Equity
Delivering environmental sustainability through a just transition that enables communities to thrive.
The Equity challenge area is informing the search for sustainable futures for all. Through collaborative, co-productive and interdisciplinary research we envisage an equitable sustainable future that does not negatively impact particular segments of society. We aim to overcome intersecting inequalities (e.g. geography, gender, race, class, disability, education), many of which are exacerbated by environmental crisis, to ensure a socially just and inclusive sustainable future.
Thinking more globally, and working from the micro to macro scale, we seek to include the voices and experiences of individuals and communities through to large-scale global organisations and policymakers. In doing so, we will open up diverse critical debate on how sustainable endeavours can ensure inclusivity and prosperity for all, whilst avoiding unintended consequences.
Case Studies
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One Bin to Rule Them All
Have you ever been frustrated by the complexities of household recycling? Unsure about what goes in which bin? This innovative project seeks to address these issues to improve household plastic recycling.
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Social justice
How can we make climate adaptation more socially just? Decisions on how to adapt to the impact of extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as flooding and heat waves, often rely on understanding only physical factors. Research from The University of Manchester has highlighted how we can support socially-vulnerable and climate-disadvantaged communities.
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Energy poverty
How can we highlight the growing issue of energy poverty in the private rented sector and offer solutions to help address it for those affected? The University of Manchester's development of the Energy Poverty Dashboard is bringing to light essential data that will help inform future energy policies across Europe.
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Reducing waste at festivals
Every year millions of festivalgoers across the globe gather to enjoy live music. But once the party is over, they often leave a large ecological footprint behind. Seeking a greener way forward, researchers at The University of Manchester helped Glastonbury Festival reduce waste via education and behavioural change initiatives.
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Towards Inclusive Environmental Sustainability (TIES)
This three-year study, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, explores how the knowledge and practices of immigrants from the Global South contribute to building just and sustainable cities in the Global North.
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Equity Challenge Lead
Dr Charis Enns, Presidential Fellow in Socio-Environmental Systems at the Global Development Institute at The University of Manchester.
Charis’s research interests sit at the intersection of critical development studies, human geography, and political ecology with a regional focus on countries in East and Central Africa. Her work focuses on understanding how large land use changes meant to promote sustainable futures – such as investments in renewable energy or biodiversity conservation – change rural peoples’ livelihoods and sociocultural lives. She is also interested in how these types of large land use changes impact on peoples’ relationships with the natural world, including plants and animals. Her approach to research is politically engaged and influenced by the scholar-activism tradition – prioritising collaboration with civil society organisations and research that is useful and accessible to policymakers.