Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Policy@Manchester Articles
Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
Green finance article image - trees in Canary Wharf

New governments bring new opportunities: a way forward for green finance?

James Jackson author headshot By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Environment, UK economy Posted:

Following the result of the general election in July 2024, the new Labour government is now responsible for ensuring the UK gets back on track with its Net Zero objectives. Green finance has become a burgeoning area of climate politics and financial markets, raising the question over how the new government might utilise it to […]

New trees planted, reforestation

Rooting for effective reforestation: landscape context and woodland cover

Author headshot Matt Dennis By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment Posted:

Woodland in the UK stands at 14.5% land-cover compared to 40% for Europe as a whole. Government targets aim to reach 17% by 2030 – a huge increase on the ground in a short space of time. In this article, Dr Matthew Dennis demonstrates how the question of where to create new woodland is key […]

two adults standing at the edge of a flooded road in UK countryside.

Climate Just: supporting equitable responses to climate change through social vulnerability maps

Headshot of Professor Sarah Lindley By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Environment Posted:

Historical carbon emissions are already locked into the climate system. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that associated impacts now persist, through extreme weather, climate-related events like floods and wildfires, or longer-term changes to the environment and biosphere. We must give urgent attention to tackling current and future emissions, but it is also vital to ensure […]

School pupils entering a school building

All present and correct? Alternative provision and school attendance

By Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:

Improving school attendance is a key priority for schools, education policymakers and local authorities, as regular school attendance is widely recognised as a key component of learning and educational achievement. Despite this, rates of persistent school absence have increased considerably since the COVID-19 pandemic, with no signs of returning to pre-pandemic levels. In this article, […]

Battery storage compound within an arid environment in the foreground with an orange sunset in the background.

Energy consumption: solving the storage problem

Robert Dryfe Photograph By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

To combat climate change, all developed economies have set the goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050. This means securing more energy from renewable sources. Achieving a high proportion of renewable energy production in the UK and other developed countries is only possible with suitable energy storage infrastructure, to bridge periods of low or no power generation from […]

Workers making shoes in a cluttered factory.

Modern slavery and digital technology in ‘Fast Fashion’: the transparency dividend

Dr Jonathan Daves - author headshotRose BroadAuthor photograph By , and Filed Under: All posts, Science and Technology, Work Posted:

Modern slavery and exploitation are critical challenges in the UK garment manufacturing and fast fashion sectors, which continue to require urgent attention from policymakers and regulatory agencies. Despite the potential for digital technology to enhance supply chain transparency, its effectiveness in mitigating labour exploitation is under-researched and underutilised. In this article, Dr Jon Davies, Professor […]

Sign that reads ZERO CARBON FUTURE

Policy responses for the breakdown in climate consensus

Paul Tobin headshotProf Matthew Paterson By and Filed Under: Energy and Environment Posted:

From 2021 onwards, there has been a ‘climate consensus breakdown’ – and a backlash against net zero. This backlash has changed the nature of Conservative-Labour competition around climate change, from one focused around policy performance, to one questioning how ambitious and rapid UK climate policy should be. The two biggest parties also faced electoral competition […]

3d rendered image of stem cells

Regulation of human embryo models is urgent

By and Filed Under: Health and Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Human embryo models are created from stem cells and provide opportunities to study early embryo development in ways that would generally be impermissible if real human embryos were used. Here, Dr Jonathan Lewis and Professor Soren Holm argue that with human embryo models becoming more advanced, regulations governing human embryo research need to be established […]

Supermarket aisle with unhealthy food

The childhood obesity crisis – driven by deprivation?

Rachel Griffith By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, UK economy Posted:

Children growing up in the most deprived areas of the UK are over twice as likely to be obese as children growing up in the least deprived areas. Obesity and associated malnutrition in childhood can have significant long-term impacts on physical and psychological health, and on children’s long-term social and economic outcomes. In this article, […]

A hospital signpost, pointing toward the Outpatients Department, and the Maternity Department

From mental health to maternal health: understanding the link

A photo of Dr Holly HopeA photo of Dr Rohna KearneyA photo of Professor Kathryn Abel By , and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

It is increasingly recognised that women’s health needs are under-resourced, under-researched, and under-funded. But what happens to women for whom multiple health needs overlap? Here, Dr Holly Hope, Dr Rohna Kearney, and Professor Kathryn Abel outline their research into the reproductive health outcomes of women with mental illness, and what is needed from policy and […]

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Articles give the views of the author, and are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester.

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