sustainability

Plastics policies are changing the game—but are SMEs being left behind?

By Adeyemi Adelekan and Maria Sharmina Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Renewables Posted: February 6, 2025

The UK plastics policy landscape is undergoing major changes. While consultations stress the importance of avoiding harm to SMEs, policies often lack concrete measures against such harm. Research by the University of Manchester indicates that current and forthcoming plastics policies, shaped by these consultations, would affect stakeholders across the plastic supply chain differently, with SMEs […]

Water reuse for sustainable practices in new housing infrastructure

By Claire Hoolohan, Alison Browne and Ella Foggitt Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Urban Posted: February 4, 2025

Demand for water will outstrip supply within the next 25 years in England. Changing patterns of water use – for example, as a result of increasing hygiene standards – are intersecting with long-standing infrastructural challenges of ageing water and sewerage networks. In this article, Dr Ella Foggitt, Dr Claire Hoolohan and Professor Alison Browne assess […]

Harnessing Digital Solutions for Sustainable Housing Expansion: A GIS-Powered Approach

By Richard Kingston Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Environment Posted: October 17, 2024

The UK government has committed to an ambitious housing strategy of building 1.5 million homes over the next five years to address the chronic housing shortage exacerbated by rising demand, affordability and population growth. This plan must also rectify long-term structural challenges in the housing market whilst ensuring homes are built sustainably. Here, Professor Richard Kingston […]

Regional policy for biomanufacturing in the North-West chemical sector

By Neil Dixon Filed Under: Environment, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: October 3, 2024

There is an urgent need for the chemical manufacturing sector to transition to alternative, sustainable carbon-based feedstocks, moving away from reliance on petrochemical sources. Large urban areas, such as the north-west of England, generate substantial amounts of waste rich in carbon, which are processed for energy generation via direct incineration or biogas production. Here, Dr […]

Building the bioeconomy

By Aline Miller Filed Under: Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted: August 29, 2024

Current manufacturing processes across all industrial sectors rely on petrochemicals, either to power them, or as starting points for their product. This over reliance on finite fossil resources is having a detrimental impact on the health of the world and its population. Professor Aline Miller explains how industrial biotechnology can break this addiction to petrochemicals […]

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

By James Jackson Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Environment, UK economy Posted: August 19, 2024

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 […]

Rooting for effective reforestation: landscape context and woodland cover

By Matthew Dennis Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment Posted: August 12, 2024

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 […]

Energy consumption: solving the storage problem

By Robert Dryfe Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: July 11, 2024

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 […]

Policy responses for the breakdown in climate consensus

By Paul Tobin and Matthew Paterson Filed Under: Energy and Environment Posted: July 4, 2024

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 […]

Untangling the threads: addressing microfibre pollution

By Libby Allen, Claudia Henninger and Jingyi Li Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: April 29, 2024

As clothes are washed and worn, tiny fibres below 5mm in length are broken off or released from the fabric itself, which are called microfibres. With increasing concerns over the persistence of this pollution, Libby Allen, Dr Claudia Henninger and Jingyi Li are exploring preventative solutions to reduce pollution released from the laundering of clothes. […]