Find out about the latest IRENES project developments in the UK and internationally in our newsletter.
Envisioning and delivering transformations through research and innovation
Sustainable Futures works with regional, national, and international stakeholders to support transformations towards environmentally and socially just societies.
We achieve this through engaging individuals and communities in our research and by sharing our knowledge with those who can use it to make a difference.
Find out more about some of the projects ARU staff have working on as part of the Sustainable Futures research theme.
Watch videos about some of our key projectsBLUEPRINT will help local authorities by ensuring they have the framework towards implementing a circular economy.
Read more about our work helping local authorities implement a circular economyIRENES aims to better understand how net zero carbon policies and strategies are utilised for the delivery of renewable energy sources.
Read more about our research on interactions between strategies regarding renewable energy sources and eco-system servicesPioneering research demonstrated the impacts of biodegradable plastics and microplastics and of cigarette butts on the environment.
Read more about our research on the environmental impact of single-use plasticsThis project presents a case study for citizen behavioural change by comparing the air quality for parallel bike and car routes in Cambridge and Colchester.
Read more about our work comparing air quality on parallel car and bike routesThis initiative aims to support actions that improve equitable access to sustainable healthy diets, improve farmers’ livelihoods and resilience, and conserve land, air, and water resources in South Asia.
Read more about our work to create change by mapping the impact of food waste in India, Bangladesh and NepalThis project addresses the workforce implications of industry 5.0, with a particular focus on the relationship between automation choices and maintenance of skilled work.
Read more about our work exploring interactions between human skills and machine automationLiquefACT and TURNkey aimed to develop tools to assess and enhance the resilience of the built environment and community to natural hazards.
Read more about our work improving built environment and community resilience to earthquakesFIReS aims to develop an international network of multi-disciplinary researchers, practitioners and innovators to improve the resilience of healthcare services to major disasters.
Read more about our work improving the resilience of healthcare services to major disastersProfessional Nurse Advocate (PNA) is a training programme designed to address the high levels of burnout and turnover among NHS nurses in the light on COVID-19.
Read more about our work addressing high levels of burnout and turnover among NHS nursesAssociate Professor of Water Systems Engineering
Director, Global Sustainability Institute
Senior Research Fellow
Associate Professor in Heritage and Creative Technologies / Deputy Director of StoryLab
Associate Professor
Associate Professor in Disaster Mitigation
Find out about the latest IRENES project developments in the UK and internationally in our newsletter.
The Sustainable Futures theme launches to the public at Chelmsford Cathedral on Tuesday 18 October 2022, with a keynote speech by Helen Sharman OBE, the first British astronaut. Helen will also answer questions in discussion with Abigail Blake, ARU Masters student in Sustainability.
The Sustainable Futures team is holding an event alongside the Gaia exhibition at Chelmsford Cathedral, in support of the ARU Family Science Day on Saturday 15 October 2022 at the Chelmsford Science Festival.
ARU researchers are invited to attend the launch of the Sustainable Futures research theme in Cambridge on 27 September 2022. This is a great opportunity to network with colleagues, meet regional leaders in sustainability, and collectively brainstorm new, exciting areas for research activity.