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Why the success of a green recovery requires engaging with – and learning from – minority communities

By and Filed Under: All posts, Ethnicity, Inclusive Growth, Urban Posted:

 Although the UK has world-leading net zero targets, simply setting the target is not enough. Achieving it requires the participation of all sectors of society. However, racialized minority communities are underrepresented in mainstream approaches to achieving environmental sustainability. To redress this marginalization, Dr Sherilyn MacGregor and Dr Nafhesa Ali from the Sustainable Consumption Institute explain […]

How can we drive businesses to deliver on Net Zero?

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Urban Posted:

Nearly a fifth of the UK’s carbon emissions are generated by businesses. With global emissions expected to be just 4% lower than in 2019, urgent action is required across all sectors to achieve net zero goals. But how can we push businesses to sustainability when their bottom line is at stake? Here, Professor Jonatan Pinkse, […]

Protecting our children’s memory – how can we tackle the scourge of poor air quality in and around our schools?

Martie van Tongeren By and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Urban Posted:

Every day, children are exposed to levels of pollution, both during their journeys to and from school but also in playgrounds and classrooms. Results from a new literature review carried out by The University of Manchester suggests traffic-related air pollution, specifically particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), are detrimental to cognitive functioning in children […]

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COVID-19 and sustainable everyday routines

Claire Hoolohan By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Urban Posted:

Climate change requires rapid and fundamental transformation of our society to change the way that resources like energy and water are used during everyday routines. However, unsustainable consumption proves surprisingly impervious to policies and interventions intended to reduce emissions, not least because taken-for-granted ways of living become ‘locked-in’ by cultural and material conditions of society. […]

How to support refugees’ and asylum seekers’ health and wellbeing

By Filed Under: All posts, Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Urban Posted:

Spending time in an allotment was permitted as a form of exercise throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, and as it eases, provides a physically distanced way of socialising. In this blog, researcher Jo Biglin outlines the vital role these spaces play in the mental and physical wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees, and suggests policies to […]

The retrofitting challenge in Manchester

Elvira Uyarra By , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Urban Posted:

During January-March 2020, Mateusz Ziembla, together with Dr Elvira Uyarra and Professor Jonatan Pinkse, undertook a study for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), funded by Research England, aimed at analysing the challenges associated with improving the energy efficiency of existing housing stock in order to articulate recommendations for policy action. Cost-effective decarbonisation of domestic […]

COVID-19 and the future of urban mobility

By and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted:

COVID-19 has comprehensively disrupted urban mobility systems. Public transport authorities are running skeleton services, while streets are less congested. In the midst of lockdown conditions, urban mobility systems look unrecognisable. Here, Dr Mike Hodson and Professor Andrew McMeekin reflect on how different areas have responded to the lockdown, and discuss key considerations that will shape […]

COVID-19: What should transport and mobility responses be now and beyond?

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted:

The measures we put in place around transport and mobility are critical to how we emerge from this pandemic and rebuild in the coming years. In this blog, Dr Ransford A. Acheampong examines how to make transport safe as some of the most vulnerable groups are returning to work, and shows that active travel is […]

Power from the sun, money from the crowd: community energy offers low-cost finance for renewables

Tim Braunholtz-Speight By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban Posted:

The fall in the cost of renewable energy has created new possibilities for citizen investors to fund community energy projects. However, the majority require some level of price support. In this blog, researchers from The University of Manchester call for policies to support the growth of this sector, such as encouraging the purchase of community-generated […]

A New Greater Manchester Partnership for Education, Skills and Training

Ruth Lupton By and Filed Under: Education, Urban Posted:

The Greater Manchester Independent Prosperity Review, from a panel of leading economists, has listed among its key recommendations an idea Professor Ruth Lupton and Professor Lorna Unwin had put forward. Their idea is to create a Greater Manchester Partnership for Education, Skills and Training, with a similar ambition to the Greater Manchester Health and Social […]

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