STEPS Director Ian Scoones was a winner of the Outstanding International Impact Award at the ESRC’s 50th anniversary Celebrating Impact Award ceremony, for his work on rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe. ESRC Blog: Building impact over time: experiences from Zimbabwe by Ian Scoones The awards recognise and reward the successes of ESRC-funded researchers who are achieving…
STEPS Director Ian Scoones wins ESRC Impact Award
Reports on climate change and health forecast gloomy future but ‘no-regret’ options may save the day
Ever since climate change became an issue of concern there have been questions about the possible impacts on health. This month, two landmark reports have been released, both of which emphasise that a warmer, wetter world may well be a sicker one. Together with Victor Galaz, professor of politics at the Stockholm Resilience Institute and…
Could changes in beef market regulations open opportunities in southern Africa?
Last month at the OIE (World Animal Health Organisation) Assembly in Paris, changes to international regulatory standards around Foot and Mouth Disease were adopted. This has long been argued for, and will make a big difference to livestock producers across southern Africa. The updated OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code makes it possible for African countries with wild…
Africa Sustainability Hub will promote low-carbon opportunities
A new African sustainability research hub will make a “huge contribution” to promoting low carbon economic development in Kenya, according to a speech on Wednesday 10th June by Hon. Henry Rotich, Cabinet Secretary of the National Treasury. The speech was delivered by Prof Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, at…
Myint Zaw to join us for Resource Politics 2015
Myint Zaw, winner of one of this year’s ‘Green Nobels’, the Goldman Environmental Prize for Asia, will speak at Resource Politics 2015, the title of this year’s STEPS Centre annual conference. Journalist and social activist Zaw launched a national movement that successfully stopped construction of the hydroelectric Myitsone Dam on Myanmar’s treasured Irrawaddy River, despite…
Stories from STEPS: Float like a Fab Lab, sting like a Honey Bee
The second in a series of digital stories from the STEPS Centre looks at movements and experiences of ‘grassroots innovation’ and ‘inclusive innovation’ around the world, and asks how they might change how people think about making, producing and consuming things. Read the story now on Medium: Float like a Fab Lab, sting like a…
Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical
Today sees the publication of “Laudato Si”, the Pope’s encyclical on the environment. Encyclicals are for Catholics (and there are 1.2 billion of them in the world) but in this one, Pope Francis aims to “address every person who inhabits this planet”. In it, he warns of the impacts of climate change and calls for…
Pro-poor, low carbon energy conversations across the STEPS global consortium
I was in Nairobi last week for the launch of the Africa hub of the STEPS Global Consortium. During the three day event, I learned a great deal about developments in low carbon energy from across the continent. Reflecting on last week’s launch, I’ve felt a growing sense of excitement at the different forms of…
Kenya Treasury Cabinet Secretary Rotich Launches Africa Sustainability Hub
A new African sustainability research hub will make a “huge contribution” to promoting low carbon economic development in Kenya, according to a speech on Wednesday by Hon. Henry Rotich, Cabinet Secretary of the National Treasury. The speech was delivered by Prof Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, at a workshop…
Why isn’t global renewable energy investment growing faster?
Guest blog by Stephen Spratt, Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies Last Friday I was a discussant at a fascinating seminar given at SPRU by Marianna Mazzucato and Gregor Semieniuk, where we heard details of new research on global renewable energy investment. Despite some shortcomings, the best current source of data is Bloomberg…