron Hepburn talked to The Guardian about the launch of the CO2 Removal Hub, which launched on 24 May with £30m of funding. He commented: 'This is seriously exciting and pretty much world leading... Nobody really wants to be in the situation of having to suck so much CO2 from the atmosphere. But that is where we are, we have delayed for too long.'
read more + How debt-for-climate swaps can help fund the energy transition A debt-for-climate swap plan is expected from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank ahead of COP26. If fit for purpose, it could be highly effective in addressing spiralling low and middle-income country debt and the climate crisis. Features comment from Nicola Ranger, head of climate and environmental risk research at the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
read more + Natural climate change solutions highly effective 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.
read more + Net zero is vital for tackling climate change Dr Stephen Smith and co-authors respond to criticism of net zero targets in The Conversation. They state that despite the imperfections, widespread strengthening of net zero targets, specifically to generate steep emission cuts in the next decade, offers the most viable route to implementing the Paris Agreement.
11/05/2111 May 2021 -
read more + Biodiversity and art: Artist-in-residence Loveday Pride working with the Land use and governance team As part of the ABC Network science-artist collaboration, Loveday Pride has joined forces with the Land use governance team. Loveday is a Fine Art student at the Ruskin School in Oxford, and while she is primarily a painter, her work embraces many media. Her main muse is The Pug, whose round body and squidgy face takes on multitudinous forms, from fairy tale peas to Rococo icons.
06/05/216 May 2021 -
read more + Meet Anita Bharucha, Chief Operating Officer, SSEE Anita is Chief Operating Officer for the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. She helps to ensure that the Smith School runs smoothly and has good governance, and to make sure that the Smith School's fantastic academics and professional staff have what they need to do their jobs.
read more + Weekly data: Lenders increasingly wary of backing new coal projects Data reveals the cost of financing coal projects globally is rocketing, while it is getting cheaper to finance renewables. The price of oil and gas projects, however, remains stable. Features comment from Dr Ben Caldecott, director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
30/04/2130 April 2021 -
read more + Study reveals extent of human impact on the world's plant-life Research has shed new light on the impact of humans on Earth's biodiversity. The findings suggest that the rate of change in an ecosystem's plant-life increases significantly during the years following human settlement, with the most dramatic changes occurring in locations colonized in the last 1500 years.
29/04/2129 April 2021 -
read more + Two MSc students awarded the OUP Prize for International Environmental Law Two MSc students have been awarded the Oxford University Press (OUP) Prize for International Environmental Law. The prize is awarded to the Environmental Change and Management MSc student who receives the top mark in the International Environmental Law elective.
read more + Five ECI faculty in top climate scientists list Professor Myles Allen, Professor Jim Hall, Professor Yadvinder Malhi, Dr Michael Obersteiner and Dr Friederike Otto are listed in the 2021 "Reuters Hot List" of top climate scientists, which includes seven University of Oxford scientists in total. There are also five ECI alumni on the list: Malte Meinhausen, James Ford James Watson, Lea Berrang-Ford and Paula Harrison. The list tells the stories of the scientists who are having the greatest influence on the climate change debate through data on funding, citations and publications. The rankings themselves are based on a combination of research output, citations, and press coverage. "Of course these indicators are not the only way nor the best to measure the impact of our science and suffer from many biases that are prevalent in scientific publishing but this ranking shows that at ECI we work at the forefront of climate change research and so I am delighted that is being heard," said Dr Otto.
22/04/2122 April 2021 -
read more + Predicting infrastructure demand using satellite imagery and machine learning To improve investment in network infrastructure and reduce the 'digital divide'; a machine learning method that uses publicly available satellite imagery to predict cell phone adoption and spending on mobile services was developed and applied in Malawi and Ethiopia.
read more + Significant fall in cost of financing renewable energy projects New research from the Sustainable Finance Programme tracks how the financing costs for energy projects, measured through loan spreads, have changed over the past 20 years and finds that financial institutions are viewing renewables as less risky and coal as more so. Oil and gas financing costs have exhibited significantly less change.
19/04/2119 April 2021 -
read more + Coal financing costs surge as investors opt for renewable energy Coverage of a new study by the Sustainable Finance Programme which finds returns must repay four times the payoff from clean energy investment to justify escalating risk. Guardian article features comment from Dr Ben Caldecott, director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
read more + Tracking the economic impacts of COVID-19 one ship at a time COVID-19 saw global maritime trade collapse by as much as 10% in the first eight months of 2020 - leading to losses of up to $412 billion, reveals recently published ECI research, which used sophisticated algorithms and tracking data to follow 100,000 vessels.
13/04/2113 April 2021 -
read more + Who cares if the UK and EU's green taxonomies diverge? With the UK assessing the template set by the EU in 2019, investors and intermediaries are anxious about the implications of regional differences. The evidence suggests there's no reason to be. Features comment from Dr Ben Caldecott, director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
13/04/2113 April 2021 -
read more + Sky and BBC climate shows feature ECI and SSEE research and expertise On 7 April, Sky News launched the The Daily Climate Show, a new prime time programme dedicated to covering the global climate crisis. Front and centre of the programme is the Oxford University Global Warming Index, which reveals how the Earth's temperature is steadily rising in fractions of a degree. The Index is based on research by Dr Karsten Haustein, Dr Friederike Otto and Professor Myles Allen and maintained by the ECI at globalwarmingindex.org.
12/04/2112 April 2021 -
read more + Decolonising Research Methodologies Dr Amber Murrey is pleased to announce the launch of a new online postgraduate course, Decolonising Research Methodologies. The course is a collaborative project between Oxford and UNISA and is open to PhD/DPhil students in the social sciences at Oxford and universities in Africa. The course is free for all enrolled students and there are funds available to subsidise the costs of internet data/devices. Application deadline: 16 April
12/04/2112 April 2021 -
read more + Amplifying Indigenous and local community voices to Decolonise Conservation On 5th March, the School of Geography and the Environment became an international hub for decolonizing conservation, by hosting the panel 'The Future of Conservation: COP26 and Beyond'. Born out of #DecoloniseConservation, an engagement campaign from XR Youth Solidarity, the panel was a call to action to begin building solidarity ties between Indigenous and local community leaders and academics, in order to bring a united front to COP26 and seek protections for the rights of over 1.65 billion Indigenous peoples, local communities and Afro-descendants in high biodiversity areas.
08/04/2108 April 2021 -
read more + Jamie Lorimer on the Probiotic Planet Jamie Lorimer, Professor of Environmental Geography, talks to Table Debates about his latest book 'The Probiotic Planet: Using Life to Manage Life' in this new Feed podcast. Listen now.
07/04/217 March 2021 -
read more + National COVID debts: climate change imperils countries' ability to repay As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Board of Governors of the World Bank Group convene their spring meetings, researchers from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment find that most governments' astronomical borrowing during the pandemic pays scant attention to the effects that climate change could have on their ability to repay the debt.
07/04/217 April 2021 -
read more + Sky and BBC climate shows feature SSEE and ECI research and expertise At 18:30 BST today, 7 April, Sky News will launch the 'The Daily Climate Show' a new prime time programme dedicated to covering the global climate crisis. Front and centre of the programme is the Oxford University Global Warming Index, which reveals how the Earth's temperature is steadily rising in fractions of a degree. The Index is based on research by Dr Karsten Haustein, Dr Friederike Otto and Professor Myles Allen, and maintained by the ECI at globalwarmingindex.org.
31/03/2131 March 2021 -
read more + Documenting everyday life as a key worker during the COVID-19 pandemic A new public engagement project led by TSU's Dr Anna Plyushteva aiming to broaden the conversation about the challenges of everyday life in 2020-21 is documenting the daily lives of key workers who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, perform essential work that cannot be done from home. With the difficulties of working from home receiving much more extensive coverage, the project aims to contribute to the appropriate planning for the public transport needs of key workers in future crises.
read more + A walk in the park: has the Covid-19 travel response opened the door to a new direction on climate policy? Covid-19 has forced countries around the world to make massive adaptations to the normal way of life to reduce the risk of the spread of the virus. This briefing from CREDS sets out new insights into how people's travel patterns have adapted over time and why, and shows that people have walked and cycled more and more regularly than before the pandemic.
read more + SoGE researchers embark on new, collaborative partnership with English Heritage Over the next four months, Dr Martin Michette of the Oxford Resilient Buildings and Landscapes Laboratory (OxRBL) will work closely with English Heritage to co-develop and pilot a framework of collaborative research and knowledge exchange activities to support a shared vision for sustainable conservation, thanks to support from the Social Sciences Engagement Fellowships scheme.
29/03/2129 March 2021 -
read more + Cycling is ten times more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities Christian Brand, Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor, explains how active travel can contribute to tackling the climate emergency earlier than electric vehicles while also providing affordable, reliable, clean, healthy and congestion-busting transportation in his newly authored article for The Conversation.
23/03/2123 March 2021 -
read more + Net Zero pledges go global, now action needs to follow words - Oxford-ECIU report Net zero targets now cover two thirds of the global economy, according to a report today from Oxford Net Zero and the ECIU (Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit) - even though it was only a decade ago that Oxford climate scientists first showed the need to reach net zero emissions. However, despite the rapid progress, the study reveals that only 20% of these targets currently meet quality tests. The report was co-authored by Dr Steve Smith at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.
23/03/2123 March 2021 -
read more + Oxford's ambitious Environmental Sustainability Strategy is approved Oxford University approves its Environmental Sustainability Strategy aiming for net zero carbon and biodiversity net gain by 2035. Includes comment by Prof Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem Science at SoGE and leader of climate research programme Oxford Net Zero.
read more + Finding inspiration in your back garden - and from the past Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystems Science, authors a new blog explaining how he found solace and refuge in local nature over this year of pandemic and lockdown. Read in full on the University's Science Blog.
read more + Antony Farag named on Powerful Media's 2021 Future Leaders list Congratulations to Tony Farag (BA in Geography) for his inclusion in the 2021 Future Leaders list. Future Leaders is an annual publication which profiles 150 of the UK's most outstanding African and African Caribbean students and new graduates. Click here and turn to page 9 to find out more about Tony.
14/03/2114 March 2021 -
read more + If Boris Johnson is serious about levelling up, he would plan for a 2026 census now Professor Danny Dorling shares concern that this month's census would not give an accurate picture of Britain due to lockdown measures, stating that an extra census in 2026 would show whether the government's aim of "levelling up" poorer areas was working. Read in full via The Guardian.
11/03/2111 March 2021 -
read more + Climate policy in the United States is at an inflection point A new report demonstrates that for the first time, a majority of Americans live in a jurisdiction with a net zero emissions target. Furthermore, US companies accounting for at least $5.2 trillion in yearly sales have committed to net zero.
11/03/2111 March 2021 -
read more + Are we on track for a green recovery? Not Yet. Hundreds attend Oxford-UN eco event. International spending on COVID-19 economic recovery is falling short of aspirations to build back more sustainably, according to a report today from the Economic Recovery Project, backed by UNEP. However, a green recovery is still achievable and could lead directly to higher economic returns and social co-benefits.
11/03/2111 March 2021 -
read more + New study incorporates blue carbon science into climate policy solutions New research led by Dr Lisa Wedding, published this week in Global Environmental Change, investigates the carbon-capturing potential of habitats along the California coast and details pathways incorporating blue carbon habitats into climate change policy.
read more + Building a better future for women by improving water in Kenyan schools Timed to co-incide with International Women's Day, researchers from REACH together with the USAID Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership have published a new report on the status of school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in Kitui County, Kenya. The report aims to challenge the inequality in delivering safely-managed water to Kenyan schools, which affects girls, their future prospects and wider society.
08/03/2108 March 2021 -
read more + SoGE celebrates International Women's Day 2021 In honour of International Women's Day 2021 SoGE celebrates 100 years of Women At Oxford by profiling 18 inspiring women and sharing their insights on what's next for the higher education sector.
04/03/214 March 2021 -
read more + How Green Is The New U.K. Budget? Climate Experts Deliver Their Verdict Article in Forbes includes expert reaction from Laurence Wainwright, departmental lecturer and a course director at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and John Rhys, visiting senior research fellow at the Environmental Change Institute.
read more + Raise capital charges for 'climate risky' assets, experts tell UK ahead of COP26 Influential policy experts have urged UK rulemakers to update banks' capital charges to incorporate environmental risks. Article on Responsible Investor features Dr Ben Caldecott's new report calling for assets with high environmental risk to be subject to higher capital charges.
read more + COP26: Mark Carney accused of 'greenwashing' ahead of UK climate summit The government faces questions over Mark Carney's role in this year's climate talks after his claims that the company where he works has "net zero" emissions were dismissed as "greenwash", writes The Times. With comment from Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
25/02/2125 February 2021 -
read more + Mark Carney Walks Back Brookfield Net-Zero Claim After Criticism By describing Brookfield's $600 billion portfolio as carbon neutral, a key climate-finance leader provoked a backlash by questioning what 'net zero' really means, writes Bloomberg Green. With comment from Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
25/02/2125 February 2021 -
read more + Major International Collaboration to Develop Next Generation Global Flood Model "EvoFlood: The evolution of global flood hazard and risk" is a new £3.7m project that aims to revolutionise our understanding of flood risk. The project, involving the University of Oxford and led by the University of Hull and the University of Southampton, represents a collaborative endeavour of 9 UK universities, as well as multiple national and international end-user organisations.
23/02/2123 February 2021 -
read more + Annual Report 2020 available now How do you conduct local, national, and international transport studies during a global pandemic? From monitoring mobility changes in the UK to climate-related migration in Africa, discover how our researchers have been navigating the challenges the COVID-19 virus has presented and more in our latest Annual Report.
read more + Why avoiding climate change 'maladaptation' is vital A new study concludes that many adaptation projects can make people more, rather than less, vulnerable to climate change. Lisa Schipper argues that while adaptation is needed more than ever, it requires better planning, targeting the people who are most in need.
read more + Capitalism is Struggling with the Language of Climate Change The technical terminology of science can sometimes be muddled in powerful climate messages from finance and political leaders, writes Bloomberg. With comment from Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
04/02/214 February 2021 -
read more + Severe flood threat caused by climate change - landmark Oxford study For the first time, researchers have proved human-caused global warming is directly responsible for creating a 'critical threat' of a devastating outburst flood - putting a city of some 120,000 people in the path of potential floodwaters, according to new research from the University of Oxford and the University of Washington, published on 4 Feb in Nature Geoscience.
03/02/213 February 2021 -
read more + How dust storms in the world's largest desert form: revelations from a new satellite data set Hundreds of millions of tons of dust are blown off the Sahara desert each year. This dust interferes with the climate system and is capable of both cooling and heating the atmosphere depending on its height, size, shape and colour. It also interacts with cloud formation and weather systems like tropical cyclones. Being able to represent the location and quantity of dust in models is really important as these are the tools we use to make weather forecasts and climate projections.
read more + Getting the message right on nature-based solutions to climate change Nature-based solutions can play a key role in helping to tackle the climate and nature crises, while delivering other benefits for people, according to a new paper today from the Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI) at the University of Oxford - but it is vital to get the message right about how to deliver successful NbS and avoid potential pitfalls.
read more + Universities consider carbon offsetting in move to net-zero Reducing emissions must be the priority for UK universities but carbon offsetting can also play an important role in the transition to net-zero, according to a group of academic experts from the COP26 Universities Network.
read more + Why projects to adapt to climate change backfire Many internationally-funded projects aimed at combating the impacts of climate change can make things worse - by reinforcing, redistributing or creating new sources of vulnerability in developing countries, according to a review led by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and the University of Oxford. Dr Lisa Schipper, Environmental Social Scientist at the ECI, is one of the lead authors of the review.
19/12/2019 January 2021 -
read more + Storytelling can be a powerful tool for science ECI scientists Josh Ettinger, Lisa Schipper and Fredi Otto have written a response to a recent Nature commentary arguing against storytelling in science communication. Used appropriately, storytelling humanizes the research process and makes science more accessible to diverse audiences, the authors say. Read the full rebuttal in Nature magazine.
14/01/2114 January 2021 -
read more + Bank Of England Tells Banks to Brace For Sky-High Carbon Price The Bank of England told banks and businesses to start assessing the risks they face from climate change immediately, and brace to pay much more for polluting, writes Bloomberg. With comment from Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
13/01/2113 January 2021 -
read more + Oxford University and Lombard Odier launch strategic partnership on Sustainable Investment The multi-year partnership will create the first endowed professorship of sustainable finance at any major global research university. Dr Ben Caldecott has been appointed the first holder of the post and will become the Lombard Odier Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow of Sustainable Finance at the University of Oxford, based at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.
13/01/2113 January 2021 -
read more + Oxford University and Lombard Odier strategic partnership on sustainable investment Extensive media coverage of this new partnership includes: Lombard Odier Teams Up With Oxford on Sustainable Finance [Bloomberg] / Lombard Odier ties up with Oxford University on staff training, research sharing and strengthening 'academic rigour' for sustainable finance [Responsible Investor] - Lombard Odier and Oxford University unite for sustainable finance push [Citywire] / University of Oxford and Lombard Odier launch sustainable investment partnership [International Investment.net] / Oxford University announces first professorship in sustainable finance [Business Green]
12/01/2112 January 2021 -
read more + BBC Radio 4: Rewilding in Siberia Can removing trees and reintroducing musk ox and other grazing animals protect the permafrost from thawing and releasing carbon? Marc Macias-Fauria joins Tom Heap, Nikita Zimov and Tamsin Edwards to discuss rewilding in Pleistocene Park as part of BBC Radio Four's series, '39 Ways to Save the Planet'.
12/01/2112 January 2021 -
read more + UK population movement falls 59%, compared to -89% in March - Oxford COVID-19 Monitor The latest data from Oxford's COVID-19 Impact Monitor shows the January lockdown has, so far, had one third less national impact on movement than the March shutdown. The tool, developed by a team from across the University involving Dr Won Do Lee (Transport Studies Unit), uses mobile phone data to track movement and help tackle the pandemic. Find out more.
11/01/2111 January 2021 -
read more + Climate change: Africa's green energy transition 'unlikely' this decade New research uses machine learning to predict that total electricity generation across the African continent will double by 2030, with fossil fuels continuing to dominate the energy mix and posing potential risk to global climate change commitments. The study, published in Nature Energy, was led by Galina Alova with co-authors Philipp Trotter and Alex Money. [Extensive media coverage including BBC, Reuters, Forbes, Bloomberg and more]
11/01/2111 January 2021 -
read more + Declining Arctic sea ice drives divergent arctic shrub growth While Arctic tundra greening and browning have received increasing attention over the past decade, one comparatively understudied area is the role of sea ice dynamics and decline as drivers of terrestrial vegetation change and the ecological consequences. A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, reveals two important insights that will have important implications for tundra productivity and vegetation-climate feedback. Read in full.
08/01/2108 January 2021 -
read more + Climate Crisis for Beginners Usborne has published a new book explaining the Climate Crisis with the help of Steve Smith, Executive Director of Oxford Net Zero. Beautifully illustrated and in simple language, the book takes readers from the facts of global warming to how we can stop it, and why it isn't simple to fix. It finishes with a hopeful message about the things we can do now to make a difference, no matter our age. A great introduction for children and adults alike.
31/12/2031 December 2020 -
read more + Natalie Chung named one of the most impactful young sustainability leaders in Asia Pacific Natalie Sum Yue Chung, MPhil student in Environmental Change and Management, is included in Eco-Business's 2020 inaugural list of emerging youth sustainability changemakers. Natalie is a passionate youth climate advocate committed to environmental education and policy advisory in Asia, and the Director and co-founder of V'air Hong Kong.
28/12/2028 December 2020 -
read more + BBC News: The Climate Question Not only has this year been one of the hottest on record, but there has also been a catalogue of record breaking extreme weather events. This BBC World Service interview with Friederike Otto picks apart how climate change is impacting weather systems and the lives of millions of people around the world.
27/12/2027 December 2020 -
read more + Cracks in UK food system revealed in new mapping report A new report led by ECI's Food Systems Research group reveals the huge value of the agri-food sector to the UK economy as well as the multiple challenges it faces. The report maps and quantifies the UK food system, aiming to act as a quantified foundation for further analyses of the UK food system.
22/12/2022 December 2020 -
read more + Aurora Energy Research funds Oxford MSc scholarships Aurora Energy Research announces £500,000 donation to the Smith School for scholarships on the new Master's degree in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment - enabling the brightest minds to study at Oxford and help resolve the challenge of climate change. The course explores the challenges of getting to Net Zero and achieving sustainable development through the lenses of enterprise, finance and economics. The gift will fund 9 scholarships over 6 years, and applications are now open for 2021.
21/12/2021 December 2020 -
read more + How can we create a greener future? As UK citizens, should we all be doing more to make our money matter? Writing in the Telegraph, Ben Caldecott, Director of Oxford's Sustainable Finance Programme, encourages individuals to invest in companies that can prove their environmental credentials. "Getting our capital to speed up the transition to environmental sustainability is a key lever and one of the most important ones we have."
21/12/2021 December 2020 -
read more + Legal does not equal sustainable: Reflections on proposed UK law addressing deforestation The UK government is developing a new law that prohibits imports of 7 commodities originating from illegally deforested land, including beef, leather, cocoa, palm oil, pulp and paper, timber, rubber and soya. While the stated aim of the policy is to promote sustainability, its current focus on legality overlooks how legal systems can themselves be drivers of both environmental and social harm, writes Constance McDermott, leader of ECI's new Ecosystems Governance Group.
20/12/2020 December 2020 -
read more + Climate change: Answers to common questions Investors often fail to appreciate the sheer weight of scientific evidence attesting to humanity's impact on the planet. This report - prepared by Moritz Schwarz and Cameron Hepburn, and sponsored by Pictet Asset Management - gives a brief but firm grounding on the current state of knowledge about climate change, its implications and what sort of solutions might be possible.
19/12/2019 December 2020 -
read more + Age of Economics interviews Penny Mealy What is economics? What roles does it play in society? And does it do a good job addressing issues people care about, such as climate change and the wider environment? These are just some of the topics discussed by Penny Mealy, researcher with the Smith School and INET Oxford, in an interview with Age of Economics. [Video and transcript]
18/12/2018 December 2020 -
read more + COVID slowdown makes action on gas-guzzlers even more important Phasing out the most polluting vehicles now could save 97million tonnes CO2 by 2050, new research published by the UK Energy Research Centre finds. Co-Directed by Christian Brand the Centre looked at the impacts of COVID-19 on the energy system, and the role that energy policy could play in the UK's economic recovery. Discover their recommendations.
17/12/2017 December 2020 -
read more + More-than-climate litigation: Global Majority v UK government MSc/MPhil in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance students were asked to research a topic of their choice, within the broad remit of the Governance, Politics and Policy theme, and to create a video accompanied by a blog which further outlined the topic. Watch the winning video and read the accompanying blog.
16/12/2016 December 2020 -
read more + Right topics, wrong emphasis: the Carney Taskforce on carbon offsetting misses the mark Eli Mitchell-Larson, DPhil candidate at the Environmental Change Institute, and a co-author of the Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting, argues that the Taskforce for Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets almost entirely misses a key question: can we build a voluntary market with offsets that really deliver for the climate? [Originally published by Business Green on 10 December 2020]
16/12/2016 December 2020 -
read more + Jemima Richardson-Jones Highly Commended In RGS GHWRG Dissertation Prize 2020 Research by School of Geography and the Environment graduate Jemima Richardson-Jones (Keble College) has been Highly Commended by the Royal Geographical Society's Geographies of Health and Wellbeing Research Group as part of their 2020 Undergraduate Dissertation Prize.
16/12/2016 December 2020 -
read more + Yadvinder Malhi to be next president of the BES Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystems Science, has been voted President-Elect of the British Ecological Society following an online ballot of more than 1000 members. A British Asian, Yadvinder will become the first non-white president of the Society in its more than hundred-year history. Read more about Yadvinder's work and priorities for the BES moving forward. [Image: Yadvinder Malhi in Wytham Woods (c) Debbie Rowe]
read more + Climate change and emerging markets after Covid-19 Unmitigated climate change could slash world economic output per capita by as much as half by the end of the century - with emerging markets bearing the brunt of the damage, warns new research published by Pictet Asset Management and the Smith School. The report, which draws on new modelling techniques developed by Oxford economists, says major emerging economies including China, India and Brazil are particularly vulnerable to rising global temperatures. Authors include Moritz Schwarz, Sugandha Srivastav, Paulo de Souza and Yangsiyu Lu.
14/12/2014 December 2020 -
read more + ECI supports Youth-led Mock COP26 Reuters: In place of the delayed COP26 UN climate summit youth representatives from 142 countries met virtually to consider potential climate solutions. ECI's involvement as an official partner was led by DPhil student Bill Finnegan, with special thanks to Bernard Soubry, James Dixon, Saher Hasnain, Fredi Otto, Lisa Schipper and Cecile Girardin who created explainer videos for the delegates. [Videos here: bit.ly/38mqSDA]
read more + The next generation of food system leaders: IFSTAL teaching programme launches The Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching and Learning programme (IFSTAL) gives students the skills to bring about change in the food system and tackle serious problems including malnutrition, food insecurity and environmental damage. More than 180 participants from around the world attended the online launch of the IFSTAL programme for 2020/21. Registration for the programme is free for current students.
11/12/2011 December 2020 -
read more + Electricity Access for All How can we sustainably electrify parts of the world that don't currently have access to clean and reliable energy? How can we improve Sierra Leone's energy sector, so that its capital, Freetown, no longer has an average of 53 blackouts a day? These are just two questions being tackled by Oxford researchers Susann Stritzke (Smith School) and Hindolo George-Williams. Learn more in this feature from Oxford Sparks.
10/12/2010 December 2020 -
read more + Rebound in carbon emissions expected in 2021 after fall caused by Covid According to the Global Carbon Budget report, global carbon emissions fell by a record 7% in 2020, writes the Guardian. However, scientists warn that this temporary decline is a 'drop in the ocean' compared to necessary long term reductions. With comment from Cameron Hepburn. [Also covered by Forbes]
09/12/2009 December 2020 -
read more + Oxford contributes to UK's Sixth Carbon Budget Today the UK's Committee on Climate Change released its Sixth Carbon Budget: The UK's path to Net Zero. The report includes substantive contributions from Cameron Hepburn, Chair of the CCC's Policy Advisory Group Ben Caldecott, member of the CCC's Finance Advisory Group, and the CREDS UK team, led by Nick Eyre. [Covered extensively by UK media]
08/12/2008 December 2020 -
read more + Working towards anti-racist school geography in Britain Amber Murrey argues why the British geography school curriculum must include the uncomfortable geographies of British colonialism and inequality in order to foster anti-racist and environmentally just futures.
07/12/2007 December 2020 -
read more + Students push for university climate change divestments The Financial Times explores the fossil fuel divestment movement, highlighting the University of Oxford's approach which couples divestment with engagement activities to curb the use of dirty energy. Kaya Axelsson, policy engagement fellow with Oxford Net Zero, explains the model, which includes the requirement for all businesses within Oxford's portfolio to have a credible net-zero carbon strategy.
06/12/2006 December 2020 -
read more + Oxford's new chief scientific adviser lays out city's path to zero carbon The impacts of climate change are already being felt in Oxford, particularly with increased flooding, writes Nick Eyre in the Oxford Mail. He proposes a way forward, highlighting the importance of energy efficiency and clean energy. Carbon dioxide emissions have to be reduced, starting now and eventually to zero. Oxford can be a leader in this space by 'thinking globally, acting locally'.
read more + Far from simple: Orangutan conservation poses ethical dilemmas Could it ever be better to keep a wild-born, formerly captive orangutan in a cage? Should they be released into the 'wild'? And if so, which wild? Dr Alexandra Palmer considers the ethical questions raised by orangutan conservation in her latest blog post.
read more + Bonds Aimed at Heavy Corporate Emitters Set to Roll Out in 2021 The next thing in green investing is a new kind of debt designed to help fund the trillions of dollars needed to wean the world from carbon, writes Bloomberg Green. These 'transition bonds' are being developed for fossil-fuel companies and other heavy corporate emitters. With comment from Ben Caldecott.
01/12/2001 December 2020 -
read more + BBC - Building Back Better Brian O'Callaghan, researcher at the Smith School and manager of the Oxford Economic Recovery Project, speaks with BBC Radio 4 'In Business' about the potential for a green recovery from Covid-19. Listen now on BBC Sounds.
01/12/2001 December 2020 -
read more + Wytham Woods featured on Countryfile Yadvinder Malhi joins Judi Dench, HRH The Prince of Wales and some 6M viewers in an episode of BBC's Countryfile. The show launches 'Plant Britain', a two-year challenge to get us all planting to help combat climate change and at the same time, boost wellbeing and wildlife. It features Wytham Woods in Oxfordshire, where viewers discover exactly how trees capture carbon.
28/11/2028 November 2020 -
read more + Oxford convenes Race to Net Zero Dialogues Oxford Net Zero, the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, the Said Business School and partners including the Resilient 40 joined forces to host four events as part of Race to Zero campaign, led by the UN's High-Level Climate Champions. The dialogues enabled youth to set the agenda on three key topics - energy, transport and food - and enter into dialogue with industry leaders including Nestlé, Daimler and Shell.
27/11/2027 November 2020 -
read more + Brexit And Beyond with Professor Danny Dorling Danny Dorling talks to 'UK In a Changing Europe' Director Anand Menon about the wealth and inequality gap in this country, how academics should communicate their findings to the wider world and the importance of using experts in a pandemic in this new Brexit and Beyond podcast.
read more + Norway hikes cash for rainforests, seeking corporate help to slow losses Norway is doubling the price it guarantees developing nations to keep their tropical forests standing and combat climate change, writes the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Constance McDermott, leader of the ECI's Ecosystems Governance Group, comments on the challenges faced by the initiative, including the need to ensure indigenous peoples' rights to land. [Image: Ecuador - A Shaman from the Siona Community (c) Angela Meier on Adobe Stock]
20/11/2020 November 2020 -
read more + Net zero emissions targets are everywhere - we need to sort the genuine from the greenwash 2021 brings reasons for hope - not only the possibility of a Covid-19 vaccine, but the prospect of significant progress in addressing the climate crisis, write Stephen Smith and Tim Kruger in the Conversation. The UK government has just published a ten-point plan for getting to net zero emissions, while the election of Joe Biden heralds a welcome change in the direction of US climate policy. However, they caution, pledges alone won't achieve Net Zero.
20/11/2020 November 2020 -
read more + Heatwaves caused record deaths as Britain struggled with coronavirus Heatwaves caused a record 2,556 excess deaths in Britain this summer as the country was struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new government estimate. Increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves are among the deadliest impacts of climate change, writes Reuters. Extensive media coverage includes comment and research from Friederike Otto on climate change attribution.
19/11/2019 November 2020 -
read more + Reducing emails won't save us Short 'thank you' emails amount to a tiny fraction of climate change caused by the internet, writes iNews. While emails do contribute to carbon emissions, experts have said they are much less detrimental to the environment than other activities such as video streaming. With comment from Stephen Smith, Executive Director of Oxford Net Zero.
19/11/2019 November 2020 -
read more + Times letters: Boris Johnson's green industrial revolution 'There is one important difference between the prime minister's ten-point plan and that released last week by the all-party parliamentary group on net zero,' writes Myles Allen. 'The PM doesn't say who is going to pay for carbon capture in the long term. The solution the APPG proposed is simple: a carbon takeback obligation.' [Also covered by BBC, Guardian and others]
19/11/2019 November 2020 -
read more + Woman's Hour Power List: Our Planet Brenda Boardman, energy researcher and ECI Emeritus Fellow, is one of the 30 women featured in the BBC's 2020 Power List. The list celebrates inspiring women whose work is making a significant positive contribution to the environment and the sustainability of our planet. Brenda's research includes bringing energy efficiency labelling to UK appliances.
read more + 2019-20 Philanthropy Report draws attention to graduate work on sustainable water solutions The role of philanthropy in helping to accelerate the vital work taking place at Oxford has been recognised in this year's University Philanthropy report, including that of Claire Nakabugo (MSc Water Science, Policy and Management graduate) who has been contributing to local, national and international conversations about sustainable water management. Turn to pages 18-19 to learn more.
18/11/2011 November 2020 -
read more + Philanthropy Report highlights Food Climate Research Network The role of philanthropy in helping to accelerate the vital work taking place at Oxford has been recognised in this year's University Philanthropy report. The report features work from Dr Tara Garnett, ECI researcher and leader of the Food Climate Research Network. Since 2005, the network has empowered decision makers to take effective action on food system sustainability. Read pages 16-17 to find out more.
17/11/2017 November 2020 -
read more + 'Oxford Net Zero' launches to tackle global carbon emissions The initiative, launched this week, draws on the university's world-leading expertise in climate science and policy, addressing the critical issue of how to reach global 'net zero' - limiting greenhouse gases - in time to halt global warming. The new programme, backed by a 2.2 million pound investment from Oxford's Strategic Research Fund, includes leading researchers from across the university.
read more + 11 innovations set to change our lives The Mirror explores incredible scientific innovations from fighting climate change to helping solve world hunger. First on the list is research from Cameron Hepburn on greenhouse gas removal and the potential to make valuable products from CO2.
13/11/2013 November 2020 -
read more + Shift to net-zero buildings is not only cheap now, but viable too: India finds solutions The Times of India covers new research from Radhika Khosla and international partners across North America, Europe and Asia, finding that cheap technology and sufficient skills already exist worldwide to achieve net-zero energy buildings at costs in the range of traditional projects. The article explores net-zero solutions and the implications of the study in Delhi.
10/11/2010 November 2020 -
read more + Companies Can No Longer Dodge Climate Risks as U.K. Raises Bar 'Starting in 2025, U.K. companies will have to disclose the extent to which their operations are exposed to the risks posed by global warming. Mandatory disclosures will force businesses to give investors and consumers the information they need to make decisions in rapidly warming world,' writes Bloomberg Green. With commentary from Ben Caldecott, director of Oxford's Sustainable Finance Programme, who highlights the need for good data to push companies to change.
10/11/2010 November 2020 -
read more + 30 Under 30: Environmental Leaders Sam Loni, MSc student in the School of Geography and the Environment, was recently selected by The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) for its fifth class of 30 leaders under the age of 30. Sam combines research and advocacy to support educators in preparing students for the challenges of the 21st century and empowering them to shape sustainable communities. He is studying for an MSc in Environmental Change and Management and an MBA at the Said Business School.
05/11/2005 November 2020 -
read more + Investors Gauge Future Climate Risks With Satellite Imaging Asset managers are analyzing pictures and data taken from outer space to predict the physical impacts of global warming, writes Bloomberg Green. The article explores pioneering work by Smith School partner Lombard Odier to use geospatial data in risk analysis. It also explores new research from the Spatial Finance Initiative at the Smith School, led by Ben Caldecott.
04/11/204 November 2020 -
read more + The story of HEAT continues The latest developments of the World Health Organisation 'HEAT' tool provide the cover story for a new publication in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Over the past 8 years, the TSU's Christian Brand has helped develop the tool, which quantifies the health and carbon benefits of walking and cycling, and is used by local and national governments across the globe.
read more + UK ash trees losing fight against deadly fungus CGTN Europe News speaks with Cecilia Dahlsjo, researcher in ECI's ecosystems group. Deep inside Oxford's Wytham Woods, she oversees experiments to investigate the impact of ash dieback on the woodland ecosystem. [Image credit: Andrew Bailey www.baileymg.com]
30/10/2030 October 2020 -
read more + The World Needs to Ramp Up Solutions for Greener Cooling 'A proliferation in traditional air conditioning meant to protect people from intense heat could also exacerbate global warming,' writes Scientific American. This in-depth article explores cutting-edge research from Radhika Khosla and colleagues at Oxford's Future of Cooling Programme as they explore sustainable cooling and reveal its impacts on each of the sustainable development goals.
read more + Professor Nick Eyre appointed Oxford City Council scientific adviser Nick Eyre, professor of energy and climate policy at the Environmental Change Institute, has been appointed as Oxford City Council's first scientific adviser. He will support the Council and the city, as it continues to tackle the climate emergency and moves towards net-zero.
25/10/2025 October 2020 -
read more + Cooling: hidden threat for climate change and sustainable goals Growing international demand for cooling has the potential to drive one of the most substantial increases in greenhouse gas emissions in recent history. A new study, led by Radhika Khosla and the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Cooling, and published in Nature Sustainability, sets out a new framework for delivering sustainable cooling. It also examines cooling needs in the context of sustainable development, and finds that this is a global blind spot.
read more + Net Zero All-Party Parliamentary Group A team from across the School of Geography and the Environment, including co-authors Byron Fay and Kate Cullen (alumna, MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management) from the Oxford Net Zero initiative, has contributed to the APPG Decarbonisation Report, 'Putting Net Zero at the heart of future UK Policy'. The report is backed by MPs and Peers from across the political spectrum and makes the case for urgent Government action to secure a low carbon future for the UK.
read more + Advances towards global net zero buildings An innovative collaboration between construction experts and leading international academics, including Smith School's Radhika Khosla, reveals global innovation in the building sector with the potential to help fight climate change. The new study finds that the technology and skills already exist to achieve net- or nearly-zero energy building in nearly every part of the world - including both developed and developing countries - at costs in the range of those of traditional projects.
read more + Filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, currently under construction, has strained relations between Nile countries. New research, published in Nature Communications by a team including ECI's Kevin Wheeler, finds near-term concerns about the impact of dam on water availability for Egypt and Sudan are unlikely to materialise, but drought preparedness is essential and will require careful coordination. [Also covered by the Telegraph and Washington Post]
read more + Yadvinder Malhi Awarded CBE in Queen's Birthday Honour Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystem Sciences at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, has been awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, announced on 10th October 2020, for services to Ecosystem Science.
10/10/2010 October 2020 -
read more + TED: Fossil fuel companies know how to stop global warming. Why don't they? The fossil fuel industry knows how to stop global warming, but they're waiting for someone else to pay, says climate science scholar Myles Allen. Instead of a total ban on carbon-emitting fuels, Allen puts forth a bold plan for oil and gas companies to progressively decarbonize themselves and sequester CO2 deep in the earth, with the aim of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and creating a carbon dioxide disposal industry that works for everyone. This talk was presented at an official TED conference.
read more + Analysis shows Australia still lags behind on a renewable recovery Analysis conducted by WWF in partnership with Brian O'Callaghan and Cameron Hepburn at the Oxford Smith School shows Australia's stimulus investments in renewable industries lag behind other markets and key trading partners. Based on recent Federal Government announcements, Australia will spend approximately AUD $96 per capita on clean recovery stimulus - almost nine times less than the global leader, EU ($897 per capita).
read more + Shaping a brighter world of work A new report from Zurich Insurance and the Oxford Smith School, co-directed by researcher Sarah McGill, outlines the case for a new social contract to address issues facing working people worldwide due to Covid-19. The report calls on insurers, employers, governments, and communities to work together and ensure that the future of social protection is more flexible.
05/10/2005 October 2020 -
read more + Oxford has wettest October day since rainfall records began in 1827 Oxford University researchers have recorded the wettest October day since daily rainfall records began at the Radcliffe Meteorological Station in January 1827. 60.0 mm of rainfall was observed in the rain gauge on Saturday 3rd October 2020, which was the sixth wettest day of the 70,000 days in the records, and the rainiest day in Oxford for over 47 years.
02/10/2002 October 2020 -
read more + What the world can learn from clean energy transitions in India, China and Brazil Clean-energy technology and deployment in emerging economies are critical for a global energy transition. New research led by Radhika Khosla explores how fast-growing countries can not only develop their own sustainable systems, but provide a source of learning and knowledge to influence global trends. The study investigates key examples from the three largest emerging economies: solar power in China, LEDs in India and biofuel in Brazil.
02/10/2002 October 2020 -
read more + Amazon study shows big conservation gains possible for imperilled freshwater ecosystems A new study, published in Science magazine by an international team in the Brazilian Amazon, shows that redesigned conservation projects could deliver big gains for critical freshwater ecosystems - raising hopes for the futures of thousands of species. 'In a time when the Amazon is under increasing pressure from human activities, this paper provides effective solutions for biodiversity preservation,' explains co-author Erika Berenguer.
read more + Oxford launches new principles for credible carbon offsetting Researchers from across the University of Oxford, led by Ben Caldecott and Eli Mitchell-Larson, have launched new carbon offsetting principles to ensure the 'net' in net zero is credible. The guidelines provide a key resource for the design and delivery of rigorous voluntary net zero commitments by government, cities and companies around the world.
read more + Finntopia: what we can learn from the world's happiest country? In the quest for the best of all societies, Professor Danny Dorling provides insights on his latest book, exploring what can be learnt from Europe's most equitable country and what's made it the world's happiest country for three years running.
read more + Forbes: China Just Promised To Go Carbon Neutral By 2060 But how can China to achieve this goal? Yangsiyu Lu, researcher at the Smith School, suggests the country ought to focus on three key policy areas: coal, technology innovation in electricity generation, and nature-based solutions.
25/09/2025 September 2020 -
read more + Wildfires, hurricanes and vanishing sea ice: the climate crisis is here Scientists warn extreme, weather-related events around the world show the economic and social costs of a warming planet, writes the Financial Times. With comment from Friederike Otto, associate director of the ECI: 'Where we really see the clearest and biggest sign of climate change is in extreme temperatures.'
24/09/2024 September 2020 -
read more + Dr Hannah Budnitz wins 2020 Royal Town Planning Institute Early Career Researcher Award Dr Hannah Budnitz was honoured to win this year's Royal Town Planning Institute Early Career Researcher Award for her research into the non-work activities and trips taken by telecommuters. Read why it is important to land use planners to consider the location and accessibility of non-work destinations.
23/09/2023 Sep 2020 -
read more + Warming Temperatures are Driving Arctic Greening As Arctic summers warm, Earth's northern landscapes are changing. Using satellite images to track global tundra ecosystems over decades, a new collaborative study involving the University of Oxford and global institutions across the world, found the region has become greener, as warmer air and soil temperatures lead to increased plant growth.
22/09/2022 September 2020 -
read more + Meet Professor Michael Obersteiner, Director of the ECI From September 2020 Michael Obersteiner will become Director of the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. Prof Obersteiner will assume 80% of the Directorship, working closely with Dr Friederike Otto, who will now step into the role of Associate Director, with oversight of ECI's communications and strategic research direction. Read on to learn about Michael's new role, research interests and hobbies - including plans to paraglide over the Farmoor reservoir.
18/09/2018 September 2020 -
read more + Trash talk: 'no time to waste' Alexis McGivern, Environmental Change and Management MPhil at the ECI, studies trash. More specifically, the environmental justice implications of waste management interventions. In this article for the Oxford Science Blog, Alexis highlights some of her recent research, published in the journal Science, exploring the worrying gap between global commitments and current levels of plastic pollution.
read more + Why Working From Home Makes More Sense Than Ever: Lessons From The Lockdown Philipp Grünewald, ECI's deputy director of energy research, contributes to this article from Forbes. His research has found that during the UK's COVID-19 lockdown, more people working from home reduced the large peaks in electricity usage seen in the evenings, pre-lockdown. Read on to find out why this change is good news from the energy perspective.
12/09/2012 September 2020 -
read more + Bending the curve of biodiversity loss A new report, published in Nature, identifies two key areas for action to stop global biodiversity loss and 'bend the curve' towards recovery by 2050 or earlier - without jeopardising the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals. The study calls for bold conservation and restoration efforts, alongside a transformation of the global food system. It forms a core part of WWF's Living Planet Report 2020, and authors include Michael Obersteiner, Director of the ECI.
11/09/2011 September 2020 -
read more + Nature-based solutions can help fight climate change, biodiversity loss A new report from Oxford's Nature-based Solutions Initiative and collaborators including the Environmental Change Institute has found that nature-based solutions are key to reducing climate change impacts such flooding, soil erosion and loss of food production. The report is the first systematic review of the evidence for using nature-based interventions from around the world and investigates nearly 400 scientific studies.
10/09/2010 September 2020 -
read more + Oxford University and Lombard Odier launch strategic partnership on Sustainable Investment The multi-year partnership will create the first endowed professorship of sustainable finance at any major global research university. The post will be hosted in the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment at the School of Geography and the Environment. [Also covered by Bloomberg Green, Business Green, Responsible Investment, IPE and others]
read more + ECI contributes to WWF's Living Planet Report 2020 Global wildlife populations have plummeted more than two-thirds in less than 50 years, according to a new report from WWF. The Living Planet update comes alongside a study co-authored by more than 40 NGOs and academic institutions, including ECI's new Director Michael Obersteiner, that lays out ways of arresting and reversing nature loss by 2050.
09/09/2009 September 2020 -
read more + Greenhouse gases hit new record despite lockdowns, UN says A new report shows concentrations of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere hit a record high this year, despite an economic slowdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. As CO2 levels increase, so too does global temperature. Friederike Otto comments that society is not yet ready or able to adapt to the weather extremes made more likely and intense by climate change.
08/09/2008 Sep 2020 -
read more + Rai Saad Khan wins prize for his undergraduate dissertation on Performative Statehood Congratulations to recent graduate Rai Saad Khan (2020, Christ Church) who has been awarded the 2020 undergraduate dissertation prize by the Royal Geographical Society's Development Geographies Research Group for his paper titled, 'Lahore's Performative Statehoods: A study of the form and practices of statehood of the Walled City of Lahore Authority in Pakistan'.
31/08/2031 August 2020 -
read more + Only one in 10 utility firms prioritise renewable electricity New research finds electric utility companies are undermining the global transition to net zero emissions. Only 10 percent of companies have prioritised renewable capacity and many of those continue to invest in fossil fuels as well. The study, led by Galina Alova, was published today in Nature Energy and covered by the Guardian, BBC, and others.
25/08/2025 August 2020 -
read more + Climate change after COVID-19: Harder to defeat politically, easier to tackle economically A column in VoxEU draws on a new research paper, 'Five Lessons from COVID-19 for Advancing Climate Change Mitigation' from a team including Franziska Funke, Linus Mattauch and Brian O'Callaghan at the ECI and Smith School. It argues that the current pandemic is an opportunity to understand where the real challenges lie for progression on climate action - in garnering political will and public support.
19/08/2019 August 2020 -
read more + Why you should go animal-free: 18 arguments for eating meat debunked Damian Carrington at the Guardian investigates the compelling environmental and health evidence for a plant-based diet. Featuring research and comment from across the University of Oxford, including from ECI researchers Joseph Poore and Tara Garnett.
14/08/2014 August 2020 -
read more + How COVID-19 Has Accelerated Interest In Environmental Issues BusinessBecause explores how the coronavirus has changed attitudes, outlooks and policy. With comment from Aoife Brophy Haney, on how the crisis has triggered people to re-engage with their local environment in a different way than they did before - and provided a trial run for the business response to the climate crisis.
14/08/2014 August 2020 -
read more + 5 economists redefining... everything. Oh yes, and they're women. Forbes investigates five female economists revolutionising their fields by questioning the meaning of everything from value and debt to growth and GDP. The story features Kate Raworth, Senior Research Associate and lecturer at the ECI, and author of 'Doughnut Economics'. Her work challenges traditional measures of growth and GDP, and focuses on sustainable development within planetary boundaries.
read more + The Economist: Siberia's heatwave would not have happened without climate change This year's Arctic heatwave has had far-reaching consequences, writes the Economist, from shrinking sea ice, to wildfires, to a massive oil spill. Friederike Otto, co-lead of the World Weather Attribution initiative, discusses the game-changing impact of climate change on this extreme weather.
10/08/2010 August 2020 -
read more + Climate intervention prize Andrew McConnell has been awarded 1000 EUR and will present to the Advisory Board of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Post-Carbon Transition after his idea was chosen as the most promising 'sensitive intervention point' that could tip the balance on climate change. His proposal is for central banks to reduce their valuation of the worth of carbon-intensive assets posted as collateral for credit. The competition was run in partnership with the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment and led by Dr Matthew Ives.
08/08/2008 August 2020 -
read more + Pandemic leaves Amazon more vulnerable than ever Channel News Asia reports on the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, who have seen their lands ravaged by illegal deforestation, industrial farming, mining, oil exploration and unlawful occupation. Now, the coronavirus pandemic and forest fire season amplify these challenges and pose further threats. With comment from Erika Berenguer, ecosystems researcher at the ECI, on deforestation in the Amazon.
05/08/205 August 2020 -
read more + New online executive education course The TSU is delighted to launch a new fully online executive education course starting November 2020. The new course 'Global Challenges in Transport : Urban mobility after COVID-19' builds on the experience and networks that the TSU has established via running its popular Global Challenges in Transport Programme.
05/08/2005 August 2020 -
read more + New report puts England's Economic Heartland in pole position for transport decarbonisation by 2050 A new study by the University of Oxford and University of Southampton provides an evidence base for the England's Economic Heartland (EEH) Draft Transport Strategy. It maps the EEH road and rail transport network and uses advanced modelling to demonstrate a variety of 'pathways' EEH could take to achieve a net zero carbon transport system by 2050.
04/08/204 August 2020 -
read more + What's in a name? Belonging! Dr Juan Pablo Orjuela has been working with low-income women in Itagüí, part of the Medellin metropolitan area (Colombia), but COVID-19 has brought new challenges on how to engage with communities in the midst of lockdown measures. Read his blog entry on the PEAKUrban website on how the co-creation of a group name and image has helped in the process.
03/08/2003 August 2020 -
read more + How Climate Science Moved Online Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the April 2020 meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was held online for this first time. Lisa Schipper, social scientist at the ECI and coordinating author of an IPCC report chapter about climate resilient development options, spoke to NPR about the challenges associated with working from home, particularly for female researchers.
02/08/2002 August 2020 -
read more + Scientists and environmental groups 'alarmed' by huge rise in Amazon wildfires New data from Brazil's space research agency INPE has revealed that there were 28 percent more fires in the Amazon rainforest this July compared with the same time last year. Commenting on this study for NBC news, ecosystems researcher Erika Berenguer said that since July is just the start of the usual burning season, the rest of the season is likely to very intense. [Extensive coverage elsewhere]
30/07/2030 July 2020 -
read more + Financial Times: Rise in coastal flooding poses threat to global economy Jim Hall comments on a new study that finds coastal flooding is set to rise by about 50 per cent over the next 80 years and could threaten assets worth 20 per cent of global GDP. He cautions that the thorny questions of what standard coastal communities will need to be protected in future, and whether that is affordable, are not yet addressed.
29/07/2029 July 2020 -
read more + Cold chains can help mitigate the COVID-19 food crisis: key lessons from Uganda COVID-19 has disrupted food supply chains around the world, doubling the number of people at risk of acute food shortages and insecurity. However, certain supply chain characteristics - including the use of cold storage - can help mitigate this and future crises. Preliminary research from the University of Oxford and Makerere University contrasts the milk and fish supply chains in Uganda and finds key lessons for supply chain resilience worldwide.
28/07/2028 July 2020 -
read more + Five questions about Ethiopia's controversial Nile dam The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Africa's biggest hydropower project - has fuelled tensions with downstream nations for nearly a decade. Ethiopia's neighbours, including Egypt and Sudan, worry the dam will restrict vital water supplies. This article from AP includes comment from Dr Kevin Wheeler, who studies the dam and supports development in the region. [Extensive coverage elsewhere]
27/07/2027 July 2020 -
read more + Dr Raghav Pant Highly Commended in the 2020 Vice-Chancellor Innovation Awards Congratulations to Dr Raghav Pant (Senior Research Associate, Environmental Change Institute) who has been Highly Commended in the Early Career category of the Vice-Chancellor Innovation Awards 2020 for his work on 'New modelling tools to help governments and decisions makers minimise the risks from infrastructure failures'
24/07/2024 July 2020 -
read more + Immediate action needed to stem the flow of plastic into the ocean, finds report A new analysis by The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, the University of Leeds, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Common Seas, found that the annual flow of plastic into the ocean could nearly triple by 2040. The release of this report coincides with the publication of 'Evaluating Scenarios Toward Zero Plastic Pollution', in the journal Science and co-authored by Richard Bailey (Professor of Environmental Systems).
22/07/2022 July 2020 -
read more + We still don't know if warmer weather slows down the spread of COVID-19 In a new analysis, a team of researchers from Oxford's Smith School, Environmental Change Institute, Institute for New Economic Thinking and Martin School highlight key limitations of available data, concluding that it is currently impossible to know whether more people contract COVID-19 in hot or cold weather. [Extensive media coverage including the Daily Mail, the Telegraph, and the Independent]
read more + New collaboration for climate-resilient infrastructure in Ghana Launched in July 2020, 'Enhancing the resilience of national infrastructure systems' is a key step in Ghana's efforts to develop resilient infrastructure that is aligned with national priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Partners include Ghana's Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), the United Nations Environment Programme, UNOPS, the Global Centre on Adaptation and the ITRC team at ECI, led by Jim Hall.
16/07/2016 July 2020 -
read more + That Siberian Heat Wave? Yes, Climate Change Was a Big Factor 2020's record-breaking 38 degree heatwave in Siberia would have been all but impossible without human influence on climate change, reports the New York Times. Dr Friederike Otto and the World Weather Attribution team found that global warming made this year's long hot spell 600 times more likely. [Extensive media coverage included BBC, CNN, Guardian, Economist, FT, Washington Post, Daily Mail, Metro UK, USA Today]
15/07/2015 July 2020 -
read more + Better company environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance improves economic growth New research from the Smith School finds that private sector companies' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices positively affect macroeconomic performance including GDP. In a working paper, Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme researchers Xiaoyu Zhou, Ben Caldecott, and Elizabeth Harnett perform the first empirical study to examine the effect of firm-level ESG practices on macroeconomic performance across both developed and emerging economies.
15/07/2015 July 2020 -
read more + Reducing the carbon footprint of academic travel post COVID-19 Prior to the global pandemic, researchers identified an uncomfortable truth: the very meetings and events meant to support the fight against climate change were themselves causing vast greenhouse gas emissions through international air travel. Building on learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of Oxford researchers have identified new measures, published this week in the journal Nature, that may reduce the carbon footprint of conference travel by up to 90%.
14/07/2014 July 2020 -
read more + EU makes world's biggest 'green recovery' pledge - but will it hit the mark? After 90 hours of intense negotiations, European Union leaders reached a COVID-19 recovery deal that included devoting nearly 550 billion euros to green projects over the next seven years - the largest single climate pledge ever made. With comment from Brian O'Callaghan, researcher at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. [Reuters]
13/07/2013 July 2020 -
read more + Why Africa's heatwaves are a forgotten impact of climate change Recent summers have demonstrated dramatically that heatwaves are not only deadly, but they are already being influenced by human-induced climate change. In this guest post for Carbon Brief, Luke Harrington and Friederike Otto explain why extreme heat events in sub-Saharan Africa are not routinely monitored, meaning that heat-related deaths are chronically underreported - putting even more people in danger.
08/07/2008 July 2020 -
read more + A view on climate change from the treetops of Western Africa The tropical forest canopy is one of the Earth's underexplored frontiers. To understand how these unique environments respond to climate change a team from the Ecosystems Lab at the University of Oxford and partner institutes in Ghana gathered evidence from the treetops, finding drier forests are at greater risk. This University of Oxford science blog post explores what it's like to do research and fieldwork in this unique part of the world.
read more + Dry tropical forests may be more at risk than wet rainforests Dry tropical forests are more vulnerable to the impacts of global warming than had been thought, according to new research from ECI's Ecosystems group, with wildlife and plants at severe risk of harm from human impacts. A new study, published in Nature Communications, found that areas with a drier climate have seen greater loss of biodiversity from global warming, the Guardian reports.
02/07/2002 July 2020 -
read more + Eyes in the sky: Investors reach for new tools to gauge climate change risk A growing network of asset managers, academics, start-up entrepreneurs and campaigners are working to harness an armada of recently deployed satellites to better predict the economic impact of global warming. At the forefront of this work, the Spatial Finance initiative - led by Ben Caldecott - explores the integration of geospatial analysis into financial decisions for information markets, financial products, and risk management. [Reuters]
01/07/2001 July 2020 -
read more + Pioneering food systems teaching programme steps into the virtual sphere In response to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching and Learning (IFSTAL) programme held its first online summer school to resounding success at the end of June 2020. IFSTAL is coordinated by the Food Systems Transformation Group within the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford.
read more + Accounting for the impacts of our food As society grapples with the urgency and complexity of transforming the global food system, it is crucial to understand the true costs of the food we eat. A new report, Valuing the Impact of Food, provides a pathway towards costing the true impact of getting food on our plates, include diet-related disease, poverty and use of natural resources. Led by Steven Lord, the report is part of the Food System Impact Valuation Initiative (FoodSIVI).
11/06/2011 June 2020 -
read more + Al Gore joins GOTO Climate Action Summit Al Gore, the Former US Vice President, was the keynote speaker at the Oxford MBA Global Opportunities and Threats (GOTO) programme Climate Summit. In 2020 GOTO was co-led by Aoife Brophy Haney, lecturer in Innovation and Enterprise at the Smith School, and focused on the theme of climate action. The keynote lecture recording and transcript are available online.
read more + Treat the System, Not the Symptoms: Covid-19 lessons for the Climate Crisis The business response to Covid-19 can teach us vital lessons about the climate emergency, say Aoife Brophy Haney (Smith School and Said Business School) and Peter Drobac (Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship) in the Independent. Three features of business responses offer critical insights for ways to accelerate the response to the climate crisis: people, place and partnership.
read more + Rethinking water for SDG 6 The world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation by 2030. Writing in Nature Sustainability, Edoardo Borgomeo, honorary research associate at the ECI, urges a rapid change of the economics, engineering and management frameworks that guided water policy and investments in the past in order to address the water challenges of our time.
23/05/2023 May 2020 -
read more + Carbon pricing, offsetting needed to tackle climate change Two articles in the Economist's May 23 2020 edition include comment from Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme and Associate Professor at the Smith School. New technology can enable better carbon offsetting - for example the use of high-resolution satellite imagery means that it is possible to know exactly when a tree is cut down. The edition also features Smith School research on the green economic recovery from COVID19.
read more + Guardian: UK infrastructure 'under threat from climate breakdown' Energy networks, water utilities, communications, transport and other essential services are all at risk due to flooding, heatwaves and other climate change impacts in the UK. A new report from the National Infrastructure Commission features work from ECI's Raghav Pant, Tom Russell, Conrad Zorn, Edward Oughton and Jim Hall, and urges the government to explore plans for resilient infrastructure. [Report: bit.ly/2ZMUebF]
20/05/2020 May 2020 -
read more + 'Dust bowl' heatwaves now more than twice as likely due to climate change Record-breaking temperatures across the US Great Plains during the Dust Bowl 1930s were caused by long-lasting and intense heatwaves. New research finds that the US is now at least 2.5 times more likely to experience a Dust Bowl-level heatwave than it was in the 1930s. Coverage included the Guardian, Forbes and the Daily Mail.
19/05/2019 May 2020 -
read more + PM's Council for Science and Technology Jim Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks, has been appointed to the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology. The CST advises 10 Downing Street on science and technology policy issues across government.
read more + Electric bikes could help people return to work The BBC covers a new report from CREDS UK, led by Nick Eyre, exploring how electric bikes can help people get to work safely, and in an environmentally and economically sustainable way, during coronavirus.
read more + Oxford COVID-19 Impact Monitor Dr Won Do Lee has been involved in a research project entitled Oxford COVID-19 Impact Monitor. It seeks to develop an online interactive digital dashboard and involves collaboration with Oxford University researchers across several departments.
read more + More than a blame game Assessing how climate change affects extreme weather can improve climate science itself. This article in The conversation from Fredi Otto, acting director of the ECI, explains rapid attribution science and how it helps us to see, understand and better predict the impacts of global warming.
08/05/2008 May 2020 -
read more + Build back better: Green COVID-19 recovery packages can boost economic growth and stop climate change An analysis of possible COVID-19 economic recovery packages shows the potential for strong alignment between the economy and the environment. Research from Oxford's Smith School reveals that climate-friendly policies can deliver a better result for the economy - and the environment. Led by Cameron Hepburn, the team included Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz and well-known climate economist Nicholas Stern. Extensive international media coverage included Guardian, FT, Telegraph, Reuters, Bloomberg, O Globo, Times of India, La Repubblica, Sydney Morning Herald.
07/05/2007 May 2020 -
read more + Environmental activism goes digital in lockdown... but could it change the movement for good? April 22 marked the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, and a few days later a global school strike was being organised by Fridays for Future. But after months of careful planning, both events were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic - so they went online instead. In this article for The Conversation, William Finnegan looks at the future of environmental activism.
06/05/2006 May 2020 -
read more + Destination: green airline bailouts The impacts of COVID-19 on aviation are only just beginning to be felt. In this article for The Conversation, Professor Cameron Hepburn and Brian Callaghan look at how governments could use bailouts to encourage innovation and get something for all of us, and the climate, in return.
02/05/2002 May 2020 -
read more + Halve the farmland, save nature, feed the world Scientists have demonstrated that humans could restore roughly half the planet as a natural home for all wildlife, while at the same time feeding a growing population and limiting climate change. The new Nature Sustainability paper is from Michael Obersteiner, incoming director at the ECI.
28/04/2028 Apr 2020 -
read more + Rethinking the economics of water Water is rising on the policy agenda as population growth and climate change intensify scarcity, shocks, and access inequalities. A special edition of the Oxford Review of Economic Policy addresses this, drawing on expertise across a wide range of topics and geographies. The issue outlines the challenges, opportunities and lessons of water economics, bringing together a range of insights of direct relevance for the people who are making current water policy decisions.
28/04/2028 Apr 2020 -
read more + Insects... the little things that run the world Insects, those creepy crawlies with six legs that some people love and others hate, are the little things that run the world. In a new blog post, Cecilia Dahlsjö looks at why insects are so key for the planet. The post introduces a special issue of Biotropica on the future of tropical invertebrate research.
27/04/2027 April 2020 -
read more + Three charts that show where the coronavirus death rate is heading Three graphs of mortality data tell the story of the direction the UK and the world are heading in after the peak of the coronavirus outbreak. Prof Danny Dorling tries to paint a clearer picture of the direction in which we are heading in an article for The Conversation.
read more + Identifying the green growth tigers of the 21st century China, Italy, USA and the UK among countries that could win big in the global transition to a green economy, finds new research from the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment and the Oxford Martin School.
read more + Food policy innovation in the COVID-19 crisis Saher Hasnain, postdoctoral researcher and coordinator for the Foresight4Food Initiative, writes the first post in a series of reflection pieces and commentaries on food policy innovation in the COVID-19 crisis.
17/04/2017 April 2020 -
read more + How neoliberalism shapes urban nature: new book out! In her book Les Natures de la Ville Néolibérale (The Natures of the Neoliberal City) (UGA Editions, 2019), SoGE Departmental Lecturer Marion Ernwein examines the ways in which neoliberal urbanism shapes these evolutions, their promises and their potential.
15/04/2015 Apr 2020 -
read more + Mapped: How climate change affects extreme weather around the world A new map from Carbon Brief collates the numerous studies that look at the potential link between climate change and extreme weather such as floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms. For the first time, the map includes the rapid attribution studies carried out by Friederike Otto and the World Weather Attribution team.
12/04/2012 April 2020 -
read more + Hackathon - Bogota, Colombia As the COVID-19 epidemic reached Colombia and the possibility of a national lockdown was being proposed, Dr Juan Pablo Orjuela took part in a hackathon organised by NUMO, in alliance with Despacio and Datasketch. The main aim was to analyse available data on COVID-19 and Bogota's mobility systems to contribute to solutions aimed at improving transport during the pandemic.
09/04/2009 Apr 2020 -
read more + Three graphs that show a global slowdown in COVID-19 deaths There have been numerous graphs and charts mapping the rise of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. In his latest article for The Conversation, Professor Danny Dorling uses smoothed data visualisations to explore the deceleration in coronavirus deaths around the world.
read more + ECI partners with the United Nations on sustainable infrastructure Billions of dollars are being invested in infrastructure, and more is now being planned to help recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Launching a new joint initiative led by Jim Hall, UN leaders highlight how important it is that this infrastructure contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals.
07/04/2007 April 2020 -
read more + Resilience post Covid-19 After the coronavirus we need to review how to increase capacity and adaptability across the economy. Ben Caldecott, Director of Oxford's Sustainable Finance Programme, reflects on how short-run cost optimisation has resulted in systems that are not sufficiently resilient to shocks. This article first appeared on BusinessGreen.com on 26 March 2020.
07/04/2007 April 2020 -
read more + Homeschooling during coronavirus: five ways to teach children about climate change As schools have closed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, many families are finding themselves thrust into homeschooling. William Finnegan, PhD candidate in the Environmental Change Institute's Energy program, offers lessons from the emerging field of climate change education on how to teach learners of all ages.
06/04/2006 April 2020 -
read more + Coronavirus may slow long-term climate action There has been a short-term reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as a consequence of measures aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19. However, after recovery from the current crisis we will still be facing the same policy challenges for meeting our climate targets, and there is real danger that climate action might be delayed, explains Dr Linus Mattauch to Argus media.
read more + Finalist for the Guardian University Awards 2020 The University of Oxford's #TruePlanet campaign, which featured researchers from across the School of Geography and the Environment, has been selected as a finalist in the Guardian's annual awards. The campaign, which highlighted Oxford's global research on climate, energy, food, water, waste and biodiversity, is shortlisted in the category of marketing and communications.
02/04/2002 April 2020 -
read more + How energy-efficient LED bulbs lit up India in just five years Dr Radhika Khosla and colleagues explore the unprecedented expansion of India's light emitting diode (LED) bulb market in a guest post for Carbon Brief. Three lessons emerge for future low-carbon technology innovation and market expansion in India and other developing countries.
01/04/2001 April 2020 -
read more + India's astonishing transition to low-carbon LEDs To achieve net zero emissions and stabilise global climate, countries need to adopt imported low-carbon technologies at scale or develop and transfer new technologies themselves. In India, new research on the unprecedented shift to LEDs - which use 75% less energy - shows how this can be done for lighting.
read more + Covid-19 bailouts, then what? Dr Ben Caldecott argues the clamour for green strings to be attached to bailout packages could be misguided - could government take a long term stake in struggling companies instead and demand bolder climate strategies as a shareholder? This article first appeared on BusinessGreen.com on 31st March 2020.
read more + New paper released on World Water Day looks at the impact of human modification on the water cycle A new paper examines the role of the water cycle in tackling climate change and the effect that human modifications have on the water cycle. The paper includes contributions by Professor Simon Dadson, Professor of Hydrology at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, and was released to coincide with World Water Day.
20/03/2020 Mar 2020 -
read more + Guardian Comment: At the Glasgow climate conference, the UK could kickstart a green tech revolution Cop26 is a chance to see how 'unicorn' technologies can take greenhouse gas emissions to near zero, writes Dr Mike Mason, fellow of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. The UK has an opportunity to build coalitions of the willing to invest in technology clusters with the potential to unlock multiple benefits across whole energy ecosystems.
17/03/2017 Mar 2020 -
read more + Flow State: New Incentives, Strategies and Innovations for Water Scarcity Water scarcity is spreading around the world and incentives to improve efficiency and sustainability have failed to scale up as hoped. A global initiative from The Nature Conservancy and the University of Oxford (led by Dustin Garrick) aims to coordinate innovations in governance, data and finance and link research with implementation to identify the regions where investments could make the biggest difference.
14/03/2014 Mar 2020 -
read more + Five tough questions to ask about reaching net zero climate targets Anyone setting a net zero target - and the citizens, activists, consumers, and investors holding them to account - should be considering these 5 key challenges, explain physical and social scientists Myles Allen, Thomas Hale, Tim Kruger, Stephen Smith and Kaya Axelsson in the Independent.
13/05/2013 March 2020 -
read more + Can rationing carbon help fight climate change? Dr Tina Fawcett, senior researcher in ECI's Energy Group, comments on personal carbon allowances including potential issues around equitability for poorer households in this article from recently launched 'BBC Future Planet', a new initiative dedicated to the environment.
11/05/2011 March 2020 -
read more + Brazil's Amazonian Battle Dr Erika Berenguer discusses the impact of deforestation on the Amazon rainforest and global carbon emissions in episode 3 of "Politics of Climate Change", an investigative documentary from Channel News Asia. [Watch from minute 9:00]
10/03/2010 Mar 2020 -
read more + China Daily: Build value for the aged More investment in green infrastructure assets could be an effective way for China to close its pension gap. With comment from Smith School Emeritus Professor Gordon Clark.
09/03/209 March 2020 -
read more + OxRBL celebrates British Science Week in new series of blog posts Each day this week, you can read a new blog post published by the Oxford Resilient Buildings and Landscapes Lab (OxRBL). The articles will look at who OxRBL are, what they do, and the challenges they face in using science to conserve heritage.
09/03/2009 March 2020 -
read more + Climate change: What is the future of our food? Dr Monika Zurek and Dr Jim Woodhill, from the Food Systems Group at ECI, join the University of Oxford Futuremakers podcast to discuss the the future of food: from global warming and the impact of diet on carbon footprint, to lab-grown meat and new technologies that may make our food supply more adaptable and robust. #TruePlanet
read more + Climate change made Australia's fire season 30% more likely The new rapid attribution study was co-authored by Australian scientists as well as Dr Friederike Otto and World Weather Attribution. They concluded the results were highly conservative, and that weather conditions that make fires more likely will continue to worsen. Extensive coverage included Nature News, BBC, New Scientist.
05/03/205 March 2020 -
read more + Spotlight on Research: paving the way for healthier, zero carbon transport Inactivity is now one of the top four risk factors for premature deaths. In response to this, the Transport Studies Unit's Christian Brand has helped develop the World Health Organisation 'HEAT' tool, which quantifies the health and carbon benefits of walking and cycling, and is used by local and national governments across the globe.
05/03/205 March 2020 -
read more + Geography at Oxford retains top spot in new QS World University Rankings The University of Oxford has been named the world's best university for the study of eight different academic disciplines, including Geography, according to the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject. Oxford earned the highest number of subject firsts in the UK for the second year in a row.
04/05/2004 March 2020 -
read more + Climate change and flooding on BBC Radio 4 In the wake of storms and flooding across the UK, Jim Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risk, discusses potential policies for UK coastal communities that are under threat due to climate change. [Listen from 20:50]
04/03/204 Mar 2020 -
read more + Evaluating what works (or doesn't) in energy innovation policy How does public spending impact clean energy innovation? The evidence on what works best, and why, is still surprisingly limited. Jacquelyn Pless and Cameron Hepburn develop a framework for energy innovation policy and programme evaluation for generating a wider evidence base in a new paper for Nature Energy.
03/03/203 March 2020 -
read more + Free public transport in Luxembourg In an attempt to incentivise people to use cars less often, in favour of greener public transport options, all buses, trams, and trains in Luxembourg were made free of charge at the start of this month. The TSU's Tim Schwanen discusses the initiative, and its political nature, and questions whether it will balance out social and economic inequalities - in an article on the Are We Europe website.
03/03/203 Mar 2020 -
read more + Project RISE and the University of Zambia hold a joint Interdisciplinary Workshop on Renewable Energy Solutions for Zambia Deployment of renewable energy technology is a promising pathway for sustainable development globally. In this context, an Interdisciplinary Workshop on Renewable Energy Solutions for Rural Zambia was held on 5 November 2019 at the University of Zambia. This workshop was part of the impact activities undertaken under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supported RISE: Renewable, Innovative and Scalable Electrification project.
02/03/202 Mar 2020 -
read more + A remote sensing algorithm to detect giant kelp forests in the world ocean Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is the keystone species of one of the richest and most productive marine ecosystems on Earth, but detailed info on its distribution is entirely missing in some marine ecoregions, especially the high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. In a recent publication, an international team led by SoGE DPhil student Alejandra Mora-Soto, employed satellite imagery to detect giant kelp, validated it with drone imagery from multiple sites, and created the first global high-resolution map of giant kelp.
29/02/2029 Feb 2020 -
read more + Cultivating a connected food system in Davos Dr Monika Zurek from the ECI's Food System Transformation Group was invited to present her work as an 'Idea Giver' at the World Economic Forum 2020 (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. Dr Zurek's work explores food and nutrition security outcomes, options for change and potential trade-offs.
27/02/2027 Feb 2020 -
read more + When will the Amazon hit a tipping point? Scientists say climate change, deforestation and fires could cause the world's largest rainforest to dry out and change to savannah. Erika Berenguer comments on the impact of fire on the Amazon ecosystem in this news article from Nature.
26/02/2026 Feb 2020 -
read more + How can we ensure our investments don't harm the environment? There is a massive and sustained interest in aligning finance with sustainability. Individual savers, shareholders, politicians and regulators all have a part to play, writes Ben Caldecott for the Telegraph 'Power of Us' campaign.
26/02/2026 Feb 2020 -
read more + MIT Tech Review 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2020 Climate change attribution, a growing area of research that allows scientists to understand climate change's role in extreme weather, has been named one of Tech Review's top breakthroughs of 2020. This research is led by World Weather Attribution, based in the Environmental Change Institute and led by acting director Dr Fredi Otto.
24/02/2024 Feb 2020 -
read more + Project RISE advises Ugandan government on designing its National Energy Policy Following the workshop in Zambia last November, Project RISE held its second interactive stakeholder workshop on December 10th, 2019 in Kampala, Uganda. More than 50 senior energy sector stakeholders from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Electricity Regulatory Authority, and Rural Electrification Agency as well as mini-grid businesses, district government representatives, industry and non-governmental organization experts, donors, and academia came together to discuss the way forward for off-grid energy in Uganda.
24/02/2024 Feb 2020 -
read more + Going vegan with BBC Good Food This in-depth article explores how a vegan diet can be better for the environment and investigates the impact of 'Veganuary'. Featuring research from Joseph Poore and comment from Helen Beecham of the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN).
22/02/2022 Feb 2020 -
read more + Why A New Wave Of Economists Are Championing Slow Economic Growth Kate Raworth, ecological economist at the Environmental Change Institute, joined On Point (Boston Radio) with Meghna Chakrabarti to discuss society's 'obsession' with economic growth, and what alternatives we could turn to for signs that our economy, society and planet are healthy.
21/02/2021 Feb 2020 -
read more + World-class energy research to drive a net zero future As a step towards achieving the UK's net-zero target, funding announced this week will enable engineers, social scientists and natural scientists to conduct vital research on global energy challenges and their implications for the UK. The fourth phase of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) will receive £22 million and Dr Christian Brand will co-lead its 'Energy for Mobility' research theme.
21/02/2021 Feb 2020 -
read more + Spotlight on Research - Rural water risk: sharing responsibility in Kenya Find out more about the work of Dr Johanna Koehler and her colleagues in the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment's Water Programme, investigating different ways of managing water risks in rural Kenya. The vast majority of the rural population in Kenya rely on pumps and pipes for their water supply. However, when they break, they are often not repaired for a long time, as they fall outside of formal water service provision areas.
21/02/2021 Feb 2020 -
read more + 'Natural' flood management would be overwhelmed by Britain's winter super-floods Work undertaken by Professor Simon Dadson and colleagues on the most comprehensive meta-analysis of natural flood management to date has concluded that while 'natural solutions' are useful for reducing nuisance floods they would be overwhelmed by the types of super-floods seen in the UK this winter.
20/02/2020 Feb 2020 -
read more + What Jeff Bezos could do with his $10bn climate change fund The Earth Fund will need to pick investments carefully to identify technologies where modest changes can have a snowball effect. "10 billion from a single person is hugely generous, but it's tiny compared to the need to redirect $1-2 trillion a year away from fossil fuels," explains Cameron Hepburn in the Telegraph.
19/02/2019 Feb 2020 -
read more + Prof Myles Allen's scientific life profiled on BBC Radio 4 On 'The Life Scientific' Myles Allen tells Jim Al-Khalili how our ability to predict climate change has evolved from the early days, when scientists had to rely on the combined computing power of hundreds of thousands of personal computers. He sheds light on how the IPCC works and explains why, he believes, fossil fuel industries must be forced to clean up the carbon dioxide that they emit - a plausible solution, he says, to the "deeply solvable problem" of human-induced climate change.
19/02/2019 Feb 2020 -
read more + BCM Alum's ecosystem management software wins conservation tech prize Recent graduate Daniel Oberhauser researched and developed his ecosystem management app alongside his MPhil in Biodiversity Conservation and Management. His innovative idea, linking blockchain smart contract payments with cloud-based remote sensing, won a $20,000 ConXTech Prize at the end of 2019.
17/02/2017 Feb 2020 -
read more + Satellites Are Helping the Municipal-Bond Market Assess Climate Risk The potential financial applications for satellite technology led researchers at the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme to coin the term "spatial finance" and to launch an initiative last year with groups like the Green Finance Institute to foster the use of geospatial data in markets.
14/02/2014 Feb 2020 -
read more + RISE presents findings to the Zambian High Commission Dr Susann Stritzke has presented the findings of project 'RISE' during a meeting with at the Zambian High Commission to the UK. In an exchange with HE Ltd Paul Mihova, High Commissioner to the UK, the importance of attracting private sector developers and investors through a coherent regulatory framework in the Zambian energy sector as well as the necessity of enhancing the productive use of energy in rural areas have been discussed. Both parties confirmed their ongoing cooperation with regard to RE research for Zambia.
read more + Climate Assembly UK Nick Eyre joined the UK's first nationwide citizens' assembly on climate change to provide expert information on heat and energy use in the home. Five other members of the Oxford-led Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDs) also provided advice. Climate Assembly UK brings together over 100 members from all walks of life and of all shades of opinion to discuss how the UK should achieve net zero.
07/02/2007 Feb 2020 -
read more + Home Truths Report UK homes are under threat from climate change, including increases in the frequency and severity of extreme weather like heat waves, flooding and storms. A new report from the Climate Coalition and the Priestley International Centre for Climate Change features a chapter from Friederike Otto describing the impact that climate change is already having on UK weather and homes.
06/02/2006 Feb 2020 -
read more + Save the giants, save the planet Habitat loss, hunting, logging and climate change have put many of the world's largest and most charismatic species at risk. But a new study from Yadvinder Malhi and the University of Arizona has found that protecting megafauna such as elephants, rhinos and whales - and large trees like sequoias - has a disproportionate positive impact on the health of the planet and resilience to climate change.
05/02/2005 Feb 2020 -
read more + Could your idea tip the climate change balance? The world isn't moving fast enough to stop global warming. But what if a small change could trigger outsized impacts? Submit your 'runaway solution' to global warming for a chance to win 1000 euros and pitch your winning idea to a team at the University of Oxford.
read more + Going freelance A study from Zurich and the Smith School on agile workforce has found that 38 percent of respondents in Malaysia who are currently in full-time employment are looking to enter the gig economy in the next 12 months. Globally, an average of 20 percent of the workforce plan to go freelance.
31/01/2031 Jan 2020 -
read more + Oxford Sustainable Finance Executive Education Reception The Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme is now inviting applications for three courses in 2020. Those interested in joining the courses, as well as previous alumni, contributors, and supporters are invited to attend a reception from 6:30pm on Tuesday 10th March 2020 at the British Academy, Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH.
31/01/2031 Jan 2020 -
read more + Spotlight on Research: mapping the hidden values of Bicester's green spaces Take a look at the first feature in our new series in which we speak to researchers about their current projects. ECI ecosystems researcher Alison Smith explains her work to create a toolkit to help Bicester's urban planners map 'green infrastructure' and deliver their vision of a garden town and healthy new town.
31/01/2031 Jan 2020 -
read more + Nature launches new food journal Volume 1 Issue 1 of the new Nature Food journal features two articles from ECI. John Ingram discusses why nutrition security is more than food security, and the wider Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching And Learning (IFSTAL) team highlight their unique approach to equip graduate professionals with the skills, tools and capabilities to better understand and manage food-system complexity.
31/01/2031 Jan 2020 -
read more + Beyond 1 trillion trees: understanding the values and limits of nature-based solutions Done wrong, tree-planting could hurt people and the environment. A new paper provides much-needed clarity on the potential and challenges of this and other 'nature-based solutions'. It features as part of a thematic issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society focused on the interaction between ecosystems and climate change - with cover image from Dr Cecile Girardin.
30/01/2030 Jan 2020 -
read more + Five ways to turn CO2 from pollution to a valuable product There is currently little economic incentive for industries that emit CO2 to capture it, let alone to draw it directly down from the atmosphere. Identifying valuable products and how to make them might kickstart CO2 removal on an industrial scale, and help bring down emissions in the process, explains this post in the Conversation.
29/01/2029 January 2020 -
read more + New visions for the future of small-scale farming Small scale farming is directly connected to the livelihoods of 40% of the world's population. A new report from ECI's Food Systems Transformation Programme explores the future of small-scale farms in our changing global food systems. It finds that current measures such as subsidies and price support schemes are often ineffective, and fail to tackle the deeper and longer-term structural challenges of transforming small-scale agriculture.
29/01/2029 Jan 2020 -
read more + A brief history of electric cars The idea that electric vehicles, or 'EVs', are new is thoroughly misguided. In a video for The Times, Tim Schwanen explains the history of the EV, from its birth in the early 1800s through to the climate emergency today, being touted "an important part of the future of urban mobility". However, he explains, to make our transport systems truly sustainable "we will need to move away from owned vehicles towards walking, cycling and public transport".
29/01/2029 Jan 2020 -
read more + Do Carbon Offsets Really Work? It Depends on the Details Purchasing carbon offsets "is clearly better than doing nothing," Cameron Hepburn tells Wired. But key considerations include the need for companies to already be reducing emissions and assurance that offsets aren't replacing other actions.
28/01/2028 Jan 2020 -
read more + Leadership in a Climate Emergency Webinar People around the world are waking up to the huge climate risks facing our planet. Many leaders are actively adapting their strategy to address the climate emergency with their business, for example by committing to reach net zero.
28/01/2028 Jan 2020 -
read more + Rewilding the Arctic could stop permafrost thaw and reduce climate change risks A new paper from the School of Geography and the Environment, and the Environmental Change Institute, suggests that wide-scale introduction of large herbivores to the Arctic tundra could be an economically viable way of restoring the 'mammoth steppe' grassland ecosystem and mitigating global warming.
21/01/2021 January 2020 -
read more + Finding the Heads: Oxford's mystery statues Central Oxford is guarded by statues of 17 unknown figures. What is the history behind the mysterious Oxford heads, scattered across the city? Professor Heather Viles and Dr Katrin Wilhelm explore who they are and how they came to be here, in this short video.
17/01/2017 Jan 2020 -
read more + Clever vlogs open Oxford to minorities Second year geography undergraduate Tony Farag is contributing author in The Sunday Times' piece about how student vloggers, or "study tubers", are playing an important role in Oxbridge access campaigns. "I think the value of student-led outreach work is the honesty it comes with as well as the relatability," Tony explains. "Prospective students can really relate to the person on the screen."
15/01/2015 Jan 2020 -
read more + SoGE becomes a test lab for carbon-saving technologies in 2020 Facilities Manager Alex Black and his team have been working closely with the University's Estates Sustainability Team to plan an exciting year of new-tech trials and carbon-saving initiatives. From a new cooling system, to smart heating and lab equipment upgrades; it is hoped that these initiatives prove viable enough to roll out across the University Estate, enabling carbon reduction targets to be met.
13/01/2013 Jan 2020 -
read more + Half UK universities commit to divesting from fossil fuels Following years-long student campaigns, some 78 of the UK's 154 public universities have committed to at least partially divest from fossil fuels. This includes a pledge from the University of Oxford to remove direct investment from coal and tar sand projects. However, divestment is not necessarily the only option. Dr Ben Caldecott spoke to the Financial Times about the impact of effective engagement and stewardship.
08/01/208 Jan 2020 -
read more + First human ancestors to leave Africa died out in Java, scientists say Professor Richard Bailey has worked on a project dating Homo erectus bones found on the Indonesian island of Java. The team's findings, published in Nature, confirm that Homo erectus - one of the most successful human ancestors and the first to walk fully upright - roamed the planet for 1.8m years
08/01/2008 January 2020 -
read more + Apocalypse Cow: How Meat Killed the Planet In a provocative new Channel 4 documentary, George Monbiot argues that the biggest problem driving us towards global disaster is how we feed ourselves. Yadvinder Malhi joins George to talk about the importance of trees - and reminds viewers that Britain is one of the most deforested landscapes on Earth.
02/01/202 Jan 2020 -
read more + Professor Sarah Whatmore named in 2020 New Year's Honours list Sarah Whatmore, Professor of Environment and Public Policy at the School of Geography and the Environment, has been appointed a DBE for services to the study of environmental policy, for her research into flood management decision making. The Dame Commander (DBE) is the second highest rank in the order.
02/01/2002 Jan 2020 -
read more + Letter to the Editor - Carbon Utilisation Extensive coverage in the Economist of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) prompted a response from Professor Cameron Hepburn, Director of the Smith School. The letter highlights recent research on CO2 utilisation as well as the potential of mandatory carbon sequestration - requiring fossil-fuel companies to capture and safely dispose of a fraction of the carbon dioxide that they extract or import - to speed investment in CCUS technologies.
31/12/1931 December 2019 -
read more + Best of Today Kate Raworth, Senior Research Associate at ECI and creator of Doughnut Economics, joined BBC Radio 4 Today for a special programme guest-edited by climate activist Greta Thunberg. The feature also included Greta's first discussion with Sir David Attenborough.
21/12/1921 December 2019 -
read more + The UN climate talks ended in deadlock. Is this really the best the world can manage? Opinion piece in the Guardian on the disappointing outcome of COP25 from journalist Aruna Chandrasekhar, currently on the MSc in Environmental Change Management. "But dysfunctional as they are, COPs are perhaps the only international legal forum that are partly open to observers to witness geopolitics and global call-out culture first-hand. And it's those witnesses - all of us - who must apply the pressure," writes Aruna.
20/12/1920 December 2019 -
read more + Nature's 10 Ecologist Sandra Díaz, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and visiting Professor at ECI Oxford, has been named as one of Nature's ten people who mattered in science in 2019. "We cannot live a fulfilling life, a life as we know it, without nature," Diaz says. "And if economies continue to run in such a destructive way, a new economic model is needed for nature and people."
20/12/1920 Dec 2019 -
read more + Global Proxy Watch Top 10 Global Proxy Watch has named Dr Ben Caldecott as one of the 10 individuals who achieved breakthrough impact on corporate governance in 2019. Dr Caldecott was honoured as the founder of the fast-growing Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment. GPW is the newsletter of international corporate governance and stewardship, read by funds with more than US$30 trillion in assets.
17/12/1917 Dec 2019 -
read more + Why and how we should support citizen-led walking and cycling projects A new Policy Brief from the DePICT project has concluded that citizen-led walking and cycling projects suffer from a lack of financial and physical security. The briefing makes a number of recommendations to help policy-makers better facilitate grassroots projects that, the authors explain, "offer a number of valuable benefits to their respective cities".
17/12/1917 Dec 2019 -
read more + How Africa will be affected by climate change Professor Richard Washington has explained to the BBC World Service why Africa is more vulnerable to the world's changing weather patterns than any other region. Key parts of the system, such as the Congo Basin, are very understudied: "We know remarkably little about that climate system - it is scarcely even monitored - there are more reporting rain gauges in the UK county of Oxfordshire than the entire Congo Basin," he commented. We share how Richard and other Oxford Geography researchers are working to close the knowledge gap in this area.
16/12/1916 December 2019 -
read more + Changing risks of simultaneous global breadbasket failure What does climate change mean for our global food system? New research from Franziska Gaupp, Simon Dadson and Jim Hall finds that climate shocks increase the risk that multiple global breadbaskets fail at the same time. Coverage of this and related University of Oxford research in the Washington Post explains, "Extreme weather patterns are raising the risk of a global food crisis, and climate change will make this worse." The research is published in Nature Climate Change.
16/12/1916 Dec 2019 -
read more + Fiona Ferbrache's book chosen as a 2019 Outstanding Academic Title Dr Fiona Ferbrache's book Transit Oriented Development and Sustainable Cities, which she co-edited with Richard D. Knowles (Emeritus Professor of Transport Geography, University of Salford), has been counted in the top ten percent of titles reviewed by Choice Magazine in 2019.
read more + Icebound - the climate change secrets of 19th Century ships' logbooks 'Old Weather' is a group of citizen-scientists that includes Joan Arthur, Office Coordinator at ECI. They have transcribed millions of observations from long-forgotten logbooks of ships, many from the great era of Arctic exploration. As the polar regions grow ever warmer, the volunteers have amassed a rich repository of climate data in a 21st century rescue mission. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrew Marshall investigates in a special report for Reuters.
10/12/1910 December 2019 -
read more + Solving climate change... nature or technology? The University of Oxford's Futuremakers #TruePlanet podcast has had over 100,000 listens and is the top-ranked nature podcast globally. Join Helen Gavin, Jim Hall and Nathalie Seddon as they debate technology-led and nature-based climate change solutions.
10/12/1910 Dec 2019 -
read more + Oxford researchers launch a 21st century conservation plan Researchers at the University of Oxford, including SoGE doctoral research student Joseph Poore, and their collaborators have launched a new approach called the "Conservation Hierarchy" to support governments, businesses, individuals, communities and local authorities in their efforts to tackle the loss of nature in a coordinated way.
09/12/199 Dec 2019 -
read more + Are SUVs sabotaging the green transport revolution? A new review from UKERC, co-authored by Christian Brand, reveals how the trend of purchasing bigger cars is threatening the UK's attempts to reduce emissions from the transport sector. Over the past four years, there have been 1.8 million SUV sales in the UK, compared to a total of 47 thousand for battery electric vehicles. This equates to a staggering ratio of 37:1.
09/12/199 Dec 2019 -
read more + Noah Hurton wins prize for his undergraduate dissertation on fell running The Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group awarded their 2019 dissertation prize to Noah for his work exploring the ways in which fell runners experience landscapes, and how technologies are transforming runners' relationship with the environment.
08/12/1908 December 2019 -
read more + Global heating plus inequality is a recipe for chaos - just look at Chile Dr Maisa Rojas is scientific coordinator for the COP25 climate summit, director of Chile's Centre for Climate and Resilience Research, and a visiting professor at the Environmental Change Institute. In this op-ed for the Guardian she explores the social unrest that forced COP25 to move from Santiago to Madrid and the impacts of climate change on inequality. She reminds us: only if social demands are met will ambitious and rapid climate action be feasible.
06/12/196 Dec 2019 -
read more + The Arctic's changing landscape and its impacts on life A major new study from a team of international researchers including Dr Marc Macias-Fauria reveals the impact of warming temperatures on Arctic vegetation, animal species, and human communities who rely on the stability of the Arctic food chain to survive.
04/12/1904 December 2019 -
read more + Climate change - who should we sue? To date, there have been climate change legal cases in at least 28 countries. From Greta Thunberg leading a group of young people in filing a lawsuit against five countries at the UN, to the Hague Court of Appeals upholding a historic ruling against the Dutch government, increasing numbers of people are taking legal action together to demand governments do more. Fredi Otto and Myles Allen joined the University of Oxford's #TruePlanet podcast to discuss what this rise in litigious climate action means for society as we race to meet climate targets.
03/12/1903 December 2019 -
read more + Don't hate, mitigate Dr Friederike Otto, Acting Director of the ECI, talks to Quartz about the need for climate change solutions that marry mitigation (reducing fossil fuel emissions for the long term) and adaptation (actions that protect existing communities and infrastructure now). "One way to reimagine how to tackle climate change is to put people at the heart", she explains. "It's then easier to come up with win-win solutions."
03/12/1903 Dec 2019 -
read more + APPLY NOW Departmental Lecturer and Course Director - MSc Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment The Smith School is launching a new MSc in October 2021. The course aims to address two pervasive and unmet challenges of our time: making the transition to a zero-carbon and environmentally sustainable economic model, whilst simultaneously improving the quality of life for the world's least advantaged people. The Course Director will shape the development of this ambitious new course, overseeing the development of academic content and innovative teaching methods.
02/12/1902 December 2019 -
read more + Key countries need to turn up political momentum at COP25 The UN Climate Summit, also known as COP 25, will take place in Madrid from Dec 2 to 13 2019. Dr Lisa Schipper is attending the summit, and was interviewed live on CNA (Breaking News Asia and Singapore) to share her views on the summit, the need for a just transition, and crucial agenda items including Article 6 (carbon markets) and ongoing negotiations on loss and damage.
30/11/1930 November 2019 -
read more + Brazilian government claim that Amazon fires this summer were 'normal' disproved by scientists New research from Dr Erika Berenguer and colleagues showed that the August fires in the Amazon rainforest were linked to a sharp increase in deforestation."Our paper clearly shows that without tackling deforestation, we will continue to see the largest rainforest in the world being turned to ashes," explained Erika. Extensive coverage included O Globo, the largest newspaper in Brazil, BBC World and Newsweek.
read more + Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships Early career researchers are invited to apply and ensure that they are also familiar with SoGE's internal selection process, which has an earlier deadline of January 2020.
25/11/1925 Nov 2019 -
read more + In Memoriam: Moshe Givoni It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and colleague Professor Moshe Givoni passed away on 21 November. Moshe was Senior Researcher at the Transport Studies Unit from 2007 to 2011. In that period he played a major role in the rebuilding of the TSU under Professor David Banister.
25/11/1925 Nov 2019 -
read more + Fast forwarding thinking on a Net Zero Oxfordshire The TSU's Gordon Stokes and Sam Hampton have consulted Oxford Friends of the Earth on sustainable transport and energy science, for their 'Fast Forward Oxfordshire' report. The publication sets out a vision of sustainable Net Zero Oxfordshire in 2040, and supports this with policy recommendations and examples of sustainable intiatives already happening around the world.
22/11/1922 November 2019 -
read more + New research identifies sustainable infrastructure choices for Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Arc The Oxford University-led Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC) has developed globally unique methods for simulating future population, housing growth and demand for infrastructure services. They have deployed these methods in new research to inform the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Arc - one of the UK's largest housing and transport projects. The report provides a preliminary analysis of key questions across travel time, carbon footprint, water usage, housing developments, pollution and environmental impact.
20/11/1920 Nov 2019 -
read more + Global Challenges in Transport 2020 Diversity Scholarship The Transport Studies Unit is delighted to invite applications for this scholarship, which provides a unique opportunity for under-represented voices to participate in the Global Challenges in Transport Leadership Programme.
read more + Juggling work and home: three male colleagues share their experiences On this International Men's Day, we are sharing the experiences of three of our male colleagues who have combined work and family life. By making these examples more visible, we hope to show that flexible working can benefit all of us in SoGE, no matter what our gender.
18/11/1918 Nov 2019 -
read more + Project RISE presents central research findings at a stakeholder workshop in Lusaka, Zambia Project RISE held it's first interactive stakeholder workshop themed "Renewable, Innovative and Scalable Electrification (RISE) in Zambia: Challenges and Opportunities" on 5 November 2019 in Lusaka. Over 40 participants from the public, private and academic sectors actively engaged in a discussion of the project's research findings and the next steps to be taken to enhance access to clean energy in rural Zambia.
13/11/1913 November 2019 -
read more + Only 1 in 10 of the world's largest energy companies have made plans to get to net-zero emissions Just 13 out of the largest 132 coal, electricity, and oil and gas companies have made commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero, according to research published today by the Grantham Research Institute (LSE), the Oxford Martin School, and the Transition Pathway Initiative. Authors Rupert Stuart-Smith and Cameron Hepburn are also affiliated with the Smith School and ECI.
11/11/1911 November 2019 -
read more + World Gold Council Points the Way for Gold Industry Resilience in the Face of Climate-related Risks A new report offers a more comprehensive overview of the current status of gold's climate impacts and how the sector, and gold mining in particular, might decarbonise, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Extensive coverage worldwide featured comment from Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
11/11/1911 Nov 2019 -
read more + How can cities encourage uptake of electric vehicles in residential areas with no off-street parking? Cities around the world are seeking to accelerate the transition to cleaner, greener electric vehicles (EVs), however limited charging infrastructure in dense urban areas is a problem. Oxford City Council have been trialling five different EV charging technologies and asked TSU researchers to monitor the project. Their final report provides a "wealth of insights" with policy recommendations for local authorities and government policy makers working on the EV transition.
11/11/1911 Nov 2019 -
read more + Rivers are changing all the time, and it affects their capacity to contain floods Building robust flood defences and modelling vulnerable areas is crucial if we are to avoid loss of life and livelihoods from these devastating weather events. But new research by Dr Louise Slater and colleagues reveals that the capacity of rivers to keep water flowing within their banks can change quickly - and in failing to acknowledge this, some flood models and defences may be under-equipped to deal with the consequences when they do.
08/11/1908 November 2019 -
read more + Ten ways to use CO2 and how they compare Can we turn CO2, the waste gas largely responsible for global warming, into a valuable feedstock? Cameron Hepburn and Ella Adlen explore the scale and cost of different C02 utilisation pathways in this guest post for Carbon Brief. Their research, recently published in Nature, provides the most comprehensive global picture of CO2 utilisation to date and investigates pathways including fuels and chemicals, plastics, building materials, soil management and forestry.
07/11/1907 November 2019 -
read more + Financial Times: Clear labels and innovation turn white goods green Innovation in the design and efficiency of fridges, kettles, washing machines and other appliances is one of the positive environmental stories of recent decades, but there is still room to improve. Researchers from the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment and the Environmental Change Institute feature in the Financial Times Special Report on Energy Efficiency.
07/11/1907 November 2019 -
read more + Capturing carbon dioxide to make useful products could become big business CO2 utilisation has the potential to operate at large scale and at low cost, meaning it could form part of a viable new global industry. If done correctly, using CO2 to create valuable products could help offset the cost of reducing emissions or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help to fight climate change, say a team led by researchers at the University of Oxford.
read more + Carbon emissions from loss of intact tropical forest a 'ticking time bomb' When undisturbed tropical forests are lost the long-term impact on carbon emissions is dramatically higher than earlier estimates suggest, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances. Co-authors include Dr Alexandra Morel and Professor Yadvinder Malhi from the ECI. There is an urgent need to safeguard tropical forests because they play an indispensable role in stabilizing the climate, the authors told Mongabay.
read more + Oxford #TruePlanet podcast features researchers from across the School of Geography and the Environment Climate change may be the issue that comes to define our time - but it's a hugely complex problem. The University of Oxford's Futuremakers podcast is the 'fly on the wall' to the debates between academics and leading experts from around the world on what, and how, climate action should be taken. Join researchers from across the School of Geography as they explore the existential threats from climate change, and how we can help to prevent them.
28/10/1928 October 2019 -
read more + nina.draws.scientists x ECI Instagram illustrator Nina Chhita draws trailblazing scientists (that happen to be women). A new collaboration with the University of Oxford #TruePlanet campaign highlights research from the ECI including: 🌍How to feed the world whilst mitigating climate change 🌍Opportunities for households to become more energy efficient 🌍The impact of climate change on health 🌍How humans are influencing extreme weather. Pictured: Dr Saher Hasnain (Foresight4Food), Dr Tara Garnett (Food Climate Research Network)
23/10/1923 October 2019 -
read more + New research programme pursues a sustainable future for capital-intensive industries The Oxford Smith School has today launched a new programme designed to support the transition of capital-intensive industries such as mining and construction to environmental sustainability. The programme is led by Dr Atif Ansar, Fellow of the Smith School and the Saïd Business School. Its founding benefactor is Marex Spectron, a world leading commodity broker.
23/10/1923 Oct 2019 -
read more + Oxford Geography's Uncomfortable History The first in Oxford Geography's new All-School Seminar series, hosted in collaboration with Uncomfortable Oxford, tackled the controversial history of the School's founder, Halford Mackinder. The Lecture Theatre was filled with an audience of 200 students, support staff and academics to hear Professor Gerry Kearns' talk on Mackinder and his influence, which you can listen to online now.
22/10/1922 Oct 2019 -
read more + Facilities and Footprints at a 'Circular Google' Jeremy Sigmon from the WSPM MSc catches up with his former Washington University peer Lauren Sparandara, who is now working as a sustainability manager for Google's Real Estate and Workplace Services (REWS) team. He quizzes her on the circular economy and the environment as part of the Skoll Centre Blog.
22/10/1922 Oct 2019 -
read more + Jesus College Geography Fellowships fully endowed by alumni Thanks to the generous donations of Jesus alumni (some of whom were Geographers) the College has fully endowed its two Geography Fellowships in perpetuity, ensuring the subject's rich future at the college for generations to come.
20/10/1920 October 2019 -
read more + Pioneering food systems teaching programme reaches fifth year University of Oxford students from a wide range of disciplines attended the launch of the Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching and Learning (IFSTAL) programme as it entered its fifth year. The programme aims to help address the systemic failings in food systems which have resulted in about one billion people being hungry, two billion lacking sufficient nutrients and over two billion overweight or obese - all while also causing significant environmental degradation. With over 1,400 students engaged to date, IFSTAL's alumni network is already having an influence as former students take on roles in the global food system.
18/10/1918 October 2019 -
read more + Agility will define the workforce of the future, new study finds 1 in 5 people plan to go freelance within the next year. Where self-employment has historically been considered a risky choice dictated by necessity, it is increasingly viewed as an opportunity. The job-mobility trend is driven mainly by employees' desire for flexibility, independence and control over schedules and workloads, according to a comprehensive international study undertaken by Zurich Insurance Group and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford. The research offers insights into the empowerment and protection of this new agile workforce.
18/10/1918 Oct 2019 -
read more + SoGE climate research well represented at the first African Climate Risks Conference Dr Ellen Dyer, Dr Callum Munday, Dr Rachel James, Dr Richard Jones, Dr Katrina Charles and Professor Richard Washington, all from the School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE), presented results from five large NERC and DFID funded current research projects (REACH, UMFULA, IMPALA, FRACTAL and LaunchPad) in 20 papers at the first African Climate Risks Conference in early October.
17/10/1917 October 2019 -
read more + Inaugural Philomathia Award presented for innovative work on the future of the commons The grant from the Philomathia Foundation will enable Dr Dustin Garrick to investigate one of the most fundamental puzzles in science - how and why people cooperate - in the urgent context of environmental change and resource conflicts. His work revisits the idea of the commons in a world approaching peak population alongside deepening inequality and growing threats to democratic forms of governance.
16/10/1916 October 2019 -
read more + An alternative future for the sell-side analyst: eco-warrior Dr Alex Money explores climate-related risk and the role of research analysts in this op-ed for the Financial Times. Dr Money is the Director of the Innovative Infrastructure Investment Programme at the Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and Environment and a former fund manager.
14/10/1914 Oct 2019 -
read more + DPhil/PhD Scholarship at Transport Studies Unit The Transport Studies Unit (TSU) at the School of Geography and the Environment of the University of Oxford will have one fully funded, three-year Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil/PhD) scholarship available for a citizen from a country in Africa, South and South-East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean or small island states in the Pacific or Indian Ocean. Applications are open to all but this year preference will be given to a candidate who self-identifies as female.
14/10/1914 Oct 2019 -
read more + Dr Fiona McConnell awarded a prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize Congratulations to Dr Fiona McConnell who, it was announced today, has been named as one of five recipients of the Philip Leverhulme Prize for Geography. The award supports researchers at an early stage of their careers whose work has had international impact and whose future research career is exceptionally promising.
08/10/198 Oct 2019 -
read more + DPhil Studentship available for 2020: Nature and Well-being among care leavers - people, policy and practice Applications are invited for a fully funded DPhil Studentship in the Environmental Change Institute in the University of Oxford, to be supervised by Dr Mark Hirons. The project is funded by the Welland Trust. The student will work with partners of the Welland Trust during the project, including Under the Sky, an organisation that provides opportunities in the outdoors to care experienced adults with the aim of transforming their lives.
03/10/1903 October 2019 -
read more + New PhD studentships on next wave of water governance in Africa - Apply by 15 November 2019 The Smith School is recruiting two PhD (DPhil) students to join a global research network on the next wave (NEWAVE) of water governance. The two funded posts are: 'Governing Informal Markets in Eastern Africa' and 'Rural Water Finance in Africa'. The program will develop and implement a cutting-edge research agenda on the key water governance priorities and prepare actionable insights for future directions.
01/10/1901 October 2019 -
read more + Smith School contributes to new WEF briefing on Plastics and the Environment About 350 million tonnes of plastics are produced annually, much of which ends up in landfill or the ocean. Plastic pollution, including fossil fuel use for production, is a serious threat - but some plastics are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We have partnered with the World Economic Forum to create a map and briefing outlining challenges and solutions for the future of plastic: from demand reduction, to circular economies, to chemical recycling.
30/09/1930 Sep 2019 -
read more + 'From the Field' calendar photography prizewinners announced Every summer Oxford geography undergraduate, graduate and DPhil students are invited to submit their best photos and stories 'from the field'. Congratulations to Lucy Chen (WSPM, 2018) for her prizewinning shot (above), and to Ernielly Leo (BCM, 2018) and Michelle Tran (WSPM, 2018), who were runners up. You can now buy the calendar featuring their and others' work, online and at reception.
27/09/1927 September 2019 -
read more + Storm Imelda twice as likely, ten to fifteen percent stronger, due to climate change Just as for Hurricane Harvey, the extreme rainfall and flooding caused by Tropical Storm Imelda was made more likely and intense due to global warming concludes a rapid analysis from international science partnership World Weather Attribution. Dr Friederike Otto, acting director of ECI, is one of WWA's lead scientists.
read more + Oxford evidence used in Government report recommending more ambitious clean growth policies In addition to bringing forward the proposed ban on sales of new conventional cars and vans to 2035 at the latest, the report suggests that the ban should explicitly cover hybrid EV as well as internal combustion engine vehicles. The ECI's and TSU's Christian Brand led the detailed analysis, cited as evidence for this recommendation.
25/09/1925 Sep 2019 -
read more + English people living in Wales tilted it towards Brexit, research finds At the British Science Association's annual meeting Professor Danny Dorling presented new research which suggested Wales' 52% leave vote could in part be attributed to the influence of English voters. Border towns and areas with large English communities correlated with a higher proportion of leave votes, he observed.
24/09/1924 Sep 2019 -
read more + Mongolian mining boom threatens traditional herding For six millennia, Mongolian herders adapted to water and pasture scarcity but the rapid rise in mineral extraction means their adaptive strategies are being threatened by resource extraction. Dr Troy Sternberg and recent DPhil graduate Jerome Mayaud explore whether herding can survive mining in Mongolia in The Conversation.
24/09/1924 September 2019 -
read more + Living bridges inspire new approach to circular economies Dr Aoife Haney joined the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Summit to launch a new circular economy report with Oxford's Saïd Business School. The report highlights the need for systems change and public/private sector collaboration to achieve circular economies in support of sustainable development goals.
23/09/1923 September 2019 -
read more + Landmark science report informs United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 There are large and growing gaps between agreed targets to halt global warming and the actions being taken to implement them, reveals a new report synthesising the latest science from leading climate organisations. Dr Lisa Schipper, Environmental Social Science Research Fellow at ECI, contributed to the United in Science report as a member of the UN Climate Action Summit science advisory group.
20/09/1920 September 2019 -
read more + Global Climate Strike 2019 On 20th September climate and energy scientists from the School of Geography and Environment attended the youth-led climate strike in Oxford, answering questions and sharing the latest research on net zero, mitigation, clean energy, reducing demand, attribution and more. Around 10,000 people attended the strike in Oxford, joining an estimated 4 million people worldwide.
20/09/1920 Sept 2019 -
read more + Virtual Open Day: students go the extra mile for prospective applicants who can't! We hosted our first virtual open day at the School of Geography and the Environment this week, with an Instagram Live broadcast featuring current students and a tutor, answering questions from prospective applicants and giving a tour of the department. The event was aimed at those who are unable to attend today's University-wide Open Days, and particularly to give them the opportunity to ask questions in an informal setting.
19/09/1919 September 2019 -
read more + Making maths relevant to the climate strikes One of the key demands of the UK's school climate-strike movement is that more attention is paid to climate change in the curriculum. To help address this, ECI researchers have worked with students to write new GCSE and A-level maths practice questions that help to integrate climate change into the school curriculum. Teachers are invited to use this resource and all feedback is welcome.
19/09/1919 Sept 2019 -
read more + The five major challenges facing electric vehicles Prof. Tim Schwanen responds to the government's efforts to encourage more people into electric vehicles with some notes of caution, and discusses some potential difficulties and barriers to increased usage.
17/09/1917 September 2019 -
read more + ECI to provide expert advice to the UK's first citizens assembly on climate change In September 2019 Oxford will be the first UK city to hold a citizens assembly on climate change, following a unanimous declaration of a climate emergency by the City Council. Myles Allen and Nick Eyre of the ECI will join the assembly to provide expert advice on climate science and clean energy. Citizens' assemblies on climate and ecological justice are a key demand of the Extinction Rebellion movement.
17/09/1917 September 2019 -
read more + How green is my university? Academia has gone green in a big way in recent years, but some doubt whether it will make much difference to the planet. Dr Cameron Hepburn, professor of environmental economics and Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, spoke to Times Higher Education on the leadership role of universities, engaging with big oil and the future of greenhouse gas removal.
15/09/1915 September 2019 -
read more + Air conditioning for all? Hotter world faces risk of 'cooling poverty' As extreme heat grows with climate change, finding cheaper and greener cooling is crucial to protect both people and the climate. "By the end of the century, global energy demand for cooling will be more than it is for heating," Dr Radhika Khosla told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Dr Khosla is a senior researcher at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and leads the Oxford Martin programme on the future of cooling.
read more + Highlights: The net-zero climate change conference in Oxford Didn't get a chance to attend the "Achieving Net Zero" conference in Oxford? Read this comprehensive summary from Carbon Brief, or watch the complete livestream on the Environmental Change Institute YouTube channel. Over 160 science and policy researchers, energy experts, members of government, activists and industry representatives attended the conference, with over 400 viewers tuning in online.
09/09/1909 September 2019 -
read more + Oxford climate change conference ramps up efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions Community leaders join academics from the University of Oxford and around the world at the Achieving Net Zero conference, 9-11 September, to discuss opportunities, challenges and pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming. The conference is hosted by the Environmental Change Institute and Oxford Martin School and sponsored by the University of Oxford and the Victoria University of Wellington.
06/09/1906 September 2019 -
read more + Largest ever academic conference on sustainable finance takes place at the University of Oxford The largest ever convening of academic researchers working on sustainable finance took place in Oxford from 3 to 6 September 2019. The Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment hosted the 2nd Annual Conference of the Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment (GRASFI).
04/09/194 September 2019 -
read more + RGS-IBG celebrates Professor Linda McDowell's work A special event 'Celebrating the contributions of Linda McDowell' was jointly organised by the Economic Geography Study Group and the Gender and Feminist Geographies Study Group, as part of the RGS-IBG 2019 Conference on Thursday 29 August.
read more + #PrayforAmazonas "The Amazon rainforest is not the lungs of the world. But there are many reasons it must still be protected." Al Jazeera interviews ECI ecosystems scientist Dr Erika Berenguer, who has worked in the Amazon for the past twelve years. Extensive coverage elsewhere includes BBC News World, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio 4 and New Scientist.
29/08/1929 August 2019 -
read more + New collaboration with University of Zambia to deliver clean energy solutions A new Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Zambia explores solar energy across rural Zambia, where only 5% of the population currently has access to electricity. The partnership is part of the RISE: Renewable, Innovative and Scalable Electrification project. Read more in the Zambia Business Times.
29/08/1929 August 2019 -
read more + Ethiopia's future is tied to water Water is a vital yet threatened resource in a changing climate. Postdoctoral researcher Ellen Dyer writes with REACH Country Programme Manager about the effects of climate change on water resources, people and the economy in Ethiopia for the Conversation.
29/08/1919 August 2019 -
read more + Reflections on the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment sustainability summer school "Participants came from all over the world and with widely ranging interests, making the cohort highly diverse in terms of both academic and cultural experiences. Hearing different symptoms of the same root problem felt across the world brought each issue's complexity into full view, as different viewpoints represented different needs and ideas." Mariana Lebrija reflects on her summer school experience in this guest blog post.
27/08/1927 August 2019 -
read more + Amazon rainforest fires: top ten questions answered Swathes of the Amazon rainforest are burning at a record rate, with many of the fires believed to be started deliberately. Professor Yadvinder Malhi, ecosystems scientist and Director of the Oxford Centre for Tropical Forests, spoke to the BBC to help answer readers' questions about this complex issue. Extensive coverage elsewhere includes the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, National Geographic, BBC Mundo and Der Politiken.
20/08/1920 August 2019 -
read more + How governments can transform food systems under climate change Food systems have a key role to play in mitigating climate change and are at the same time highly vulnerable to its impacts. Dr Monika Zurek has contributed to a new working paper outlining policy options to deliver sustainable, equitable global systems capable of meeting food and nutrition needs while mitigating global warming.
read more + Risk to the British railway network from flooding and erosion at bridges Scour (localised erosion by water) can cause substantial damage to bridges, leading to transport disruption and safety risks. A new probabilistic analysis with partners including JBA Trust, Lancaster University and ITRC-Mistral shows the risk of bridge scour equates to an average of 8.2 million passenger journeys being "lost" annually.
14/08/1914 Aug 2019 -
read more + Tim Schwanen becomes Professor of Transport Studies and Geography We are delighted to announce that Tim Schwanen, Director of the Transport Studies Unit at the School of Geography and the Environment, and Research Fellow at St Anne's College, has had the title of Professor of Transport Studies and Geography conferred on him by the University, in recognition of his academic distinction.
14/08/1914 Aug 2019 -
read more + Richard Bailey becomes Professor of Environmental Systems We are delighted to announce that Richard Bailey, member of the School of Geography and the Environment, and Fellow and Tutor at St Catherine's College, has had the title of Professor of Environmental Systems conferred on him by the University, in recognition of his academic distinction.
13/08/1913 August 2019 -
read more + Estimating global exposure and risk of transport networks to natural disasters Adding resilience to transport planning could reduce worldwide damages by up to 60% and save billions of dollars, finds new research on the impact of natural hazard events on global road and rail infrastructure. The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by Dr Elco Koks of the ECI and the UK Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC-Mistral).
07/08/197 Aug 2019 -
read more + Environmental activist murders double in 15 years Killings of environmental defenders have doubled over the past 15 years to reach levels usually associated with war zones, according to a study lead-authored by Geography and Environment DPhil alumna, Nathalie Butt (Christ Church, 2000). Nathalie is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Queensland and an Honorary Research Associate at the School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford.
06/08/196 August 2019 -
read more + Ersilia Verlingheri teaches TSU research methodologies in Ecuador After the final ever 'Governing Transitions in Urban Transport' course in June, executive education coordinator Ersilia Verlingheri travelled to Ecuador, to take TSU teachings to a summer course at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador in July.
06/08/196 August 2019 -
read more + Why we need more babies "The main reason we have continued global population growth today is not because of childbirth, but because we are all now living so much longer." Professor Danny Dorling responds to Prince Harry's comments on limiting how many children he has, citing new data from the Office for National Statistics, which show that birth rates in Britain hit a historic low in 2018, down nearly 10 per cent on 2012.
5/08/195 August 2019 -
read more + How much warmer is your city? ECI climate scientists have contributed to a new data visualisation and interactive tool from the BBC. Find out how the temperature in 1,000 major cities has changed and how much it could increase by in the coming years.
4/08/194 August 2019 -
read more + Pathways to sustainable land-use and food systems It is possible to achieve sustainable land-use and food systems, concludes a new report from the Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land-Use and Energy (FABLE) Consortium. Countries must address three pillars for action: efficient and resilient agriculture systems, conservation and restoration of biodiversity, and food security and healthy diets.
3/08/193 August 2019 -
read more + The future of carbon pricing: Consultation response A standalone carbon trading scheme for UK domestic emissions would be the worst post-Brexit outcome and a huge missed opportunity, concludes a joint submission to the UK Government on the future of carbon pricing from the Environmental Change Institute (Oxford), the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (Oxford) and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change (LSE).
02/08/192 August 2019 -
read more + European heatwave made up to 100 times more likely due to climate change Record-breaking July 2019 heatwave would have been extremely unlikely without human-induced climate change in many parts of continental Europe, shows a near real-time analysis from World Weather Attribution and partners including Oxford's Environmental Change Institute.
01/08/191 August 2019 -
read more + Professor Gillian Rose is the new Head of the School of Geography and the Environment Professor Gillian Rose is the third female Head of School, since the department's establishment by Halford John Mackinder in 1899. Gillian joined the School as Professor of Human Geography in 2017, moving from The Open University. She is a Professorial Fellow at St John's College, and has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy and Academy of Social Sciences.
31/07/1931 July 2019 -
read more + How an accidental discovery led to a digital archive project on gender and Empire Dr Sneha Krishnan (Brasenose College, Oxford) and Dr Megan Robb (University of Pennsylvania) have been awarded a Fell Fund Grant to digitally archive the papers of two women whose lives - in the 18th and 20th century respectively - bookend Britain's imperial presence in India and reveal interesting new perspectives on gender and Empire.
29/07/1929 July 2019 -
read more + Global energy overview Former solar power research programme leader, Jeremy Leggett, has made his Solarcentury 'global context' presentation public. "As the climate crisis escalates, missions like this are coming under increasingly intense pressure to turn aspiration into reality," he explains. "Accordingly, we think it makes sense to reach out with on a wider front, hoping to encourage others to join us."
25/07/1925 July 2019 -
read more + Christian Brand awarded UKERC Phase 3 Best Paper The journal article 'Lifestyle, efficiency and limits: modelling transport energy and emissions using a socio-technical approach' was announced the winner at UKERC's Annual Assembly this month. The research, led by Christian Brand, suggested that radical lifestyle change - switching to walking, cycling and public transport - can show quicker results than the gradual transition to electric vehicles.
read more + A message from climate scientist Myles Allen on #FridaysforFuture Myles says 'thank you' to strikers, explains why it's not too late to solve climate change and introduces the 'Achieving Net Zero' international conference and public talk happening in Oxford in September 2019. Watch the full video on YouTube.
18/07/1918 July 2019 -
read more + The Sharing Economy and Blurring in Public-Private Relationships Geoff Dudley, David Banister and Tim Schwanen observe some unforeseen consequences of the sharing economy on transport habits and governance, such as the recent decline in bus use in London, the growth of public-private data exchange and a shifting power balance.
18/07/1918 July 2019 -
read more + Bullying and Blocking at the UN A new report edited by Dr Fiona McConnell details how certain regimes are manipulating the United Nations Human Rights System to block and attack those representing minorities, indigenous communities and other unrepresented peoples. The report is based on a 3-year study by Oxford University, with UNOP and the Tibet Justice Centre.
17/07/1917 July 2019 -
read more + How are emerging technologies shaping urban transportation in India? The TSU's Research Associate in Urban Mobility, Lucy Baker, travelled to Bangalore, India, to find out how new digital payments, fare- and route-setting methods are impacting local mobility networks. Here she blogs about her research process and findings so far.
15/07/1915 July 2019 -
read more + One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds: Turning ambition into action Sovereign Wealth Funds are uniquely placed to promote and implement the alignment of finance with the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. A new briefing paper provides guidance on integrating climate change into SWF governance and investment.
15/07/1915 July 2019 -
read more + How the Amazon fights climate change "Trees take in carbon dioxide, locking huge amounts of carbon in the forest and keeping it out of the atmosphere," Erika Berenguer tells the BBC. To understand this process, she has been monitoring the same patch of rainforest for ten years. But now, deforestation threatens this unique ecosystem.
09/07/199 July 2019 -
read more + Peak Urban project channels launched The four-year international and multidisciplinary research programme on urban futures has launched its new website and YouTube channel, featuring new video interviews with TSU researchers Lucy Baker and Jacob Doherty.
read more + Climate change made European heatwave at least five times likelier Near real-time analysis from Dr Fredi Otto, Acting Director of the ECI, shows human-induced climate change made record-breaking June 2019 heatwave five to 100 times more likely. Coverage included BBC, The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Mail, New Scientist and Scientific American.
02/07/1902 July 2019 -
read more + Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme contributes to milestone UK Green Finance Strategy New report outlines a comprehensive approach to greening financial systems, mobilising finance for clean and resilient growth, and capturing the resulting opportunities for UK firms. It includes expectations that publicly listed companies will disclose how climate change risk impacts their activities.
read more + Banks need to get ahead of climate change, or else "Real economy cannot meet sustainability goals without help from financial sector, and while climate change is becoming an ever more important strategic concern for banks we still have a long way to go," says Dr Ben Caldecott in an op-ed for the Financial Times.
28/06/1928 June 2019 -
read more + Interdisciplinary collection on Félix Guattari Following a long-term collaboration between colleagues at the University of Oxford, University of Bristol and the University of New South Wales-Canberra, we are pleased to announce the publication of 'Why Guattari? A Liberation of Cartographies, Ecologies and Politics' (Routledge).
read more + What counts as a green or sustainable investment? Dr Ben Caldecott, Director of the Smith School's Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme, is featured in an article on Quartz about the European Commission's new classification system that details what economic activities are green, and therefore what really counts as an environmentally sustainable investment.
26/06/1926 June 2019 -
read more + Long term study reveals public health benefits from air pollution reductions Policies to improve air quality in the UK over the past 40 years have led to significant reductions in air pollution and associated mortality rates, a new study led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and involving Dr Clare Heaviside, senior research fellow at the ECI, has found.
24/06/1924 June 2019 -
read more + Landmark global survey explores perceptions of the changing world of work Research from Zurich Insurance Group and the Smith School investigates new technologies, the gig economy and other factors driving change in how people work. It identifies the need for 'agile workforce protection' to offer security and alleviate anxieties about the future.
24/06/1924 June 2019 -
read more + Why is life expectancy faltering? For the first time in 100 years, Britons are dying earlier. The UK now has the worst health trends in western Europe - and doctors and experts believe that the impact of austerity is a major factor. Professor Danny Dorling comments in a Guardian article on the decline in life expectancy in the UK for the first time in 100 years.
24/06/1924 June 2019 -
read more + A new picture of dengue's growing threat New research, co-led by the School of Geography and the Environment's Dr Janey Messina and Dr Oliver Brady (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), paints a startling new picture of where dengue, the world's fastest-growing mosquito-borne virus, will spread to put more than 6 billion people at risk toward the end of the century.
read more + How the EU's 'Marmite' taxonomy might help, or hinder, green finance The EU's green taxonomy is the Marmite of the sustainable finance world: some love it, some hate it. Sophie Robinson-Tillett explores in an article for Responsible Investor whether the EU looks close to accepting the TEG's recommendations, referencing a recent article by Dr Ben Caldecott, Director of the Smith School's Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.
19/06/1919 June 2019 -
read more + New study shows e-bikes to be a healthy and sustainable transport substitute to cars A new study from the EU-funded PASTA project has profiled hundreds of e-bike users across 7 European cities and found that e-bikers take longer trips by e-bike and bicycle when compared to typical cyclists. E-bikes might therefore be used for longer commuting trips than non-electric bicycles.
18/06/201918 June 2019 -
read more + Scientists discover, climb and describe the world's tallest tropical tree The tree was first spotted by researchers from the University of Nottingham, using an airborne Light Detection and Ranging Survey (LiDAR). ECI researchers and SEARRP partners then trekked out to Menara in August 2018 to conduct high-resolution 3D scans and drone flights, which have produced remarkable 3D visualisations of this amazing tree.
18/06/1918 June 2019 -
read more + Investors debate engagement priorities at the 8th Sustainable Finance Forum Should investors collectively prioritise engagement issues, and if so what is at the top of the list? This was one of the topics delegates discussed at the 8th Sustainable Finance Forum run by the Oxford University Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment together with The Rothschild Foundation and the KR Foundation.
18/06/1918 June 2019 -
read more + New, diverse sculptures added to iconic stone heads on Broad Street The 'Tomorrow's Oxford Heads' art installation was commissioned and organised in collaboration between the History of Science Museum and the School of Geography and the Environment, and was supported by the University's Diversity Fund and the Van Houten Fund.
read more + Futures Thinking for Change: The Foresight4Food Initiative The ECI Food Systems Group is excited to launch an opportunity to join a collaborative platform focused on informing the food systems foresight agenda. Foresight4Food is a new initiative supporting enhanced foresight and scenario analysis for global food systems. Having successfully obtained seed funding (from the Open Society Foundations) to catalyse the Initiative, we are keen to share our progress and engage with the community.
06/06/196 June 2019 -
read more + Disrupting transport sooner a "no brainer" Christian Brand blogs about his research into the UK's 'Road to Zero' strategy. He concludes that the target for all new cars and vans to be 'effectively zero emission' by 2040 may be 'too little too late' to avoid 1.5°C warming. A stronger policy signal of a 2030 ban including hybrid electric vehicles would, he suggests, move manufacturers to invest and innovate, bringing deeper reductions in carbon emissions sooner.
06/06/196 June 2019 -
read more + Rain or shine: Watching the weather for 250 years Come rain or shine, come howling gale or thick fog - Oxford doctoral student Emma Howard must keep her 09:00 appointment. Two hundred and fifty years of history demand it. Jonathan Amos features the School's Radcliffe Meteorological Station in an article for the BBC.
06/06/196 June 2019 -
read more + Digital | Visual | Cultural podcast launched A new podcast series captures discussions from a Digital | Visual | Cultural event organised by Professor Gillian Rose at St John's College earlier this year, and explores the intersection between digital visualising technologies and the making of urban publics.
read more + Smart Handpumps crowdfunding appeal launched On 3 June OxReach launched its latest crowdfunding campaign, to raise £50,000 for Smart Handpumps before 1 July. The money will be used to develop technology so that Smart Handpumps can be deployed more widely across rural Kenya, and beyond, so that more people can benefit from sustainable water supplies.
03/06/193 June 2019 -
read more + TSU in the desert The TSU's Johannes Kester and Toon Meelan presented research findings on electric mobility and vehicle-to-grid respectively, at the 2nd Energy Research and Social Science conference in Phoenix, Arizona at the end of May.
03/06/193 June 2019 -
read more + Westminster debates five-point plan for pension divestment Professor Cameron Hepburn welcomes former-energy secretary Sir Ed Davey's proposals to penalise pensions funds not properly managing climate risk. "Ed's plan, whether fully adopted or not, represents the strong direction of travel as climate risks start to hit and as the transition to a zero-carbon economy continues," he commented.
03/06/193 June 2019 -
read more + New study illuminates ways that we can increase coral reef resilience Herbivore management areas (HMAs) have been identified as a key strategy for coral reef recovery and effective management. HMAs take advantage of feeding habits of herbivorous fish, which essentially mow the lawn for coral reefs. Dr Lisa Wedding and her team published a new study in Coral Reefs that combines ecological and cultural considerations to identify which HMA locations would be most impactful for coral reef recovery.
03/06/193 June 2019 -
read more + DPhil student working with the Government of St Lucia As part of a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the UN Office for Project Services, Lena Fuldauer (2018) is working with the government of St Lucia in order to implement cross-ministerial infrastructure systems planning. Read more about her work, spatially modelling the island's climate change hazards and impacts, in St Edmund Hall's research profile.
03/06/193 June 2019 -
read more + Solar energy on island states Rhodes Scholar Kiron Neale discusses his doctoral research on solar energy, which has concluded in a book offer by Routledge. His book, on 'Mainstreaming Solar Energy in Small Tropical Islands: Cultural and Policy Implications', is due in 2020.
read more + Ruksana Rimi wins Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Best Journal Article Prize Ruksana was awarded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the Taylor and Francis Group for her article 'Risks of pre-monsoon extreme rainfall events of Bangladesh: is anthropogenic climate change playing a role?', published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society in December 2018.
29/05/1929 May 2019 -
read more + New research project seeks citizen scientists to explore Wild Gabon online Charles Emogor, an MSc student at the Environmental Change Institute has begun research to assess the population dynamics of large mammal communities in the forest-savannah mosaic of Gabon's Lopé National Park and to understand the interactions these animals have with the landscape.
28/05/1928 May 2019 -
read more + New best-practice guide to inclusive conferences launched As the School prepares to apply for a Silver Athena SWAN award, it publishes a new practical guide to making conferences and events more inclusive. Written by Alice Chautard and Claire Hann, the guide draws on examples of best practice from conferences around the world, and was also informed by the findings of the authors' own online survey of more than 230 people.
24/05/1924 May 2019 -
read more + Global temperature change attributable to external factors, confirms new study In a new study, published in the Journal of Climate, researchers at the Environmental Change Institute have confirmed that slow-acting ocean cycles do not explain the long-term changes in global temperature over the last century. 'We can now say with confidence that human factors like greenhouse gas emissions and particulate pollution, along with year-to-year changes brought on by natural phenomenon like volcanic eruptions or the El Niño, are sufficient to explain virtually all of the long-term changes in temperature,' says study lead author Dr Karsten Haustein.
read more + Dr Michael Obersteiner joins leadership of ECI Dr Michael Obersteiner has been appointed director of ECI and joins the institute from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), where he is currently the Director of the Ecosystems Services and Management (ESM) Program. His phased start in the post will begin in October 2019.
read more + Performance-based Funding for Reliable Rural Water Services in Africa New research makes the case for long-term, multi-country funding to accelerate progress for the SDG to deliver reliable drinking water in rural Africa. Evidence from Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Kenya and Uganda illustrate major improvements in the performance of rural infrastructure with new models of service delivery reaching one million people.
13/05/1913 May 2019 -
read more + Fossil fuel companies should go green for climate fight At a time when the effects of climate change and global warming are hard to ignore, experts believe the only way to counter this impact for a brighter future is for fossil fuel companies to halt oil and gas investments and focus on clean alternatives. Article by Anadolu Agency includes comment by Dr Ben Caldecott.
read more + Dr Pam Berry appointed by Defra Dr Pam Berry is one of six senior academic Fellows who will lead a new Systems Research Programme at Defra, looking at some of the UK's most pressing environmental issues to inform and shape future policy decisions. The Programme will focus on five key areas; Rural Land Use (which Pam will head), Food, Air Quality, Marine, and Resources and Waste.
07/05/197 May 2019 -
read more + Markets missing fossil fuel exposure to climate risk: analysis Investors are overlooking the long-term risks climate change poses to oil and gas infrastructure firms, which face tens of billion of dollars worth of stranded assets as the world transitions to greener energy, according to new analysis seen by AFP. Includes comment by Dr Ben Caldecott.
07/05/197 May 2019 -
read more + Professor David Thomas receives the Royal Geographical Society's Victoria Medal Professor David Thomas has been awarded the Victoria Medal for his world leading research into dryland environments and societies. He is one of 21 individuals to be recognised by the RGS-IBG in 2019, for their extraordinary achievements in geographical research, fieldwork, teaching and public engagement.
03/05/195 May 2019 -
read more + Oxford's Stone Heads: History and Mysteries 350 years of heritage will be explored through three generations of Broad Street's famous sculptures, in a new display opening on Saturday 4 May at the Weston Library. The exhibit, reconstructing the history of the heads right up to present day and showcasing heritage science, is the culmination of over 5 years' of SoGE research.
02/05/20192 May 2019 -
read more + What's new in the war on food waste? Jeremy Sigmon, a current WSPM MSc student, interviews global food waste expert and entrepreneur Marc Zornes for the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship Blog. Marc Zornes is co-founder of Winnow, one of the top 100 fastest growing companies in Europe.
29/04/201929 April 2019 -
read more + Growing Greener project launches free online course for sustainable business champions The Growing Greener project is proud to partner with OpenLearn to launch a new course on 'Promoting sustainability in business: a values-based toolkit'. Co-written by Sam Hampton (ECI) and Richard Blundel (Open University Business School), the course helps anyone who wants to bring about change within Small- or Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
26/04/1926 April 2019 -
read more + Plugging the water investment shortfall To deliver on SDG6 a significant uptick in water infrastructure investment is urgently needed and private businesses could hold the key, argues Dr Alex Money in an article in BusinessGreen
26/04/1926 April 2019 -
read more + Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable Prof Rob Whittaker, Dr Erika Berenguer and Dr Tara Garnett are amongst over 600 signatories to an open letter published in Science urging the EU to put human rights and the environment at the forefront of current trade negotiations with Brazil.
23/04/1923 April 2019 -
read more + USAID funding boost for water research in rural Kenya The Smith School's Water Programme work on sustainable rural water services in Kenya has received a significant funding boost from USAID. A research collaboration exploring the institutional and financial conditions required to improve water security for the rural poor in Kitui County will now extend to 2021.
23/04/1923 April 2019 -
read more + Dr Jian Peng wins 2019 Remote Sensing Young Investigator Award Dr Jian Peng has won the 2019 Remote Sensing Young Investigator Award for his outstanding research on exploring the teleconnection between hydrological variability and climate oscillations based on satellite observations.
read more + Tip the planet: tackling climate change with small, sensitive interventions Smith School researchers explain their new paper in Science, which introduces the idea of socioeconomic and political tipping points around climate change. Identifying and triggering these "Sensitive Intervention Points" could, they say, generate outsized impacts and accelerate progress towards a post-carbon world.
15/04/1915 April 2019 -
read more + Can remote sensing help us to protect coral reefs? The School of Geography and the Environment's Dr Lisa Wedding uses remotely sensed LiDAR (light detection and ranging) data to illuminate coral reef complexity and biodiversity. These cost-effective and accurate methods of identifying coastal "hotspots" are essential to effective management plans for marine protection and conservation, she says.
12/04/1912 April 2019 -
read more + Research shows rapid urbanisation increasing pressure on rural water supplies globally An international team led by Dr Dustin Garrick has carried out the first systematic global review of water reallocation from rural to urban regions - the practice of transferring water from rural areas to cities to meet demand from growing urban populations. They found that 69 cities with a population of 383 million people receive approximately 16 billion cubic meters of reallocated water per year - almost the annual flow of the Colorado River.
11/04/1911 April 2019 -
read more + Climate crisis: today's children face lives with tiny carbon footprints The idea for the analysis came from Dr Ben Caldecott, at the University of Oxford's Sustainable Finance Programme. He comments, in the Guardian article, that it is the first systematic use of emissions data to inform the debate about intergenerational responsibility for climate change and had produced some "uncomfortable numbers".
read more + Reflective roofs can reduce overheating in cities and save lives during heatwaves A new modelling study from the University of Oxford and collaborators has estimated how changing the reflectivity of roofs can help keep cities cooler during heatwaves and reduce heat-rated mortality rates. "Climate change and increasing urbanisation mean that future populations are likely to be at increased risk of overheating in cities," Dr Clare Heaviside comments, "although building and city scale interventions have the potential to reduce this."
04/04/20194 April 2019 -
read more + ECI scientists to evaluate world's first low carbon Energy Superhub A £41m mobility, power and heat Energy Superhub will be built in Oxford, making it a model for cities around the world to cut carbon and improve air quality. Tina Fawcett and Sam Hampton are among the Oxford scientists who will assess the impacts of the project and advise on how they can be replicated, both across the country and abroad.
04/02/192 April 2019 -
read more + Infrastructure needed to achieve 72% of Sustainable Development Goal targets A new ECI analysis published in Nature Sustainability has found that the majority of the UN's SDGs - global targets relating to poverty, health, the environment, peace and justice - will rely on infrastructure systems. Whilst the SDG deadline of 2030 may seem a long way off, massive global infrastructure investments have the potential to lock-in patterns of unsustainable development for years to come.
27/03/1927 March 2019 -
read more + Oxford conference takes a diverse approach to tackling the water security problem Opening today, the REACH International Conference on Water Security and Poverty 2019 celebrates achieving its most diverse gathering of practitioners and scientists to date. In addition to achieving an equal gender balance, half of attendees represent countries in Africa and Asia, and one-third are early career researchers.
27/03/1927 March 2019 -
read more + Emmanuel Abalo wins Oxford University Press Law Prize MSc student Emmanuel Abalo has been awarded the Oxford University Press (OUP) Prize for International Environmental Law. This prize, generously sponsored by OUP, is awarded to the Envrionmental Change and Management MSc student who receives the top mark in the International Environmental Law elective.
read more + Climate Change, Education and Action: Questions and Answers On Friday 15 March, the second Youth Strike for Climate took part in Oxford City Centre, as part of a global movement of children, young people and their supporters. Researchers from across Oxford University staffed an information stall offering to answer questions about climate science and responses to climate change. We made a record of the questions asked on the day, and here are some of the answers we came up with.
22/03/201922 March 2019 -
read more + Ebro River's Lessons for WSPM students Lucy Chen writes about the course field trip to Spain's Ebro River basin, where students focused on how to achieve an equitable and efficient management of scarce water resources among a multitude of stakeholders.
22/03/201922 March 2019 -
read more + Achieving Net Zero emissions - call for abstracts Following on from the ECI's International Conference on '1.5 Degrees: Meeting the Challenges of the Paris Agreement', comes a two-day Oxford conference 'Achieving Net Zero' in September 2019. Questions include 'What do we mean by Net Zero?' and 'How much can we reduce emissions?' and will explore innovative ideas for reducing and recapturing emissions, as well as consider the governance, regulation, and reality - the opportunities and challenges - of delivering Net Zero globally.
22/03/1922 March 2019 -
read more + Can the poor pay for drinking water? On World Water Day, Prof Rob Hope explores how to square safe water for everyone, a human right as well one of the world's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with financial sustainability in a blog article for the ESRC
read more + Professor Gillian Rose elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences The School is delighted to announce that Professor of Human Geography Gillian Rose has been conferred a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, in recognition of her work shaping the field of cultural geography. As an Academy Fellow Professor Rose joins distinguished scholars and practitioners from academia and the public and private sectors working in Social Sciences.
20/03/1920 March 2019 -
read more + RISE visits members of women self-help groups and local teachers in Singani, Zambia During her research trip for project 'RISE' in February, Dr Susann Stritzke met members of women self-help groups and local teachers in Singani, a rural village in Zambia, who are involved in operating two small solar PV stations. The systems have been installed during a previous project of Dr Stritzke in cooperation with SolarAid UK eleven years ago.
19/03/201919 March 2019 -
read more + New Oxford-Belgium network launched for heritage science and conservation The Belgian Federal Scientific Policy Office will fund a two-year initiative focused on fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange between the University of Oxford and several Belgian organisations. The network will enable expert meetings and knowledge exchange placements in both countries. Additionally, it will coordinate an international Summer School on heritage science and stone conservation in Ghent in August 2019.
19/03/1919 March 2019 -
read more + RISE visit to Northern Uganda brought to life the potential of off-grid energy Project RISE researcher Dr Philipp Trotter went on a two-week research trip to Uganda in January and February 2019. Driving through Northern Uganda illustrated the limits of grid electrification for reaching the UN's Sustainable Development Goal - while the national grid passed right over rural households, almost none of these houses were actually connected to the grid
18/03/201918 March 2019 -
read more + Adapting to climate change: the need for acceptance Environmental Social Science Research Fellow Dr Lisa Schipper reflects on the reality that life will change dramatically for many, as climate change increasingly impacts on lives. This has powerful implications for the path of development and human wellbeing she writes in an article for GlobalDev.blog, saying that it is time for "true acceptance of what is happening".
15/03/201915 March 2019 -
read more + "I'm a climate scientist, ask me anything!" On Friday 15 March Oxford schoolchildren, students and their supporters are taking part in the international #schoolstrikeforclimate day, gathering in Bonn Square 11am - 2pm. Researchers from the School of Geography and the Environment will be at the event, running a climate change science information table.
13/03/201913 March 2019 -
read more + How indigenous knowledge can help address climate change The Chicago Policy Review takes a closer look at a recent paper by Cuthbert Makondo and Professor David Thomas, which provides evidence of indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation in Zambia. Their research, interviewing 18 indigenous leaders, reveals that communities have long considered and developed adaptation plans for their changing environment.
13/03/201913 March 2019 -
read more + A climate scientist's view on the 'Green New Deal' resolution Professor Myles Allen presents climate science from the IPCC report and puts forwards his own ideas as to how the United States of America might tackle climate change by incrementally reducing its fossil fuel emissions.
12/03/201912 March 2019 -
read more + ECM Graduate Max Thabiso Edkins in Ethiopian plane tragedy The department was very saddened to learn that alumnus Max Thabiso Edkins was one of the 157 victims who lost their lives in the Ethiopian plane tragedy on 10th March. Thirty-five-year-old Max was a graduate of the MSc course in Environmental Change and Management from 2007/08 and a member of Oriel College.
10/03/201910 March 2019 -
read more + Investigating Natural Flood Management on the Evenlode Find out about the WSPM cohort's rather muddy trip to observe Natural Flood Management practices underway in the Evenlode catchment of the beautiful Cotswolds region, in a post written by Tiantao (David) Zhou.
05/05/20195 March 2019 -
read more + Feeding humanity and mitigating climate change The twin challenges of feeding humanity and mitigating climate change are daunting separately and together, particularly where most greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. How do societies begin to discuss such difficult matters, trade-offs or co-benefits? And can ordinary citizens become more involved, especially young people? Read how ECI, ICCCAD and Oxfam's 'zero hunger zero emissions' project in Bangladesh explored these difficult questions.
read more + Policy pathways to a resilient UK food system ECI food systems researchers have launched a new policy brief, exploring the need for a wide range of actors in the food system to improve their resilience from possible short and long term shocks. The UK imports around half of its food and supply can by affected by a wide-range of environmental, biological, economic, social and geopolitical factors.
read more + Dr Prue Addison receives MPLS Impact Award On 20th February 2019, Dr Prue Addison, Senior Research Associate in Biodiversity at SSEE and Knowledge and Research Exchange Fellow in the Dept of Zoology, was awarded the MPLS Impact Award for the work she has undertaken in her NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship which translated research on biodiversity measurement and management to support more responsible practice.
20/02/201920 February 2019 -
read more + How understanding values creates better conversations on climate change The average small and medium enterprise (SME) could save up to 25% on energy use through relatively simple, low cost measures. However, many don't. Sam Hampton, ECI researcher on the Growing Greener project, blogs about how low carbon advisers can tailor their language to effectively communicate low carbon practices to the full range of SMEs.
19/02/201919 February 2019 -
read more + A Visit to Wessex Water: Making our #2 their #1 Sam Rob describes the WSPM excursion to Wessex Water, one of the ten English water utility companies, at their Avonmouth Sewage Treatment Works (near Bristol) to see the nuts and bolts of their system which handles sewage from over one million people.
14/02/1914 February 2019 -
read more + Minimising the risk of tailings dams failures through the use of remote sensing data An article in Environment Analyst, 'Minimising the Risk of Tailings Dams Failures Through the Use of Remote Sensing Data', a project funded by the UK Space Agency in which Dr Caitlin McElroy is participating, highlights the importance of investigating ways to minimise risks of dam collapse following the recent Brumadinho tailings dam collapse
12/02/201912 February 2019 -
read more + Who Cares? Can caring responsibilities be combined with a successful academic career? To consider these questions, in January the department played host to academics, and equality and diversity practitioners from geography departments across the country, to share their experiences of being a parent or carer and working in academia. Claire Hann writes about the workshop, that she co-organised with Jennie Middleton as part of the School's Athena SWAN programme.
read more + Blog: Can conferences be developed in a more inclusive way? REACH Communications and Knowledge Exchange Manager Alice Chautard blogs about the benefits of 'inclusive conferences' and invites academics, researchers and practitioners to join the conference conversation, by participating in a short online survey.
02/07/20197 February 2019 -
read more + Alumna Janice Lao wins Edie's Sustainability Leader of the Year Award Congratulations to Janice Lao (MSc in Environmental Change and Management 2004-05), who received the prestigious Edie's Sustainability Leader of the Year Award in a ceremony in London in February. Janice works as Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels.
01/02/20191 February 2019 -
read more + Scholarships Launched - Oxford Enterprise and the Environment Summer School The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment is delighted to announce that 3 scholarships are now available for its Enterprise and the Environment Summer School. These scholarships will cover the course fee in full and are intended for high-achieving students that are passionate about environmental sustainability and are currently in full-time education.
01/02/20191 February 2019 -
read more + New Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub launched Dr Katrina Charles leads the Oxford team, part of an ambitious new UKRI/GCRF interdisciplinary hub project aimed at tackling the world's toughest challenges. "This collaboration gives us the opportunity to build on our research... to tackle these intractable interdisciplinary water security challenges in new places and with new approaches."
01/02/20191 February 2019 -
read more + Mapping the atmosphere: Methane from East African swamps At the end of January the ECI's Dr Michelle Cain joined an ambitious 35-person piece of fieldwork in Uganda and Zambia. The research, part of the NERC-funded MOYA (Methane Observations and Yearly Assessments) and ZWAMPS (Zambian Swamps) projects, used the FAAM aircraft to gather 3-dimentional observations of methane concentrations in the atmosphere.
30/01/201930 January 2019 -
read more + Raising awareness of Botswana's hidden heritage Dr Sallie Burrough and Professor David Thomas together with Dr Sarah Mohulatshipi from the University of Botswana spent two weeks talking to community leaders, school children and local guides in the Makadikgadi region of Botswana. Through community meetings, school talks and open lectures they directly reached over 1000 members of the public, telling the remarkable story of Kalahari megalakes and the stone age people of the Makgadikgadi salt pans.
read more + PEAK Urban project researchers begin work in Bangalore In January, the TSU's Lucy Baker and Jacob Doherty joined 70 other urban scholars for a week-long retreat at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements in Bangalore. The retreat was the initial project-wide gathering of the international PEAK Urban research team.
read more + UK clean air research travels to the Netherlands Research from Dr Christian Brand (TSU, University of Oxford) and Dr Alistair Hunt (University of Bath) on the cost of air pollution from cars and vans has been translated and applied to Dutch roads by Friends of the Earth in the Netherlands.
10/01/201910 January 2019 -
read more + Friederike Otto is Scientific American's one to watch in 2019 ECI Acting director Dr Friederike Otto tops the list of key climate scientists and projects to watch this year. Otto and her collaborators are making attribution studies faster and easier to conduct, they write. "Eventually, their work could help establish rapid attribution services that provide quick assessments of extreme weather events and their links to climate change, similar to the way weather services provide forecasts."
09/01/20199 January 2019 -
read more + SoGE's most cited papers of 2018 Academics and researchers at the School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) published over 450 journal articles in 2018 but which papers got the world talking last year? Joseph Poore, Professor Yadvinder Malhi and Dr Janey Messina are among some of the most cited researchers.
08/01/20198 January 2019 -
read more + Blog: Animal agriculture takes centre stage at COP24 Recent ECI MSc graduate Jessica Zionts (ECM, 2017-18) writes about her experiences at COP24, organising the ECI's side event and exploring how new climate models are changing the debate around livestock emissions.
read more + COP24: How can we achieve net zero in energy, industry and agriculture? ECI and Oxford Martin School experts took to the stage at COP24 last week, hosting a side event during the conference in Katowice, Poland, to address key issues around greenhouse gas metrics and set out what 'net zero' emissions will mean for energy, industry and agriculture.
read more + Care after austerity: What next? In December Jennie Middleton and Farhan Samanani hosted an end-of-project workshop for their Wellcome-Trust funded project on first time parents and austerity in the city of Oxford.
12/12/201812 December 2018 -
read more + Farmoor: Tracing Oxford's Water Source An account of the course trip to Farmoor Reservoir and treatment plant, owned by Thames Water, which delivers water to all of Oxford and the town of Swindon - written by Lucy Chen.
12/12/201812 December 2018 -
read more + Ashleigh Ainsley's alumni story "In the UK just 2.6 percent of tech leadership positions are held by ethnic minorities, compared to 17 percent in the US." Alumnus Ashleigh Ainsley (St Catherine's, 2011) explains how and why he set up the organisation Colorintech, supporting racial diversity in the tech industry.
read more + How the finance industry can save the world A news article by the World Economic Forum, which cites our research, explores the way that the finance industry can be redefined to have a more positive impact on the world.
read more + New Engaging Smart Cities toolkit launched On Monday 10 December, at an event in Milton Keynes, the ESRC-funded smart city project launched its Engaging Smart Cities toolkit for avoiding excluding people from smart city projects.
10/12/1810 December 2018 -
read more + Solastalgia in the anthropocene Every year our MSc programme prepare some sort of exposition on the theme of Global Change and the Biosphere in the Anthropocene. The winning entry this year tells the story of environmental change and loss as experienced in each of the student's home regions.
read more + Energy Sufficiency: evolving the energy conversation In this new blog post for the UK Energy Research Centre Tina Fawcett introduces the concept of 'energy sufficiency' and the idea that people's basic energy needs can met equitably and within ecological limits.
read more + Improving Groundwater Management and Welfare in Kenya As part of the Unlocking the Potential of Groundwater for the Poor, the Groundwater Risk Management for Growth and Development project held its final project workshop in Diani with over 30 stakeholder partners including researchers from the UK, Kenya and Spain, and partners from the national and county Government of Kenyan and water-related industry.
21/11/201821 November 2018 -
read more + Oxford University calls for artists to reimagine the stone icons of Broad Street A team of scientists from the School of Geography and the Environment have been learning about the history of the Broad Street heads - exploring the Bodleian's archival records, hunting for missing heads from the past, and testing the old stone to inform conservation efforts - however what does the future hold for these Oxford icons?
21/11/201821 November 2018 -
read more + Making short journeys on foot and by bike could save 5% of carbon emissions New TSU research presents realistic, empirically-derived evidence on the potential of walking and cycling to replace 41% of short car trips, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. This is on top of 5% of already 'avoided' emissions from cars due to existing walking and cycling.
read more + The mystery of the decaying "Emperors" It is hoped that a visit to the Science and Technology Facilities Council's Rutherford Appleton Lab will help scientists understand why the second generation of Sheldonian Emperors' heads decayed so rapidly. DPhil researcher Scott Orr explains his research, investigating stone samples using a specialist neutron instrument.
read more + Registration for 2019 Water Security and Poverty conference now open Our REACH research programme has opened registrations for their 2019 Conference on Water Security and Poverty on 27-29th March at Keble College Oxford. The conference will discuss key results to date from REACH in Bangladesh, Kenya and Ethiopia.
15/11/201815 November 2018 -
read more + The story of geographer and suffragette Nora MacMunn As part of the 'Women in Oxford's History' podcast, Dr Elizabeth Baigent explores the life of geographer Nora MacMunn, who was the second woman to be appointed to an academic post at the University of Oxford.
12/11/1812 November 2018 -
read more + Getting home insulation right The latest blog post from our CREDS programme explains how, done well, home insulation can offer many benefits. It helps people achieve comfort at lower cost, lowers energy use and carbon emissions. However, done badly, it can have very negative effects.
08/11/188 November 2018 -
read more + The future of sustainable finance in Europe Olivier Guersent, Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) discusses the unprecedented reforms put forward by the EU to secure financial stability and improve the supervision of financial markets following the outbreak of the financial crisis.
read more + Jubilee or tragedy? WSPM's trip to the Jubilee river There are always two sides to every water management story, writes Andrew Tabas on the findings of the latest Water MSc field trip, listening to contrasting expert perspectives on the Jubilee River, an artificial river designed to reduce flood risks along the River Thames.
02/11/20182 November 2018 -
read more + Professor Gordon Clark retires after 23 years at the School On Friday 2 November 2018, over 120 participants paid tribute to Professor Gordon Clark for his 23 year contribution to the research and teaching activities at the School of Geography and the Environment, Head of SoGE (2003-2008) and most recently as Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (2013-2018).
01/11/181 November 2018 -
read more + New approach needed to protect more workers in the 21st century A new three-year partnership between the Smith School and Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) has been launched today. The study will look at the potential for developing frameworks involving different stakeholders, so more workers are provided with flexible protection and financial support in an increasingly fragmented labor market.
read more + The story of a recoverable earth For too long stories of 'doom and gloom' have been alienating people from the environmental movement, writes Paul Jepson. However Gelderse Poort in the Netherlands, where 'wilded' ponies and cattle were introduced and diverse ecosystems followed, provides us with a new hopeful environmental story, one "of the recovery of socio-ecological wellness".
23/10/201823 October 2018 -
read more + What is the future for carsharing in London? At the beginning of October TSU researchers Brendan Doody and Tim Schwanen ran an interactive and interdisciplinary workshop to examine how a transition towards widespread car sharing can be realised in London.
read more + To Dorset, to Dorset to talk of the chalk In the latest installment of the SoGE Field Trip Blog 'Out and About' Jeremy Sigmon writes about the Water Science Policy and Management MSc course's September field trip to Dorset. "It's into the chalk that Wessex Waterworks and so many others insert their drinking straws that feed typically English activities - charming agriculture, ale brewing, and steeping afternoon tea."
read more + Visually Impaired Mobilities given the big screen by SoGE's Inspiration Fund Films made by young Londoners with visual impairments (VI) about their experiences of public transport within the capital city, were premiered in London thanks to SoGE funding. The films were part of wider research led by the TSU's Dr Jennie Middleton on the everyday mobilities of VI young people. The accessible screening was subtitled/audio described and followed by a panel discussion with BSL interpretation.
11/10/1811 October 2018 -
read more + Philipp Trotter presents RISE research to EU Parliament On 11 October 2018, Philipp Trotter delivered a talk entitled 'Possibilities of renewable energies in bringing sustainable economic development to African Carribean and Pacific (ACP) countries, and particularly to remote areas' at the European Parliament in Brussels.
read more + Keeping global warming to 1.5°C will require drastic action with a limited window for action. Today's landmark report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the scale of change needed to limit warming to 1.5C. The warnings are stark - we are on track for catastrophic climate change, and any hope of limiting the warming to 1.5C requires unprecedented changes across all aspects of society - how we eat, travel and produce energy.
07/10/1807 Oct 2018 -
read more + Early career award for Oxford Martin Fellow Richard Millar ECI physicist Dr Richard Millar, of the Oxford Martin Net Zero Carbon Investment Initiative, has been named as one of Elsevier and the US-UK Fulbright Commission's six UK Early Career Researcher Award winners for 2018.
06/10/1806 October 2018 -
read more + Global Challenges Research Fund project RISE is launched The inaugural workshop for the launch of RISE (Research innovation scale energy) took place at the University of Oxford on 3/4 October 2018. The meeting brought together the project team, along with external stakeholders and advisory board members to review and plan the project.
read more + 1995 Geographers' Reunion Kirsty Johnson (1995) reports on a gathering of 1995 geographers in Oxford this September, celebrating their twenty year anniversary since Finals.
read more + Oxford hosts global collaboration on Africa's climate conundrum On 13 September an international team of scientists from Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, South Africa and the United Kingdom travelled to the School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) in Oxford to discuss an enduring problem: how to improve climate models over Africa.
25/09/1825 Sep 2018 -
read more + Less is more as domestic energy consumption falls In an article by the Financial Times, Dr Brenda Boardman explains how energy regulations curbed the UK's domestic energy use in recent years through efficiency standards applied to many new appliances.
24/09/1824 Sep 2018 -
read more + Dr Chris West, 1951 - 2018 It is with great sadness that the ECI has learned of the death of our former colleague and Director of the UK Climate Impacts Programme, Dr Chris West.
21/09/1821 Sep 2018 -
read more + How must energy pricing evolve in a low-carbon future? ECI Research Associate John Rhys discusses redefining how we take our electricity supplies, the complexities of allocating fixed costs, and the need to recognise environmental costs through carbon pricing.
01/08/1801 Aug 2018 -
read more + IFSTAL goes to the Global South! This summer IFSTAL's reach continued to grow through the first non-UK based intensive course on food systems taking place at the University of Ghana.
read more + Coming to Oxford from a state school Ella Duffy (Worcester, 2015) tells of her journey to study geography at the School of Geography and the Environment; through navigating the Oxbridge application process, to what it's like living in a college and learning through tutorials.
15/09/201815 September 2018 -
read more + Final Honour School Prizes 2018 We are delighted to announce this year's winners of undergraduate prizes for outstanding achievements in Final Honour School (FHS) exams.
read more + New report on financing water infrastructure launched at World Water Week Written by the Smith School's Dr Alex Money, the report proposes that changes in how private corporations engage with the challenge of inadequate water infrastructure, coupled with recent financial innovations can contribute to improved project returns and reduced risks.
11/09/1811 July 2018 -
read more + Creating and connecting a community of food systems thinkers Our innovative food systems training programme IFSTAL enters its fourth year with a launch event on 27th September. More than 1,100 postgraduate students from over 45 disciplines have engaged in the programme, which aims to embed food systems thinking in the workplace.
read more + Simon Dadson becomes Professor of Hydrology We are delighted to announce that Simon Dadson, member of the School of Geography and the Environment, and Fellow of Christ Church College, has had the title of Professor of Hydrology conferred upon him by the University, in recognition of his academic distinction.
22/08/201822 August 2018 -
read more + Rob Hope becomes Professor of Water Policy We are delighted to announce that Rob Hope, member of the School of Geography and the Environment, and Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment, has had the title of Professor of Water Policy conferred upon him by the University, in recognition of his academic distinction.
22/08/201822 August 2018 -
read more + Anna Lora-Wainwright becomes Professor of the Human Geography of China We are delighted to announce that Anna Lora-Wainwright, member of the School of Geography and the Environment, and Fellow of St Cross College, has had the title of Professor of the Human Geography of China conferred upon her by the University, in recognition of her academic distinction.
read more + The Sounds of the Namib Desert Wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson presents a journey in sound from dawn to dusk in southern Africa's Namib Desert and talks to Professor Dave Thomas about his experiences working in these desert lands. "If you climb up dunes on a clear day... and if you stay there long enough you, can see aspects of the world changing around you. They are absolutely spectacular places to be."
16/08/201816 August 2018 -
read more + Improving life expectancy used to be the UK's forte - now it's falling behind Professor Danny Dorling writes with London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Lucinda Hiam about the emerging evidence that UK life expectancy growth has stalled. "Life expectancy is one of the most important indicators a country can produce about the health of its population," they write. "Any deterioration in it is a marker of significant underlying societal problems."
read more + Reflections on the 2018 Enterprise and the Environment Summer School Mary Bergen reflects on the Smith School's third Enterprise and the Environment Summer School, a 2-week course designed for future leaders of environmental change. The programme was attended by 35 students from 16 different nationalities and a global spread of Universities.
30/07/1830 July 2018 -
read more + Carbon dividend from polluters to households could win over the public Political acceptability is the biggest challenge for the introduction of ambitious carbon pricing schemes aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But new research suggests that using the revenue to pay a dividend to households could make carbon pricing a success.
read more + Professor Gillian Rose joins the 'Smart Cities' panel on Thinking Allowed Whilst tech companies are interested in easily-measurable data sets for city infrastructure, Professor Gillian Rose's research focuses on understanding the human side of smart cities. Cities are incredibly rich melting pots of social diversity, she explains. "When it comes to people, putting algorithms to work is a lot more complicated, often because we don't agree on what a good city looks like."
read more + The tropics at tipping point, new research warns Global biodiversity is at tipping point and on the verge of collapse, according to a major research collaboration. The team caution that urgent, concerted action is needed to reverse species loss in the tropics and prevent an environmental catastrophe.
read more + Today's transport policy benefits the rich more than the poor New research from the University of Oxford's Professor David Banister reveals that we are travelling 5 times further today than we did in 1960. But it is the better-off who are travelling faster and further, leaving the poor in the slow lane and closer to home.
11/07/201811 July 2018 -
read more + Cathy Clegg (2017) presented with Biodiversity MSc Blog Prize The Biodiversity, Conservation and Management MSc/MPhil course has announced the winner of its first ever popular science writing prize as Cathy Clegg, for her blog entry 'Seal or Salmon? Sustainable meat with an adorable face'.
11/07/201811 July 2018 -
read more + Peak inequality The gap between the very rich and the rest is wider in Britain than in any other large country in Europe, and society is the most unequal it has been since shortly after the First World War. But is great change coming? Professor Danny Dorling says the signs are there, that we've reached peak inequality.
read more + Playing Pokémon GO increases daily physical activity concludes recent study A new journal article co-authored by Tim Schwanen explores the physical activity benefits of Pokémon GO in Hong Kong. The open access paper reports short-term increases in players' walking and running distance, especially among less physically active participants.
27/06/201827 June 2018 -
read more + Global Challenges in Transport: Inspiration Fund Scholarships Launched The Transport Studies Unit (TSU) is delighted to announce its new Inspiration Fund Scholarship, specifically designed to facilitate the attendance of women practitioners/researchers from low income countries on its Global Challenges in Transport courses.
read more + A great alumni match Congratulations to Alan Poynter (St Edmund Hall, 1951) and Jean Poynter nee Wadsworth (Lady Margaret Hall, 1952) who first met at the School of Geography and this year celebrated their diamond anniversary.
26/06/201826 June 2018 -
read more + Heathrow's third runway is expensive, polluting and unequal - why the poor will lose out After more than a decade of debate, the expansion of London's Heathrow airport has been given the green light. Construction could begin as early as 2021. However, in all the deliberation over costs and connectivity, the biggest losers from this decision - the poor - have been largely left out of the discussion, writes Professor David Banister.
25/06/1825 June 2018 -
read more + New Director for the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment Professor Cameron Hepburn has been announced as the new Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and from October 2018 will lead the School in its growing portfolio of research and education to shape business practices, government policy and stakeholder engagement on the environment.
read more + Intact forests 'indispensable' in the fight against climate change This week, a major international conference will explore the latest research into 'intact' forests - large forested areas that remain mostly unharmed by human activity. Co-organiser Dr Alexandra Morel explains why these threatened landscapes are so important to the future of the planet.
read more + A new way to assess 'global warming potential' of short-lived pollutants Dr Michelle Cain writes a guest post for the Carbon Brief to address whether treating all greenhouse gasses as CO2 equivalent is the best measure for stocktaking countries emissions reduction targets under the Paris Agreement. She suggests a modified metric as an better way of linking emissions to warming.
08/06/20188 June 2018 -
read more + 10 years on from the MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Management Lydia Cole, Rowan Trebilco, Anne Christianson and Laura Chartier (BCM 2007-08) reflect on their 10 year reunion, when '08 graduates summarised their last "10 years in 10 minutes", in a day of discussions on "Early career trajectories in biodiversity, conservation and management".
06/06/1806 June 2018 -
read more + Air pollution from cars and vans costs society £6billion per year A new Oxford University collaboration involving ECI/TSU's Dr Christian Brand has shed light on the damaging health consequences of Britain's car addiction - revealing that it is likely costing our NHS and society in general more than £6 billion per year.
05/06/20185 June 2018 -
read more + Kicking the car(bon) habit better for air pollution than electric cars Changing our lifestyles and the way we travel could have as big, if not more of an impact on carbon dioxide transport emissions, as electric vehicles and the transport technology revolution, according to new Oxford University research led by Dr Christian Brand.
05/06/1805 June 2018 -
read more + Rating climate risks to credit worthiness A news piece in Nature Climate Change examines how climate change risks could impact credit rating and in turn be used to incentivise climate risk reduction efforts by companies. In the article, Ben Caldecott highlights some of the complexities and existing limitations in collecting and disclosing the necessary data to account for climate risk.
read more + Carbon 'bubble' could cost global economy trillions In a news article on the BBC website, it is suggested that a rapid reduction in demand for fossil fuels could see global economic losses of $1-4 trillion by 2035, with reference to a report by the Sustainable Finance Programme.
05/06/1805 June 2018 -
read more + Will London run out of water? In a news post for the Conversation, Edoardo Borgomeo considers the water scarcity challenges facing the capital, drawing on research undertaken by the Environmental Change Institute-led MaRIUS (Managing the Risks, Impacts and Uncertainties of Droughts and Water Scarcity) project.
04/06/20184 June 2018 -
read more + Alex Foster commended by the Alfred Steers Dissertation prize panel Alex Foster (2013, Hertford) introduces his dissertation, 'The-wolf-stalks-at-five-o'clock: A more-than-human, relational approach to livestock depredations in North-East Oregon', which was commended by the RGS-IBG Alfred Steers Dissertation prize judging panel for 2017. This award is made for the best undergraduate dissertation in a UK geography department.
04/06/1804 June 2018 -
read more + Scaling up sustainable innovation: actors, institutions and geographies A new phase in the transition to a more sustainable society has arrived: some sustainable innovations are now scaling up. Researchers from Oxford University and the Copernicus Institute of Utrecht University discussed upscaling during a one-day workshop.
04/06/1804 June 2018 -
read more + MPs call for mandatory climate risk reporting Following inquiry into green finance, Environmental Audit Committee concludes large companies and asset owners - such as pension funds - should be forced to report their exposure to climate change risks and opportunities
read more + New estimates of the environmental cost of food Research published in the journal Science highlights the environmental impacts of thousands of food producers and their products, demonstrating the need for new technology to monitor agriculture, and the need for environmental labels on food products.
31/05/201831 May 2018 -
read more + Outdoor education in Chiang Mai and a mini Thai reunion In May Alumna Shivanti Kandiah-Evans (St Hilda's, 1994), took a group of her school students on a field trip to the Maekok River Resort in northern Chiang Mai, an outdoor education centre and resort run by fellow alumnus Bryan Massingham (Hertford, 1972).
read more + Why blowing the 1.5C global warming goal will leave poor tropical nations sweating most of all Almost all of us are going to be worse off as climate change takes hold, whether through heatwaves, changing rainfall patterns, sea level rise, or damage to ecosystems. But it's the world's poorest people who will suffer the biggest disruptions to their local climate, Dr Luke Harrington explains in the Conversation.
24/05/201824 May 2018 -
read more + INTALInC comes to Oxford In early May the TSU hosted an Early Career Researcher Workshop and Dissemination Event for the International Network for Transport and Accessibility in Low Income Communities (INTALInC) programme. The events were attended by more than 50 delegates from Ghana, Bangladesh, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
23/05/1823 May 2018 -
read more + Will putting a price on nature devalue its worth? Cameron Hepburn responds to a recent article in the Guardian Newspaper on the dangers of trying to value nature, by suggesting that markets do have a role if nature is properly valued.
18/05/1818 May 2018 -
read more + MPs criticise government clean energy policies Heavy criticism has been levelled at UK government energy policies for causing a rapid fall in clean energy investment. The SSEE are quoted in this BBC article by highlighting the need for low-cost capital for low-carbon infrastructure and technology.
read more + SoGE graduate students attend writing retreat on the Isle of Wight A group of 14 graduate research students from the School attended a week-long writing retreat in March of 2018. The retreat was held at the Northcourt Manor home on the Isle of Wight. This was the second event of this type that has been coordinated by the department's postgraduate joint consultative committee.
11/05/201811 May 2018 -
read more + Sea Ice and Arctic Biota - Special edition published this week The impacts of the rapid melting of sea ice on arctic biota requires a new scientific framework, if we are to have a chance of protecting plant and animal ecosystems, says Dr Marc Macias-Fauria, co-editor of a special edition of Biology Letters.
read more + The Future of Freight: Expectations, experimentation, and 'beyond experiments' To mark the end of their Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (CIED) project on 'smart and automated freight', TSU Director Dr Tim Schwanen and Research Lecturer Dr Debbie Hopkins hosted a lively stakeholder workshop at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London.
09/05/1809 May 2018 -
read more + Australian businesses urged to view climate change through financial risk lens A new series of papers by the Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative (CCLI) - an initiative of the Smith School's Sustainable Finance Programme - urge Australian businesses to better understand climate change through a financial risk lens, or risk being left behind by their global peers.
