Flooded railway lines with a train in the distance

Sustainable Futures

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.
Contact us at [email protected]

Research institutes, centres and groups

Global Sustainability Institute
StoryLab
Sustainable Futures research centres and groups
Video still of electricity pylons and factory chimneys at dusk

Case studies

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 projects

Projects

A woman placing a bottle into a recycling bin with one hand and holding a paper bag with the other
Research project

BLUEPRINT to a circular economy

BLUEPRINT 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 economy
Three people in hi-viz jackets and white hard hats standing in a field full of solar panels
Research project

IRENES

IRENES 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 services
Researcher Georgia Hole carrying out a test flight with a drone
Research project

Wildlife Change in the Arctic

Wildlife Change in the Arctic examines the social and ecological causes and consequences of the North-American beaver Castor canadensis' range expansion.

Read more about our research on changes in beaver populations in the Arctic
Plastic bottles littering a beach
Research project

Single-use plastics

Pioneering 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 plastics
Cambridge street scene featuring a crowd of parked bicycles, a road with a cycle lane, pedestrians, and cars and historical buildings in the distance
Research project

Air quality based green routing to instil citizen behaviour changes

This 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 routes
Prof Manoj Dora speaking to a vegetable farmer in a field in Naland, Bihar, India
Research project

TAFSSA: Transforming Agri-Food Systems in South Asia

This 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 Nepal
A robot claw and a human hand, both holding up cogs of the same size
Research project

Up-Skill: Up-Skilling for Industry 5.0 Roll-Out

This 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 automation
View of a river path damaged by an earthquake in Katori City, Japan, 2011
Research project

LiquefACT and TURNKEY

LiquefACT 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 earthquakes
A row of hospital gurney in a corridor, as viewed from the floor
Research project

FIReS: Fostering Innovative Resilient Healthcare Services

FIReS 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 disasters
A nurse looking out of a hospital window pensively
Research project

Professional Nurse Advocate

Professional 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 nurses

Our team

Maryam Imani

Maryam Imani

Associate Professor

Maryam Imani's profile page

[email protected]

Picture of Aled Jones speaking at an event

Aled Jones

Director, Global Sustainability Institute

Aled Jones's profile page

[email protected]

Follow Aled on Twitter
View Aled's ResearchGate profile

Head shot of Zareen Bharucha

Zareen Bharucha

Senior Research Fellow

Zareen Bharucha's profile page

[email protected]

Fabrizio Galeazzi

Fabrizio Galeazzi

Associate Professor in Heritage and Creative Technologies / Deputy Director of StoryLab

Fabrizio Galeazzi's profile page

[email protected]

Sunrita Dhar-Bhattacharjee

Sunrita Dhar-Bhattacharjee

Associate Professor

Sunrita Dhar-Bhattacharjee's profile page

[email protected]

Follow Sunrita on Twitter

Connect with Sunrita on LinkedIn

Nebil Achour

Nebil Achour

Course Leader in MSc Healthcare Management and Associate Professor in Disaster Mitigation

Nebil Achour's profile page

[email protected]

Manoj Dora

Manoj Dora

Professor in Sustainable Production and Consumption

Manoj Dora's profile page

[email protected]

Follow Manoj on Twitter

View Manoj's ORCID profile

News

14 July 2023

BARIN in the field

The UK BARIN team are in the field from 15 July to 30 August. Our team has expanded, welcoming Dr Georgia Hole, dendrochronologist, and Dr Callum Pearce, anthropologist.

5 June 2023

Running Artfully Network (RAN) to hold event on running, art, and sustainability

Artists, writers, poets, social scientists, academics, runners, and non-runners are invited to join RAN for a networking day of active, artful presentations and provocations with a sustainable emphasis at ARU's Science Centre in Cambridge on 21 June 2023. Expect quick-fire presentations, provocations, physical activities, manifesto writing, connection, reflection, and more.

Find out more and book your place for RAN's Running Towards a Sustainable Future (not from our House on Fire) event
4 May 2023

Sustainable Futures announces speakers for first annual conference

The Sustainable Futures team have announced the speakers for their forthcoming conference on resilience to extreme events. Delegates will hear from professionals and experts on the themes of Cultural Heritage, Healthcare, and Infrastructure in Cambridge on 21-22 June 2023.

Find out more about the Sustainable Futures Conference on resilience to extreme events
13 April 2023

Sustainable Futures to hold conference on resilience to extreme events

The Sustainable Futures team have organised a conference on resilience to extreme events. Taking place on ARU's Cambridge Campus on 21-22 June 2023, the event aims to bring together experts and professionals from around the globe to share knowledge and practical insights on how to prepare for, and respond to extreme events.

Find out more about the Sustainable Futures Conference on resilience to extreme events
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