Supporting sustainable development through research
UWE Bristol is contributing to a sustainable and healthy future through applied research and collaborations with organisations and communities, encompassing social, economic and environmental sustainability, for example behaviour change, green technologies and product design.
Research and knowledge exchange
UWE Bristol’s research and knowledge exchange activities support the goal of sustainable development and address many of the urgent challenges associated with this agenda.
Pee Power
Watch our film about the application of the environmentally-friendly Pee Power system in Africa. Pee Power uses innovative technology developed here at UWE Bristol.
Examples of our research projects
Pee Power
Technology developed at UWE Bristol that converts urine into electricity is now being used commercially across the globe, from Glastonbury festival to schools in Uganda.A new framework for delivering high-quality green infrastructure
Researchers have developed a framework for green infrastructure through a collaborative project with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. This framework underpins 'Building with Nature', a new benchmark for eco-friendly development projects, and provides a starting point for planning green infrastructure.
Closing the net on overfishing
Research at UWE Bristol has been instrumental in major initiatives to tackle overfishing. These initiatives have been effective both in the UK's own coastal waters and elsewhere, and include the establishment of the world's largest marine reserve.
Shaping sustainable suburbs
Suburbs account for a huge proportion of homes, but until recently their relationship with the environment had attracted little research. A team at UWE Bristol have taken an in-depth look at the risks suburbs face, joining forces with residents to test ideas and create change.
Improving the quality of the air we breathe
UWE Bristol research findings on the management of air quality have informed policy, official guidance and practice at the UK Government level, as well as in its devolved nations and regions. The findings have also directly influenced policy in the EU, South Africa and Nigeria.
Other research projects
These are just a selection of UWE Bristol research projects related to the areas of sustainability, health and environment. You can also visit UWE Bristol's Research Repository to explore our publications and presentations relating to the broad university engagement with sustainability.
Sustainability in our research portfolio
Researchers across UWE Bristol investigate solutions to sustainability challenges. They work within numerous research groups, clusters and centres, including:
- Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments (SPE)
- Sustainability research cluster of the Bristol Centre for Economics and Finance
- Air Quality Management Resource Centre (AQMRC)
- Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience (CWCR)
- Centre for Transport and Society (CTS)
In addition in a new all UWE Bristol initiative in 2020, our Research, Business and Innovation Service set up the Changing Climate Network. This aims to draw together UWE Bristol staff with interests that converge on the causes and consequences of climate change, encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations and support funding bids for related research. For more information please email Olivia Lelong at Olivia.Lelong@uwe.ac.uk
Bristol Green Capital
The University has made a significant commitment over the years to the Bristol Green Capital, a unique partnership of over 950+ member organisations who have committed to working towards Bristol becoming a sustainable city with a high-quality of life for all.
We were a strategic partner and strong supporter during the European Green Capital year, and ran numerous events and activities on and off campus. Staff and students involved in the UWE Bristol Change Makers award contributed over 60,000 hours of their time to sustainable activities, such as concerts and art exhibitions, beach cleans and a beehive on campus.
More recently, we were involved in the development of the partnership into a Community Interest Company and Professor James Longhurst, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Environment and Sustainability, is currently a board member.

Work with us
Working with business, public bodies and the third sector to support the creation of a sustainable, low carbon and healthy future is core to the ethos of the University. Please contact us if you would like to find out more about research, consultancy or continuing professional development opportunities within the fields of sustainability, health and environment.
If you would like to discuss our research and partnerships, please contact Phillipa Shelton, Research Team Manager, RBI Research and Business Development:
- Email: Philippa.Shelton@uwe.ac.uk
- Tel: +44 (0)117 32 83306
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Sustainability strategy, leadership and plans
Details of UWE Bristol's commitment to sustainability through our future plans, goals, leadership and governance, and our 2030 Strategy which guides everything we do across our organisation.

Education for sustainable development
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) sits at the heart of UWE Bristol’s institutional strategy and teaching and learning framework.

Education for Sustainable Development: curriculum and pedagogy
We are working to embed sustainability across our curriculum for all our courses, as well as our in our culture.

Research
Discover how research at UWE Bristol is making a real impact.