Sustainability institute of the week: Global Sustainability Institute

The Global Sustainability Institute (GSI) was established by Anglia Ruskin University in 2011 as part of a commitment to sustainability in research and training.

GSI’s mission is to establish an internationally significant centre for excellence for integrated sustainability thinking and teaching, drawing on the breadth of expertise within the Anglia Ruskin University to help catalyse change towards sustainability. The institute works with local and international organisation to create partnerships that enable co-learning and collaboration. It aims to be recognised as a world leader in demonstrating sustainability action.

The organisation defines sustainability as, “Sustainability envisages a just society of innovation, opportunity and wellbeing which manages the full diversity of environmental risks.”

GSI’s research focuses on personal motivations and systems changes set against the challenges of sustainability, operating across four areas – consumption & change, climate action & cultural systems, resource management & ecosystem services and education for sustainability.

Under these themes the institute undertakes a wide array  of research, from the communication of climate science and resource constraints to evaluation the of the green deal and looking at cleantech market development.

Speaking about the institute’s future, GSI director, Dr Aled Jones, comments, “Over the next few years GSI will build on [the] success to develop out Global Resource Observatory project and a suite of activities relating to behaviour change, We are particularly interested in how people perceive their usage of energy, food and water and what tools and technologies are effective in encouraging behaviour change.

“Our strategic focus will be to expand our engagement across Anglia Ruskin University to work with more departments and academics in all faculties on issues as diverse as business risk, health and wellbeing, behavioural psychology, conservation, education, technology and policy.”

Photo: Sludge G via Flickr 

Further reading:

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