Alice Venn
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Environment, Energy and Resilience (ESRC 1+3)
University of Bristol, Law SchoolStart date: September 2014
Research topic: International law and climate change
My research focuses on the protection of climate vulnerable states and communities under international law. It analyses key avenues within international environmental law, state responsibility and human rights law, capable of providing these states and communities with an effective remedy for losses incurred as a result of adverse climate change impacts. It is driven by a desire to contribute to the growing climate justice literature from an international legal perspective, taking into account the access to justice challenges which exist in practice. It includes a regional case study of the South Pacific, examining climate justice and the enforceability of international mechanisms at a more grassroots level.
Research supervisors: Dr Margherita Pieraccini (Bristol), Professor Katrina Brown (Exeter)
Email: alice.venn@bristol.ac.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alice_venn
Annayah Prosser
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures (ESRC 1+3)
University of Bath, Department of PsychologyStart date: September 2018
Research topic: From Action to Identity and Back Again: An exploration of the adoption, maintenance, and transmission of pro-environmental behaviour among moralised practice group members and non-members
Transport, diet and material consumption are widely identified as crucial sites for environmental behaviour change. However, these behaviours are woven into daily life, and their change requires a great deal of personal or social sacrifice. Despite this, many people adapt their daily behaviour drastically in light of moral sensitivity to environmental concerns- adopting new identities (e.g. Vegan or Voluntary Simplifier) and reorganizing their lifestyles in accordance with their moral values.
My research examines intra and intergroup processes involved in the maintenance, transmission and adoption of pro-environmental identities, and their role in influencing or inhibiting social change in wider populations.
Research supervisors: Dr Tim Kurz, Dr Saffron O’Neill , Dr Jan-Willem Bolderdijk
Professional memberships/Positions held:
Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Society for Improving Psychological Science
Email: ap832@bath.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annayah-prosser-b966639b/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annayahprosser
Ben Newport
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Natural Resource Management (ESRC/NERC +4)
University of Bristol, School of Geographical SciencesStart date: September 2018
Research topic: Integrating ecological and socioeconomic analysis to optimise forest protection and restoration to meet international climate targets and SDGs.
Reforestation plays a key role in many tropical countries’ pledges under the Paris Agreement, whilst simultaneously providing co-benefits such as biodiversity protection and income generation for local communities. However, there is often a disconnect between the social and biophysical sciences when planning and implementing such multifunctional forest interventions. By incorporating approaches from both disciplines, my research aims to develop a framework for designing reforestation interventions which provide the greatest overall benefits at a landscape-scale whilst being sustainable into the long-term. Specifically, I am focusing on the peatland forests of Malaysian Borneo and its resident Dayak communities.
Research supervisors: Dr Naomi Millner , Dr T.C. Hales , Dr Jo House
Email: bn16912@bristol.ac.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRNewport
Bethany Sugg
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures (ESRC 1+3)
University of Bristol, School of LawStart date: October 2019
Research topic: The potential of food-by-product-fabrics for sustainable fashion; the case of Pinatex “plant-based- leather”.
The fashion industry has recently come under scrutiny for its environmental impacts. My research will explore textiles innovations which have been developed to improve the sustainability credentials of this sector. Specifically, my project will critically examine sustainable materials which are designed and made from food by-products, sold and worn as fashion items, and then returned to the soil via biodegradation. Food-based biofabrics align with circular economy principles by exploiting food waste as a ‘raw material’ within apparel pipelines.
My research uses an interdisciplinary, qualitative approach combining sustainable business studies, fashion geography and materials science.
Research supervisors: Professor Ian Cook, Professor Agnes Nairn
Email: lo19663@bristol.ac.uk
Catherine Queen
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Environment, Energy and Resilience (ESRC +3)
University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental SciencesStart date: September 2013
Research topic: The seldom-heard voice in public engagement with overhead power lines
I am exploring the tensions between the normative expectations of infrastructure planning, as a collaborative process, and the hard-to-reach public’s expectations of justice and fairness. There is limited literature exploring participation in Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, especially concerning publics who are involuntarily disengaged. I am using a Case Study approach, supported by qualitative methods of data collection, to identify the existing opportunities for public knowledge contributions and the barriers to participation for hard-to-reach groups or individuals. Focus groups, semi-structured interviews and walking interviews will help me to explore effective public engagement techniques focussing on the importance of place attachment.
Research supervisors: Professor Patrick Devine-Wright, Dr Karen Bickerstaff (Exeter), Professor Alan Lewis (Bath)
Professional memberships/Positions held:
CMLI – Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute
AIEMA – Associate Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
Email: caq201@exeter.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/catherine-queen-72261518
Celia Robbins
Student Rep, Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures (ESRC +3)
University of Bristol, School of GeographyStart date: September 2017
Research topic: Community energy landscapes
As we shift away from large fossil-fuel power stations, power generation is no longer the preserve of a few big companies. Community groups can own wind turbines or solar farms, generating profit to help local services while they tackle CO2 emissions. But community involvement does not guarantee local support, or a smooth path through the planning process. Most studies about contentious renewable energy projects have looked at private-sector schemes; my research will address what happens when there is disagreement within a community. I will look at different interpretations of what ‘community energy’ is and ask how people are affected by changes to places and landscapes arising from new ways of generating and managing power.
Research supervisors: Professor Patrick Devine-Wright (Exeter), Professor Katie Williams (UWE), Dr Catherine Butler (Exeter)
Professional memberships/Positions held:
SWDTP Student Rep
Email: cr481@exeter.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celia-robbins-09433aa4/
Chris Bryant
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Environment, Energy and Resilience (ESRC 1+3)
University of Bath, Department of PsychologyStart date: September 2016
Research topic: Public acceptability of cultured meat
Cultured meat is meat grown from animal cells without the need to slaughter animals. My research is in individual attitudes towards cultured meat products, especially the cognitive and affective mechanisms shaping behaviour towards cultured meat. I am exploring how perceptions change over time, the mechanisms underpinning this change, and the role of emotions in forming perceptions of unfamiliar objects.
Research supervisors: Dr Julie Barnett (Bath), Dr Eldin Fahmy (Bristol)
Email: C.J.Bryant@bath.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-bryant-75b6546b
Fay Kahane
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures (ESRC 1+3)
University of Exeter, College of Geography and Environmental ScienceStart date: October 2020
Research topic: Saving which bees? Investigating the social & economic impacts of rewilding honeybees.
I’m an ecologist moving into social science, and this interdisciplinary project will explore sustainability in beekeeping. There’s increasing interest in rewilding honeybees to facilitate survival of this economically and environmentally critical pollinator outside of managed hives. Working with beekeepers and other stakeholders, I’ll investigate ecological impacts of changing practices using field data, the BEEHAVE model and disease analysis. Using Q-methodology and Social Network Analysis, I’ll investigate how perspectives and practice change over the course of this collaborative research, with aims to enhance communication among the beekeeping community, scientists and policymakers, and facilitate evidence-led action for pollinators (managed and wild).
Research supervisors: Dr Karen Scott, Professor Martin Parker, Professor Juliet Osborne, Professor Stefano Pascucci
Professional memberships/Positions held:
MCIEEM: Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology & Environmental Management
Email: fk300@exeter.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faykahane/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FayKahane
George Hoppit
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Natural Resource Management (ESRC/NERC +4)
University of Bristol, School of Geographical SciencesStart date: September 2018
Research topic: Beyond paper parks: Managing Marine Protecting areas for ecological and social benefits
Research supervisors: Daniela Schmidt, Rachel Turnet, Margherita Pierracinni
Email: george.hoppit@bristol.ac.uk
Hannah Hayes
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures (ESRC 1+3)
University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental SciencesStart date: October 2020
Research topic: Stronger together: the role of community resilience in managing flooding and coastal erosion risk
My PhD research will focus on the role of resilience in managing the risk and impact of flooding and coastal change. I previously worked for the Environment Agency. My role was directly involved in the scoping, development and consultation of the Environment Agency’s new strategic approach to managing flooding and coastal change in England (published in 2020). The new approach focuses on managing the increasing risk by moving from protection to resilience.
Research supervisors: Professor Neil Adger, Dr Saffron O'Neill, Professor Julie Barnett (University of Bath)
Professional memberships/Positions held:
Member of CIWEM (Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management).
SWDTP Student Rep
Email: hh547@exeter.ac.uk
Jonathan Flower
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures
UWE Bristol, Geography and Environmental Management (ESRC 1+3)Start date: September 2017
Research topic: Contested Urban Street Space – Exploring the relationships between road user behaviour, walking and cycling infrastructure, and highway regulations.
The future of sustainable transport relies on an understanding of behaviour in relation to interactions within the transport environment and mode choice. I will explore road user behaviour in situations where increased highway space is allocated to active mobility, or its relative priority elevated. Social behaviours within the public realm are influenced by the law and regulation, and by the design of the environment, yet regulation is influenced by behaviour and the environment, and the environment is influenced by behaviour and regulation. These inter-relations are an under-researched area that I wish to investigate further.
Research supervisors: Professor John Parkin, Dr Ian Walker
Email: jonathan.flower@uwe.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-flower-62634091/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JontyFlower
Website/Blog: https://contestedstreetspace.wordpress.com/
Niall McLoughlin
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Environment, Energy and Resilience (ESRC +3)
University of Bath, Department of PsychologyStart date: September 2015
Research topic: Encouraging pro-environmental and adaptive behaviour change through tailored framing appeals in contrasting cultural contexts
Research supervisors: Dr Ian Walker (Bath), Dr Saffron O'Neill (Exeter)
Email: ncm27@bath.ac.uk
Pamela Buchan
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Environment, Energy and Resilience (ESRC 1+3)
University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental SciencesStart date: September 2015
Research topic: Investigating marine citizenship and its role in creating good marine environmental health
This research will critically analyse the spectrum of stakeholder engagement and participatory approaches employed within the marine environmental sector in the UK. In collaboration with case-study partners it will empirically examine examples of applied citizen science and engagement in marine policy and planning, to illuminate successful methods that can be applied to environmental policy more broadly. This interdisciplinary research will bridge the interface between marine science, governance and policy, and behavioural and educational theories. The application of the findings will support marine and coastal environmental management through a greater understanding of how policy and management intersect with the public.
Research supervisors: Dr Louisa Evans (Exeter), Dr Margherita Pieraccini (Bristol), Professor Stuart Barr (Exeter)
Professional memberships/Positions held:
Postgraduate Fellowship of the Royal Geographical Society
Postgraduate Representative, Coastal and Marine Research Group, RGS
Email: pb381@exeter.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/PamelaBuchan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Asterinidae
Sam Collier
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures (ESRC/NERC +3)
University of Bristol, School of Geographical StudiesStart date: September 2017
Research topic: The geography of local energy and its role in the energy transition
My research seeks to determine the role of local energy actors in the spatial diffusion of solar photovoltaics, and their contribution to overcoming the energy trilemma of energy security, energy affordability (and equity) and environmental sustainability. Spatial analysis will identify factors associated with the uptake of small-scale solar at various geographical scales, reflecting energy governance as multi-scalar. This spatial work will inform a subsequent case study approach, which will assess local energy’s current role in the energy system and how this might evolve in the future.
Research supervisors: Dr Jo House (Bristol), Dr Peter Connor (Exeter), Professor Rich Harris (Bristol)
Professional memberships/Positions held:
British Institute of Energy Economics – Student Member
Bristol Futures – Mentor
Email: sam.collier@bristol.ac.uk
Sam Taylor
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures (ESRC 1+3)
University of Bath, Department of PsychologyStart date: October 2020
Research topic: Promoting Social-Environmental Participation and Well-being Through Shared Values
People tend to share compassionate values, but they tend not to accurately perceive the level of similarity. My research aims to develop interventions based on demonstrating the extent compassionate values are shared by others in one’s community. The effects of these on a number of outcomes related to social and environmental sustainability will be examined, such as well-being, civic participation and intellectual humility in public debate and discussion.
Research supervisors: Professor Gregory Maio (University of Bath), Professor Richard Harris (University of Bristol
Email: sjt80@bath.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-taylor-a0763018b/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamTaylor475
Sylvia Hayes
Sustainable Futures
PhD Researcher in Sustainable Futures (ESRC 1+3)
University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental SciencesStart date: September 2019
Research topic: Constructing Climate Change in an Online World
I am interested in the way climate change is communicated and discussed in an increasingly online media landscape. My research attempts to investigate the impact of institutional norms and pressures on media representations of climate change by assessing how the modern newsroom impacts upon the framing of climate change in media content produced. I am particularly interested in the way that new digital technologies and platforms are having an effect on climate change in the media.
Research supervisors: Dr Saffron O’Neill, Dr Tim Kurz
Email: sh737@exeter.ac.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sylviahayes98