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    • Grantham Centre research: Sustainable Development GoalsSDGS are a collection of targets and indicators that UN member states will be expected to use to frame agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. Our research works towards these goals, helping global efforts to make a sustainable future.
    • Many Happy Returns – enabling reusable packaging systems
    • Plastics: Redefining Single-Use 
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    • Soil research at the Grantham Centre
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    • SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
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    • SDG 13 Climate Action
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  • Grantham Centre research: Sustainable Development Goals

Grantham Centre research: Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs at the Grantham Centre

To create a sustainable future we need to make sure there is enough food, water and energy for everyone. And we need to do this within planetary boundaries. As such, we are committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – because the Goals provide a blueprint to create a fair future for everyone.

In order to follow these blueprints we need to know how. And that’s where research comes in.

Research at the Grantham Centre and the SDGs

Our problems are multifaceted, they are local and global, material and social, political and industrial. So science alone can’t solve them. We need social science, humanities and the arts to join with science and engineering to create holistic and cross-cutting solutions.

So here at the Grantham Centre, all our projects are multidisciplinary.

Our plan is to support our researchers to create usable knowledge that addresses the complexity of environmental crisis.

Training the next generation of sustainability leaders to use the SDGs

Grantham Centre experts represent every faculty at the University of Sheffield. As a result we can create cross-cutting research projects.

Rohit Chakraborty talked about air pollution in the One Show
Grantham Scholar Rohit Chakraborty is supervised by experts from across disciplines.

For instance, Grantham Scholar Jenny Veenstra‘s first supervisor is soil scientist Dr Manoj Menon from Geography. But Jenny’s second supervisor is from Civil and Structural Engineering.

Another Scholar, Rohit Chakraborty, is supervised by experts from Chemistry, Engineering, and in science communication. Rohit studies air pollution and this range of expertise allows him to examine this problem from the social, chemical and civil perspectives.

Find out more about the Grantham Scholars and their cross-disciplinary research.

Further, the perspectives of policy-makers, business and the media must inform sustainability. As such, our Centre Manager has created a bespoke training program for the Scholars. During this programme our people learn about policy making, communication, how to work with industry and more.

Our projects showcase multidisciplinary working

Grantham Centre experts are used to working across disciplines – so come together easily for our special research projects.

We have used this multidisciplinary thinking to win funding for collaborative research projects. For example, our £1 million UKRI funded Plastics: Redefining Single-Use. PRSU has experts from Psychology, Linguistics as well as Chemistry and Engineering. And we carried on this diverse mix of people in its successor: Many Happy Returns.

Another example of this mixed team approach is our project at the Zaatari refugee camp. Here our experts – a team of scientists, engineers, social scientists, Grantham Scholars and policy experts – have co-created some solutions to life at the camp.

Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals are blueprints for a sustainable future. So UN member states are expected to use these Goals to frame agendas and policies. Find out here how Grantham Centre research connects to each Goal.

SDG 2 Zero Hunger

The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development, and is central for hunger and poverty eradication.

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in.

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity.

SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

There needs to be a future in which cities provide opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more.

SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all.

SDG 13 Climate Action

Climate change is a global challenge that affects everyone, everywhere.

SDG 15 Life on Land

Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.

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Research Centres

We work closely with our partner sustainability teams at TUoS. Many of the researchers behind these groups are mentors to Grantham Scholars.

Algal Biotechnology Sheffield Network

Energy Institute

Institute for Sustainable Food

SCHARR

Sheffield Solar

SIID

speri

UI

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