Research
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Calls
Call for conference poster abstracts – Profiting from Sustainability: Using LCA to add value and grow your business
Poster abstracts are invited from researchers interested in the area of R&D in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) assumptions and methodology for bio-based (and other more sustainable) energy, fuels, chemicals and material. These will be shown at the Profiting from Sustainability conference in London on 25th April, which is being organised by the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) and the UK’s National Centre for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials (NNFCC). A prize or prizes totally £250 will be awarded for the poster with the best commercial potential and two posters will be chosen for oral presentation at the conference. 250-word abstracts should be submitted by 25th March, 2012 to conferences@soci.org with the subject line “Profiting from Sustainability using LCA – poster abstract”. More…
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Research
Comparing energy balances, greenhouse gas balances and biodiversity impacts of contrasting farming systems with alternative land uses
This paper highlights the importance of taking alternative land use options into account when interpreting agricultural life cycle assessments. The study compared three different management options for the land area – Miscanthus energy crop production, managed forest and natural forest. The results suggest that integrated farming systems have the potential to improve the energy and GHG balances and biodiversity compared to both organic and conventional systems. The approach used could be further developed for identifying land management systems that optimize food production and environmental benefits. More…
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Events
Second ‘Policy Meets Research’ Workshop – Sustainable Housing
15th-16th March: Ministry of the Environment, Helsinki, Finland
This workshop, which is part of the European knowledge brokerage project CORPUS on sustainable housing, will bring together researchers and policy-makers and will look at global and European policies for sustainable housing – such as economic support for energy saving refurbishment, stricter building codes and information campaigns – as well as engaging participants in scenario-building and developing a research agenda on sustainable housing. Places are limited and those interested are initially required to sign up to the SCP knowledge hub. The deadline for registration is 10th March. More…
Energy Futures Lab Annual Lecture 2012 – More sustainable power generation technologies
19th March: 18.00-19.00, Room 220, Mechanical Engineering Building, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London
Charles Soothill, Chief Technology Officer of Alstom Power will be presenting the Energy Futures Lab Annual Lecture 2012. The infrastructure and technology implications of the widespread implementation of changes to allow more sustainable power generation are not yet fully understood. Charles will address some of the scenarios that can be forecast and attempt to measure the outcomes and necessary research and development from the standpoint of Alstom, a major supplier of power generation equipment. The lecture is open to all and will be followed by a drinks reception and poster display from Imperial researchers, showing the latest developments in the field of sustainable energy. Pre-registration is required. More…
Delivering the Green Deal: Building Partnerships, Tackling Fuel Poverty
22nd March: Central Hall, Westminster, London SW1H 9NH
This one-day conference, chaired by Philip Sellwood (Chief Executive of Energy Saving Trust) will look at the implications of the £1.3b Green Deal, the biggest home energy improvement programme of modern times which is due to start in October. In his keynote address, Charles Phillips (Deputy Director, Department of Energy and Climate Change) will talk about the challenge for local authorities, businesses and homeowners to seize the opportunity to cut carbon emissions and fuel bills, improve homes and be at the frontier of sustainable, low-carbon living. Other issues to be explored include how the Green Deal can help to tackle the underlying problems of fuel poverty and what innovative green finance models are available to local authorities. The conference will also look at how businesses, communities and funding can be harnessed to help deliver sustainable development projects on scale. Speakers include Derek Lickorish (Chairman of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group), Trewin Restorick, (CEO, Global Action Plan) and Duncan McCombie (Director of Operations Wales, Energy Saving Trust). A limited number of tickets are still available and registration is required. More…
Transition Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy: Final Dissemination Conference
18th April: Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, London
This one-day conference will discuss the findings and outputs from research that is developing a set of transition pathways for the UK energy system to a low carbon future. The pathways examine the potential for low carbon electricity generation, transmission and distribution. The transition pathways also cover demand management actions which could be taken to help meet the UK’s target of reducing its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, with different roles for government, market and civil society actors. The deadline for registration is 2nd March. More…
Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Environmental Science: A 2020 Vision
16th May: Royal Geographical Society, London
The NERC-funded Environmental Virtual Observatory is holding an international conference to explore how new information technologies, particularly ‘the cloud’, can further advance integrated environmental science. It aims to address the following questions: how can advances in IT help to solve or ameliorate major environmental issues?; what are the practical barriers hindering and the opportunities to encourage integration between IT, research and user communities?; and, what approaches, individuals and institutions appear to constitute the cutting edge of this IT-environment integration? The deadline for registration is 4th May. More…
The UK’s smart grid strategy and latest thinking on the prospects for a European Supergrid
14th June: morning, Central London
This seminar will examine the opportunities and challenges associated with the future of the UK’s electricity network and focus on the next steps in the development and implementation of a smart grid strategy. Representatives from DECC and Ofgem will update the audience on progress towards smart grid development and the seminar will include discussion of the progress and next steps in the deployment of technology to store energy; ongoing privacy concerns relating to increased data and information sharing; and the potential opportunities and risks associated with the delivery of a European Supergrid. Online booking required. More…
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Online
WISE and INSPIRE - new collaboration for sustainable development education in Wales
A new collaboration between the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), Machynlleth, is aimed at placing sustainability at the heart of learning. CAT has recently opened its WISE (Wales Institute for Sustainable Education) facility based on its pioneering 40-acre ‘living laboratory’ site and provides opportunities for hundreds of postgraduate students to acquire specialist skills. The University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s virtual institute - The Institute for Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE) – was launched in January and is led by Jane Davidson, former Minister for Environment and Sustainability in the Welsh Government. It is part of the University’s ‘fit for future’ framework, which has the aim of embedding sustainable development into the overall student experience. More…
EnviroSurvey55 – Survey of older people’s views on environmental issues
Older people’s voices are not often heard on environmental issues yet they may be disproportionately affected by environmental problems such as air pollution, climate-change related heatwaves and other natural disasters. The survey seeks to redress this by gathering views of over 55s on the difficulties they face in personally taking action to reduce their environmental footprint and their attitudes towards issues such as climate change in an age of austerity and rising environmental scepticism. The survey, which is designed to be completed world-wide, will thus reveal information on geographical and location differences and will help feed into the policy process to help develop better strategies to address the environmental concerns of an ageing population. This international study is led by Gary Haq at the Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York and the Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Over 55s are invited to complete the survey by 31st March. More…
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New Publications
Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report - The Future of Marine Renewables in the UK
The Energy and Climate Change Select Committee has published a report on the future of marine renewables in the UK which suggests that the UK could be a leading exporter of wave and tidal power equipment and expertise if the Government adopts a new visionary approach to developing marine renewables. More…
Forest Research report - Exploring relationships between peri-urban woodlands and people’s health and well-being
New research explores in detail people’s understandings and experiences of the relationship between peri-urban woodlands and health and well-being. The work by the Social and Economic Research Group at Forest Research focuses on 1) experiences in and perceptions of the physical environment; 2) motivations for undertaking activity and benefits gained; and 3) social experiences in woodland. More…
University of York briefing paper - Changing Lives to Tackle Climate Change: Why do people adopt and maintain sustainable lifestyles?
Individual behaviour change has played an important part in UK
environmental policy over the last decade, with attention recently focussing on controversial 'nudge' approaches. However, we do not fully understand why people adopt and maintain sustainable lifestyles. This short summary report presents findings from recently completed postgraduate research that uses narrative biographical methods to address this issue. More…
Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods Network (SUNN) report - How can local government build sustainable urban neighbourhoods?
The Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods Network (SUNN), which was set up by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Urban and Economic Development, uses the term ‘sustainable urban neighbourhood’ to refer to new communities that are built to last in social and economic as well as physical terms. This new report draws on direct experience of trying to build new communities that will stand the test of time, identifying seven steps to achieving sustainable urban neighbourhoods: agree the spatial framework; facilitate public-private development partnerships; mobilise public undesignated land; attract private funding for infrastructure; open up housing markets; endow community stewardship; and, learn from what works. More…
Aldersgate Group report - Building Britain: The path to sustainable growth for the built environment
This new report by the Aldersgate Group highlights the progress the Government has made in shaping the regulatory and fiscal framework towards a sustainable built environment but a lack of regulatory detail, clarity, consistency and effective enforcement is hampering the industry’s prospects of delivering on carbon reduction targets whilst remaining competitive. More…
Social Care Institute and Bristol City Council: mainstreaming environmental sustainability in social care
Bristol City Council is looking to embed sustainability in its social care commissioning. To help progress this, the council worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to explore what sustainability means to local citizens and how this could shape the future of social care. The aim was to deepen understanding of the implications of personalisation for the council’s sustainability objectives and explore whether personalisation could stimulate the market for environmentally sustainable services. ‘Sustainable social care and personalisation: a guide for community engagement’ is based on this work and is available for local authorities and their partners to use in developing community-driven, sustainable approaches to social care. ‘Bristol City Council and mainstreaming environmental sustainability: a case study in sustainable social care’ provides an overview of Bristol’s achievements to date, outlining how the Health and Social Care Directorate has taken a key role in improving overall performance, and reports on the SCIE-led project in more detail. More…
Trinity College Dublin/NUI Galway reports - Towards Future Practices of Sustainable Heating and Sustainable Washing in Irish households
The CONSENSUS research project, led by Trinity College Dublin in association with partners at NUI Galway and funded by the EPA STRIVE Programme, has produced two 'Transition Framework' documents presenting long-term plans for more sustainable personal washing and home heating practices in Irish households. The Transition Framework documents have arisen out of CONSENSUS research on sustainable water and energy consumption in which an innovative 'backcasting' methodology was applied. This involved the engagement of sectoral stakeholders in the design of future visions containing socio-technical innovations for more sustainable home heating and personal washing practices. Once the future visions were established, ‘Transition’ workshops were held where an integrated timeline of policy measures, educational initiatives, commercial and research agendas to achieve the future visions were developed. More…
World Resources Institute publications on Business Ecosystem Services
The World Resources Institute has brought out a second version of its Corporate Ecosystem Services Review: Guidelines for identifying Business Risks and Opportunities Arising from Ecosystem Change, which is designed as a tool for strategy development as well as well as for environmental assessment. A new WRI report, Nature in Performance: Integrating Ecosystem Services into Business Performance Systems, looks at ways in which companies can integrate considerations of ecosystem services into their existing business performance systems such as corporate strategy development procedures, product design guidelines, environmental management systems, environmental impact assessments, environmental and social impact assessments, environmental audits, and sustainability reporting. More…
EurObserv’ER annual report - The State of Renewable Energies in Europe
EurObserv’ER has released the 2011 edition of its annual State of Renewable Energies in Europe report, which includes information on the renewable energy realisations and energy share as well as renewable energy-related employment and turnover in the EU Member States. More…
Policy Exchange report - Gas Works? Shale gas and its policy implications
This new report by Policy Exchange challenges the UK government’s long-term central planning approach of Electricity Market Reform (EMR) in order to plan the future generation mix since this is based on an assumption of future high gas prices. With the possibility of large shale gas resources and the uncertain direction of future gas prices, if the assumption proves wrong it risks imposing a large expense on UK energy billpayers. Instead, the authors argue, ERM should be recast such that it enables the market to deliver electricity market decarbonisation (under the EU ETS cap) in the most cost-effective ways. More…
Jobs and Training
Jobs and Training opportunities around the Sustainable Development Research network are now updated frequently on the ‘Jobs and Training’ page of the SDRN website…
The SDRN Mailing is a moderated information resource and dissemination service for SDRN members. You can make use of this service by sending any information for inclusion in the mailing to Ben Watson.
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