Author: Alex Morrison

A UK-wide circular economy network led by Professor Fiona Charnley of the University of Exeter has awarded £160,000 to five research projects. DICE+ Network, an interdisciplinary collaboration between nine UK universities, is a three-year project funded by the ESPRC that aims to leverage the power of digital to drive a circular economy across sectors and value chains. This includes access to funding to help accelerate research into challenge areas at the interface of digital technologies and circular economy.…

Sir Michael Barber, Chancellor of the University of Exeter, will join the House of Lords. An expert in government policy, Sir Michael is among 34 political peerages approved by the King.  Sir Michael is one of 25 new peers nominated by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in his role as leader of the Labour Party, alongside five Liberal Democrats, three Conservatives and one crossbench peer. The official citation describes Sir Michael as a “globally recognised expert in government…

A new book suggests that the pictures we use to tell stories about climate change fundamentally shape how we respond to the issue. The Visual Life of Climate Change, by Professor Saffron O’Neill from the University of Exeter, says we often rely on a small set of images to illustrate climate change – and these exclude many people and places from the discussion about climate action. Every day, journalists and editors around the world grapple with how to…

The Earth Rover Program launches globally today (World Soil Day), unveiling “soilsmology”, which promises greatly to improve our understanding and use of one of the world’s most crucial resources – soil. By using the well-established methods of seismology in novel ways, the Earth Rover Program enables us to “see” into the shallowest layers of the soil, revealing its vital signs with unprecedented clarity. Launched with support from the Bezos Earth Fund, the Earth Rover Program – co-founded by…

Funding organisations can fix the science publishing system – which currently puts profit first and science second – according to new research. The new paper says the current relationship between researchers, funders and commercial publishers has created a “drain” – depriving the research system of money, time, trust and control. The research team used public revenue and income statements to assess the money being spent on publishing articles with the biggest commercial publishers, and placed this in the…

In the wake of the COP30 climate change conference, more than 500 scientists have signed an urgent declaration, stating: “The planet’s future hangs in the balance.” COP30 ended with almost every country in the world signing an agreement called the “Global Mutirão” (meaning “collective efforts”) – but the final text does not mention fossil fuels, and contains no “roadmaps” to end fossil fuel burning and deforestation. The Dartington Declaration – co-ordinated by the Global Tipping Points Report team…

University of Exeter experts have given their verdict after the conclusion of the COP30 climate conference. The University played a significant role at COP30, which was held in Belem, Brazil. The conference ended with news that a key deal called the “Global Mutirão” had been agreed – but with no pathway on fossil fuel cuts. Here’s what Exeter experts have to say: Dr James Dyke, Assistant Director of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute, said: “COP30 comes 10 years after COP21’s…

Farming king prawns indoors in tanks on UK farmland could create a thriving, sustainable seafood industry, researchers say. King prawns are one of the “big five” seafoods eaten in the UK – but the vast majority of this tropical species is imported, and often comes from environmentally damaging sources. Researchers from the UK Sustainable King Prawn Project (UKSKPP) say there is a “better way”: cost-effective and environmentally sound king prawn aquaculture (seafood farming) – creating new employment opportunities…

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are projected to rise by 1.1% in 2025 – reaching a record high, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project. The 2025 Global Carbon Budget projects 38.1 billion tonnes of fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions this year. Decarbonisation of energy systems is progressing in many countries – but this is not enough to offset the growth in global energy demand. With projected emissions from land-use change (such as deforestation) down…

Experts in “tipping points” have set three challenges for world leaders meeting at the COP30 climate summit. An international team of 160 researchers recently published the Global Tipping Points Report, which said the world faces a “new reality” due to escalating threats from Earth system tipping points. But positive tipping points are already driving rapid change towards zero emissions – and smart choices at COP30 can accelerate this vital progress. In a policy brief for COP30 and beyond,…