Sustainability (2021-24)

Research Updates

Our research updates pages aims to showcase the breadth of research around Sustainability across the College of Social Sciences at Glasgow, and aid in creating a collaborative research culture. We feature reflective blogs, new grant announcements, ongoing research projects, summaries of workshops or events, and more. If you have something you would like us to share, please email sustainability-irt@glasgow.ac.uk.

Research Spotlight: Marta Vignola, Water Treatment Technologies

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 13:51:00 GMT

Join us in discovering the future of clean water solutions and the impact it can have on communities worldwide.

Photo of woman outside
Photo of woman outside

Research Spotlight: Jude Robinson, Water & Waste

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:51:00 GMT

Glasgow Water Cluster member Professor Jude Robinson examines the critical issues of water, waste, and the disparities that exist in these domains. Her work extends from the United Kingdom to Africa, with a shared goal of enhancing water safety and ensuring access to secure water sources for all.

Sustainable Screens Scotland

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 16:26:00 GMT

Sustainable Screens Scotland is a new project aiming to support the decarbonisation of the film and television industries in Scotland.

AboutSUS: a new podcast exploring sustainability

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 16:26:00 GMT

AboutSUS is a new podcast approaching sustainability from a range of disciplinary, experiences, locations and themes. Listen to the first two episodes here.

a heavily eroded coast line
a heavily eroded coast line

Dynamic Coast

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:26:00 BST

The Dynamic Coast project (2015-17 and 2018 - 2021) was commissioned to support the Scottish Government and to provide a national evidence base on the extent and rate of coastal erosion in Scotland, taking into account the latest climate change predictions for sea level rise. The work highlighted the areas at highest risk of coastal erosion to allow targeted responses by national and local government to address future risk and provided key strategic recommendations for Scottish Government.

Raging brown flood waters
Raging brown flood waters

Waterproofing Data: Engaging citizens for data-driven sustainability

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 16:26:00 BST

Climate change is causing extreme weather events such as extreme rainfall and flooding to become more frequent and more severe. Some communities are more at risk such events than others, for example in poorer neighbourhoods in Brazil. Professor João de Porto de Albuquerque talks about the Waterproofing Data project, which is engaging Brazilian communities in the usage of flood-related data.

Multiple hands placed on the trunk of a tree
Multiple hands placed on the trunk of a tree

Sustaining research partnerships across time, space, projects, pandemics, and busy lives  

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 08:50:00 BST

In a busy world of pressing engagements, we often find it hard to carve out time to build relationships with different people and organisations. Dr Mia Perry writes about the importance of human relationships and connection in the world of research; how taking the time out to meet, chat, and connect with people, can change your outlook of your work and ultimately strengthen it and your sector.

People carrying plastic bottles for reuse
People carrying plastic bottles for reuse

Can we develop, design and manufacture plastics that positively contribute to Net Zero?

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 16:37:00 GMT

Reusing and repairing single use and other plastics contributes to Net Zero by both reducing the manufacture of new products and the number of items that end up in waste disposal. However, the reuse and repair of plastics as part of the circular economy is not without challenge.

Environmental risk and solutions for a sustainable development of Asian river deltas

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 11:50:00 GMT

Nowadays, river deltas are spaces of high vulnerability due to the conjunction of hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards, fragile ecosystems, social and economic demands, and the effects of human actions on the environment.

Sustainable Business Travel for research and teaching

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 11:38:51 GMT

International travel is integral to research in leading universities. We travel to conferences and meetings to share research findings and ideas and progress our studies. Interacting with our peers enables our creativity and helps us keep at the cutting edge. Senior colleagues also travel to recruit international students – the lifeblood of our learning and teaching.

Repair Café Glasgow

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 11:33:30 GMT

Repair Café Glasgow is a voluntary organisation, founded in 2017 on the principles of Repair Café International, and built upon the idea that our possessions have lots of life left in them when we maintain and repair them. Doing this together with others builds social cohesion and combats isolation, while helping reduce the size of our landfills.

Five top tips for ethical clothing consumption in the new year

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 11:13:40 GMT

Currently, UK citizens buy more new clothes than anywhere else in Europe and throw away over a million tonnes of clothing annually (UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee, 2020). This represents both a challenge and an opportunity to transform our approach to clothing.

Environmental Science students participate in COP 26 video competition

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 09:30:00 GMT

As part of the COP26 activities at the School of Interdisciplinary Studies (now the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability), a bespoke video competition was held in the University of Glasgow-Nankai University Joint Graduate School in China.

Online premiere of Cuba's Life Task: Combatting Climate Change

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 16:26:00 GMT

Climate change is among the world’s greatest challenges. As a small Caribbean island, Cuba is disproportionately affected by climate change through extreme weather events. Up to 10% of Cuban territory could be submerged by the end of the century, wiping out coastal towns, polluting water supplies, destroying agricultural lands, and forcing one million people to relocate. Finding solutions is now essential.

Societal Transformations for Sustainability

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 21:37:00 GMT

Join us for an in person networking session to explore: What kind of societal transformation(s) do we need to achieve eco-social sustainability?

Natural Hazard Resilience: Cross Sector Workshop

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 21:37:00 GMT

Join colleagues from across the University and the National Centre for Resilience to discuss natural hazard risks in Scotland, including potential impacts on inequalities and access to services.

Participatory fiction with the Waste Stories project

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 21:37:00 GMT

Join us for an in person, interactive workshop using participatory speculative fiction to explore rubbish and wasted materials

Water and Sustainable Development: Scotland’s Water Future

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 21:37:00 GMT

Join us for an online webinar exploring Scottish Water plans to be carbon neutral, what are the Scottish Government’s future water plans, and our future water research needs.

Call for new Interdisciplinary Research Theme leaders: Sustainability

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 15:34:00 BST

The Sustainability theme is looking for an additional researcher to join its interdisciplinary leadership team.

A smiling research fellow
A smiling research fellow

New research fellow for interdisciplinary research on sustainability

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 21:00:00 BST

In January 2022, Dr Marcela Ramos joined the theme leadership in order to support interdisciplinary research across the college. Here she explores some reflections on the role to date, drawing on her background in journalism and sustainable agriculture research.

Webinar: Sustainability at Scale

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:59:00 GMT

Part of the Aspect Annual Event 2020 webinar series, the session 'Sustainability at scale: The role of social science research in building long-term solutions' explored how we work across disciplines and sectors to engage with sustainability at a micro and macro level.