Research institutions are the main source of the innovation and discovery that drives our global economy, produces advances in our standard of living and helps us understand the world around us. The integration of sustainability into the research we do and the way research is carried out can have a huge impact on the behaviours of researchers but also the outputs and outcomes of the research itself.
For research-intensive institutions the integration of sustainability from the two different perspectives outlined below can have a major contribution in demonstrating the commitment to sustainability but also lead to new thinking and more sustainable ways to achieve new thinking and new breakthroughs.
1. Sustainable Research: This relates to research that is set-up and/or delivered in a way that minimises environmental or sustainability impacts. For example, research projects that actively employ methodologies that minimise environmental impacts such as employing teleconference or video conferencing rather than extensive travel, or research that minimises carbon impacts through use of highly energy efficient equipment
2. Research into Sustainability: This describes research that contributes to or develops knowledge or understanding of some element of sustainability. For example, research that focuses upon low carbon technologies or provides solutions to environmental problems, or research that investigates some area of sustainability e.g. attitudes to sustainability, pedagogies for Education for Sustainable Development etc.
If you could offer research as a resource of the Sustainability Exchange, please get in touch. We work with academics to provide workshop sessions at the EAUC conference and we are now working with the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Research and Innovation case study: Collaboration leads to £4.2million supermarket deal for Devon dairy
The EAUC-Scotland 2018 Conference, A Decade of Progress, celebrated successes from the decade past, and visioned the decade ahead.
University of Salford – Salford Energy House and Smart Meters Lab
A collaboration between Glasgow School of Art, University of Glasgow and Glasgow City Council; helping communicate sustainability data better and engage staff and students.
The University of Cambridge’s Sustainable Food Policy aims to reduce the central catering department’s impact on the environment through, among other initiatives,...
University of the West of England
University of Leicester
Exeter College Technology Centre
Our future with clean air: ClairCity citizen-led air pollution reduction in cities
LOOSing Water
Leeds Living Lab: Where knowledge grows
Seawater greenhouse technology enables drought-proof agriculture
Under Section 54 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, Scottish Ministers must make annual reports to the Scottish Parliament assessing progress on Scotland’s...
What is Climate Change?
SDGs - analysis of the goals and targets
This is a follow-up to our 2015 report Sustainability Science in a Global Landscape based on selected indicators.
UNESCO have released this publication reviewing some of the most topical trends and issues for ESD. They describe it as: “The present volume addresses Education for...
Researcher Development Framework - a professional development framework for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers...
Living Labs examples
Université Lille 1 : SunRIse Smart City A project that aims at transforming the University into a place of research and experimentation of urban digital infrastructure...