Sustainability news

Sustainability research with a particular emphasis on energy and environmental fields topped the bill at a conference hosted by The Open University (OU) in July 2023. The Sustainable Processes Linked for an Integrated Circular Economy (SPLICE) 2023 conference connected research, industry, and policy experts from international institutions. SPLICE is an OU-led project, which has been supported by funding under the Sustainability stream of the OU’s Societal Challenges themes. SPLICE 2023 focused on research excellence across a range of topics:

OU researchers have received £621,000 for their role in the digitalisation of training materials for the energy sector.

The Open University is an official partner of Net Zero Week and hosted an event on 

In this month's workshop, Ann Cummings (Senior Project Manager) talks about the risks that our planet faces as a result of our changing climate and how we tackle these issues. We listened to the ways our staff are adapting to extreme weather at home, in their communities and in the workplace. 

Watch the full video here:

The EAUC Annual Conference 2023: Conversations on Climate Solutions was held at the University of Bath at the end of June and several OU colleagues were in attendance. Kathleen Calder, Senior Learning Designer, LDS, and Franzi Florack, Senior Strategy Manager, Strategy Office have shared their experiences in this blog post.

Watch the recorded presentations from The Open University’s Black History Month event in October 2022 here.

Joined by Jen Gale from Sustainable(ish), Go Green discusses the Sustainable(ish) ideas around progress over perfection when incorporating sustainable actions into our everyday lives, and some of the things we can do to change our homes and lifestyles, as well as call for systematic change.

Watch the full video here:

Sisters Against Plastic (Mary and Theresa) are ‘normal people’ who noticed just how much plastic they were using. Shocked and concerned, they went on a yearlong ‘plastic diet’, tackling the everyday (and obscure) plastics in their lives. Now experts in plastic pitfalls and top tips for reducing plastic consumption, the Sisters Against Plastic inspire people to give cutting down on plastic a go and try more environmentally friendly alternatives. In this session they show us their easy swaps around the home and how you can start making these changes to go on a 'plastic diet'.

The Open University's Dr Victoria Hands and Professor Stephen Peake recently co-authored an article for Climate Perspectives summer 2023 edition (pages 28 - 31).  Each edition of Climate Perspectives brings thought leadership-only articles from business leaders, academics and policy experts. You can read the article online or in the images below. 

In April 2023, The OU’s Matthew Cook, Professor of Innovation in STEM, held a Go Green session exploring the idea of consumers becoming less interested in product ownership and more interested in product use and the outcomes products achieve. Notable examples include city bike rental initiatives that satisfy the demand for urban transport, as well as garden and household maintenance tool-sharing schemes.  

Watch the full session below: