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

Built on sand: the need for new environmental standards in the construction industry

By and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

The building sector is responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions, and many policies have been introduced about the energy efficiency of buildings during their working life. However, little consideration has been given to the whole life of a building, from the production of materials to the disposal of old buildings. Here, Ms Judy Too […]

Harmful online content image

The challenges of regulating online speech

Author headshot By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Digital Futures Posted:

Hate speech or harmful speech is any expression (speech, text, images) that demeans, threatens, or harms members of groups with protected characteristics. It includes slurs, name-calling, discriminatory and exclusionary speech, incitement to hatred and violence, harassment. Online communities are a particularly fast way to spread hate. In this article, Dr Mihaela Popa-Wyatt explores the main questions […]

Maths education article image

Calculating the benefits – maths to 18

Laura Black author headshotJulian Williams By , and Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced a proposal to ensure that all students continue to study maths to 18, a plan aiming to ‘boost low numeracy rates’, and to leave future school-leavers better equipped for ‘data-intensive jobs’ and managing their finances as adults. In this article, Professor Maria Pampaka, Professor Laura Black and Professor Julian […]

using data for traffic planning

Data and Decision Making: how AI and data tools can help influence evidence-based policy change.

David Topping By Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Environment, Science and Technology, Urban Posted:

It is crucial that policymakers have access to the increasing collection of datasets across our natural environment and other sectors such as health and economics. Currently, much of this data is spread across a variety of platforms which work in silo, making it difficult for users to analyse, assess and ultimately deliver improved policy outcomes. […]

A corn crop on dry land

Delivering on climate commitments: restricting global warming to 1.5C

Angela Mae Minas Headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Technology Posted:

In 2015, world leaders committed to holding global warming to well below 2C whilst pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5C as part of The Paris Agreement at COP21. It is now expected that the world is likely to hit this level of warming within the next five years. In this article, Dr Angela Minas […]

firefighter tackling fire in field

Spreading like wildfire: the need for a UK Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS)

Dr Gareth Clay By Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Environment Posted:

In a rapidly changing world under pressure from climate change we are seeing alterations in the pattern of fires, especially in places where wildfires have not been viewed as a major threat such as the UK. Fire Danger Rating Systems (FDRS) provide a measure of the threat posed by wildfires, and are informed by fuel […]

Older people playing bingo

Inequalities, COVID-19 and the older population: developing a community-based response

Camilla Lewisluciana Lang By , , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Levelling up Posted:

Older people were disproportionately affected by the emergence and spread of COVID-19, whether in hospital, the community or in care homes. Just taking the period from January to December 2020, 72,178 people died 60 days after testing positive for COVID-19 or with it mentioned on their death certificate – 67, 451 of whom were 60 […]

Why do teachers need to think about student experiences of loneliness?

By , and Filed Under: Education, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Globally, many governments have set an objective to reduce loneliness, including among adolescents. So far, however, the focus has been on individuals, and is most often out of school time. In this article, Professor Pamela Qualter, Dr Rebecca Jefferson, and Dr Lily Verity discuss their work in the UK, and internationally, and argue whole school […]

We all age differently: approaches to understand the diverse lives of older people

By Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Health and Social Care Posted:

There’s no one kind of ‘older person’, and often, describing them as such overlooks the enormous diversity of this group. Policymakers and service providers have typically relied on one-size-fits-all approaches, which are not always appropriate for diverse populations within the umbrella of ‘older people’. Here, Dr Amy Barron outlines a new toolkit for policymakers to […]

children in school library

Starting a new chapter – childhood literacy education

author headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:

In 2022, the government announced a commitment to improve literacy education as part of its levelling up agenda. The ambition to eradicate issues by 2030 has seen a tight focus on literacy skills and mandated curriculums – which neglect to acknowledge the local and individualised contexts in which teachers teach. A lack of resources, funding […]

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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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