Breadcrumbs
Welcome from the Director
Welcome to the SCI website and thank you for your interest in our ongoing programme of research.
The key focus of the research of the Sustainable Consumption Institute is to deepen our understanding of ways to help consumers, businesses and governments move to more environmentally sustainable living.
In the early years since we were established in 2007, the SCI funded a wide range of small projects at The University of Manchester. I highlight two of these projects. The first involved carbon footprinting foodstuffs using Carbon Calculations over the Life Cycle of Industrial Activities (CCaLC). This award-winning tool is available free of charge to anyone wishing to estimate and manage the climate change impact of their activities along their supply chain. The second project helped to develop accessible training about sustainability (RoundView) within the workplace that has gone on to win Low Carbon and Environment prizes.
In late 2009 we funded more substantial projects, in particular three flagship projects to look more deeply into how to make household consumption behaviour more sustainable, how to drive environmental innovation processes through the supply chain, and how to model climate change scenarios with a focus on food and transport. Dissemination activities related to these projects are ongoing, and initial outputs are listed under publications, news, and the flagship research pages. The flagship projects will finish by the end of 2012.
This year there will be new academic appointments to strengthen our capacity in existing research areas, and develop capacity in two new related areas: sustainable cities and ecosystem services (renewable energy, water, and sustainable agriculture). As part of our role in sharing research ideas with policy-makers across a wide range of organisations, we are academic advisors on a Knowledge Hub to reduce carbon in the Tesco supply chain. We provide access to academic expertise and innovative research for the suppliers. We are looking forward to exploring new joint research initiatives with leading international companies such as Kraft and Nestlé.
Direct engagement with Defra in 2009 resulted in the appointment of SCI project liaisons being identified within Defra. Earlier this year we hosted a discussion forum with the Rt Hon David Willetts MP and 25 industry leaders and high level government officials, to discuss proposals for how to best link the green Public Procurement Agenda with the Sustainable Innovation Agenda. We will be hosting a similar workshop on household food waste later this year.
Please look through our list of publications, sign up to receive our newsletter, or watch videos of some of our research outputs. Later this year we will be publishing Climate Change and Common Sense: Essays in Honour of Tom Schelling (Oxford University Press) and details will be posted on the website.
Please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss possible collaboration.
Sincerely,
Alistair Ulph