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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Horizons

Sustainability Horizons is CISL’s monthly scan of issues and evidence coming into view, but which may not yet feature in the mainstream sustainability debate. This is not a prediction of the future, but a way of helping practitioners and policymakers to get early notice of new ideas, trends or evidence, to inform their own view of what might or should happen as a result.


Find out more about our own work in developing new ideas and approaches that have the potential to deliver transformational change and rewire the economy.

 

Latest review

Read more at: Plantoids: Robotics inspired by plants

Plantoids: Robotics inspired by plants

March 2019: A new and emerging field of robotics is taking inspiration from plants to build flexible, sustainable, and biodegradable robots. Most prominently, artificial leaves could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.


Read more at: Conflicting priorities in sustainable agriculture

Conflicting priorities in sustainable agriculture

March 2019: Scientific evidence shows that there is very little alignment between objectives for policy makers, farmers, and researchers in sustainable agriculture. Key to aligning diverging interests is exploring the social dimension of sustainable agriculture and increasing collaboration between the groups.


Read more at: Dynamic ocean management

Dynamic ocean management

March 2019: Flexible algorithms based on tracking and ocean-condition data allow researchers to predict fish behaviour in real time. It allows for a greater balance between conservation concerns and economic viability of fisheries in warming oceans.


Read more at: Rising vaccine hesitancy

Rising vaccine hesitancy

March 2019: Falling MMR vaccination rates result in rising measles outbreaks, increasing child mortality rates, and a significant cost increase for public health systems. Underlying causes for rising vaccine hesitancy are populism, marginalised communities distrusting elites or experts, and economic inequality in disenfranchised communities.


Read more at: Rising UK temperatures in February

Rising UK temperatures in February

March 2019: Arctic warming is leading to temperature spikes and drops in mid-latitude areas resulting in abnormally high temperatures in the UK in February. Extreme weather conditions demonstrate that climate change is not a future but a current threat.


Read more at: A decade of ecosystem restoration

A decade of ecosystem restoration

March 2019: The UN declared 2021-2030 as the decade on ecosystem restoration that could lead to the restoration of 350 million hectare of land, ocean, and marine ecosystems and generate USD 9 trillion in ecosystem services.


Read more at: Implications of trade deals for farming and environmental standards in the UK

Implications of trade deals for farming and environmental standards in the UK

March 2019: Liberalised food production and farming standards could form a key element for future trade UK-US trade relationships. A deregulated post-Brexit food market could offer consumers food at lower prices but could also negatively affect public health outcomes in the UK.


Read more at: Succession for World Bank President

Succession for World Bank President

February 2019: Traditionally, the President of the United States nominates the president of the World bank. The president of the World Bank exerts considerable influence over the institution’s lending policies, project focus, level of transparency, and accountability. There are growing concerns about the new president potentially reverting the organisation’s focus on combatting climate change and introducing an inclusive lending policy for fossil fuel energy projects.


Read more at: Austerity and the Green City Initiative in Oldham

Austerity and the Green City Initiative in Oldham

February 2019: Initiatives such as the Green City Region Initiative in Greater Manchester are demonstrating that sustainable development plans can support the transformation of deprived regions. They aim to develop an integrated approach that simultaneously combats economic, social, and environmental challenges at the local level.


Read more at: WEF global threats - Environment

WEF global threats - Environment

February 2019: The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report lists five environmental threats in their list of top 10 global risks (according to their likelihood and impact). The report calls for international collaboration to combat climate change and mitigate economic and human health threats.


Contact

Adele Wiliams

| T: +44 (0)1223 768451

Disclaimer

The views expressed in these external research papers are those of the authors and do not represent an official position of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or any of its individual business partners or clients.