In this episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton we have a lovely chat with another of our wonderful alumni, the inspirational Sophie Van Eetvelt where we navigate through her fascinating career journey over the last decade.  Our discussion showcases the diverse nature of career opportunities available in the sustainability sector, but it also gives a great insight into working in a field where you can make a genuine difference that reflects your value set.Our wide-ranging chat covers her work in Natural Capital Accounting, Department for International Development (DfID), Household Solar working with transformative mobile technology community projects around the world.  We explore Sophie's work with a Humanitarian research and innovation charity working with people in crisis from war, climate, natural hazards, and combined 'mega-crises' response, and how one copes emotionally with the human side of humanitarian responses.  We then move into Sophie's work with 'Undaunted', a climate innovation centre for start-ups, before discussing her role in WWF in the field of Nature Based Solutions, and then her new role with the Greater London Authority.Sophie is such a naturally gifted communicator.  Her relaxed delivery style and openness makes this such a great episode, and we hope you enjoy our chat!Episode guest: Sophie Van EetveltEpisode host: Prof Simon KempEpisode editor: Sophie GreenEngage with us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton we have a lovely chat with two of our utterly awesome alumni, Jon Coello and Lucy Marum to discuss their fascinating career routes, the criticality of the circular economy, and how the work of just two (admittedly great) people can make a profound difference.However, that description only touches the surface. We discuss how and why Lucy and Jon became interested in sustainability all the way back to their childhoods, their degrees in Environmental Science at Southampton, early career work, happy coincidences, and the important work they are leading today. We discuss dinosaurs, asteroids, hedgehogs, spaceship earth, vintage computer games, systems thinkings, the value of data, modelling tools, convenience, circular economy, the problems with the linear economy, doughnut economics, fast fashion, local repairs, community work, and ultimately how visionary tech companies can make a global difference at the local level.Read more about Jon & Lucy's work at Cirevo here: https://www.cirevo.com/ Episode guests: Jon Coello and Lucy Marum of CirevoEpisode host: Prof Simon KempEpisode editor: Lily KillnerEngage with us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton, we are joined by the excellent Lucy Benson who is studying BSc Environmental Science.  Lucy has spent the last year working on her Undergraduate Individual Research Project by investigating Lionfish population numbers and associated impacts around her home country of Bermuda. Lucy explains how the Lionfish population has changed in the Bermuda waters over the last 10 years, how  human behaviour has affected numbers, the scale of the environmental problem, the possible impacts on tourism from the associated environmental changes, and how can we better combat the issues. This episode continues our strategy of shining a light on the fantastic sustainability work of our students as we move through the academic year, with more yet to come!Recommended papers from Lucy:The life history characteristics of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans P. Miles) in Bermuda -  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-019-00877-4Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. Miles): distribution, impact and management - https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_48Invasive species diet: the ethics of eating lionfish as a wildlife management strategy - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21550085.2020.1848189?scroll=top&needAccess=trueGuest: Lucy Benson, BSc Environmental Science Year 3 studentHost: Prof Simon Kemp, Deputy Director Sustainability & Resilience InstituteEditor: Lily Killner, BSc Environmental Science Year 3 studentEngage with us on instagram / X: @meliorapodcast

For International Women’s day 2024, the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resillience Insititute (SRI) at the University of Southampton is guest hosted by SRI colleagues Alice Brock and Grace Compton, who wanted to explore the intersection between Gender and Climate Change. In this episode they discuss the Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality, how the impacts and burden of climate change disproportionately affect women, and what can be done to tackle this, including the role of policy makers and women in leadership. We speak with two women working to further these solutions at the University of Southampton. Dr Pauline Leonard talks about her research on gender and sustainable transport, and Sue Littlemore speaks about her experience of male bias throughout her career as a senior leader. We also discuss the importance of taking an intersectional approach to understanding the scale of the challenge, as women’s lived experiences vary greatly based on characteristics such as race, income, and disabilities. We also hear from Lily Kilner and Sophie Green, final year students at the University of Southampton about their perspectives on the connections between climate change, gender roles and responsibility to implement more sustainable behaviours. This episode includes a call to action for those working in research to consider how they are including the experiences and voices of women in their research on drivers of sustainable development and tackling climate change. Guests: Sue Littlemore, Director of Civic, Dr Pauline Leonard, Director of the Gender and Transport Research Group, Sophie Green, BSc Geography Student and Lily Kilner, BSc Environmental Science Student. Hosts: Grace Compton, Policy Officer for the Sustainability and Resilience Institute and Alice Brock, Sustainable Development Goals Officer for the Sustainability and Resilience Institute, and PhD student studying sustainable choices and behaviours.   Editor: Lily Kilner, BSc Environmental Science Year 3 student For more resources on this topic, we recommend:  https://www.shechangesclimate.orgThe intersectional environmentalisthttps://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-how-climate-change-disproportionately-affects-womens-health/

In a first for the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton, we are discussing an Undergraduate Individual Research Project with the impressive Ben Hunt who is studying BA Geography.  Ben is assessing the sustainability work of some of the most famous sporting organisations in the world, the twenty football clubs that make up the English Premier League.  The importance of football to so many people cannot be overstated, so the work clubs conduct in the sphere of sustainability can be incredibly impactful.  Ben explains how he used the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to evaluate the local and global sustainability work of the Premier League clubs, how he developed his own scoring methodology, and gives the results of an SDG football league table in time-honoured reverse countdown style.  Ben then goes into greater depth for a quarter of the league clubs looking at the top, bottom and middle of the SDG table.This episode marks an increase in the input of our students to the podcast as we move through the academic year.  Our students produce such fantastic sustainability work that it would be terrible not to share it with you!Guest: Ben Hunt, BA Geography Year 3 studentHost: Prof Simon Kemp, Deputy Director Sustainability & Resilience InstituteEditor: Sophie Green, BSc Geography Year 3 studentEngage with us on instagram / X: @meliorapodcast

Our guest on this episode of the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton is the impressive Emily Cole.  Emily was one of the lead architects of the recently launched Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation, arguably one of the most ambitious and important sustainability legislative changes of recent times.Emily explains this new mandatory requirement for developers, lifts the lid on the policy development and consultation process from her time as one of the BNG leads at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and outlines her hopes for the future. We also hear about Emily's academic background, how she muscles her way into photos, her experiences in environmental consultancy and government, and her important PhD research which is building on her BNG and policy expertise.  We hope you enjoy this fascinating episode as it's rare to get this inside view, but also because Emily is a wonderful, naturally gifted communicator.About BNG: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-biodiversity-net-gainBNG in the news: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/12/england-brings-in-biodiversity-net-gain-rules-to-force-builders-to-compensate-for-loss-of-natureGuest: Emily Cole, PhD Candidate in the School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of SouthamptonHost: Professor Simon Kemp, Deputy Director of the Sustainability & Resilience Institute, University of SouthamptonEditor: Lily Killner, BSc Environmental Science student, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of SouthamptonEngage with us on Instagram / X : @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton we are joined by the brilliant Laurence Cannings for a fascinating discussion around his PhD research titled: "Contrasting Subjective and Objective Wellbeing in the Context of Spatial Environmental Characteristics and Climatic Risk: A comparative case study on the Volta Delta, Ghana". We discuss how Laurence became interested in sustainability, his initial career path post graduation, how he became a PhD student, and then the majority of the episode exploring his research work in Ghana. Laurence defines the differences between subjective and objective wellbeing, whilst also exploring the contrasts in wellbeing in different parts of the globe.Read more about Laurence's work here: https://southcoastdtp.ac.uk/does-money-equal-happiness-in-volta-delta/ Laurence's research is funded by the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership.Episode host: Prof Simon KempEpisode guest: Laurence CanningsEpisode editor: Sophie GreenEngage with us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora podcast we are joined by Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper from the School of Psychology at the University of Southampton to discuss the Crafting Heritage for Well-being in Iraq (CHeWI) project. The British Academy funded CHeWI project explores the nexus of crafting, heritage and well-being for survivors of conflict in Iraq, which has one psychiatric hospital for 38 million people. The project brings together a team with interdisciplinary expertise in arts, heritage and psychology in the UK and Iraq to provide a unique sustainability lens to an important project. The CHeWI project is co-produced, driven by the team and local participants in collaboration, to ensure the outcomes are relevant and beneficial to Iraq and reflect Iraq’s complex, often intersectional, societal needs. A key aim is to create a robust evidence-base for arts and crafts in improving personal and social well-being. The project team aim to demonstrate to Iraqi stakeholders and policy makers that such reflective practices play a critical role in fragile post-conflict contexts, determining specific ways that engaging with heritage through craft has potential to rebuild the personal and social well-being and dignity that are key to underpinning sustainable, inclusive peace in Iraq.Episode host: Prof Simon KempEpisode guest: Dr Emma Palmer-CooperEpisode editor: Lily KillnerEngage with on Instagram & X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora podcast our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Professor Tom Irvine, the Head of Music at the University of Southampton who has a growing interest in all aspects of sustainability in music. During this conversation we address all the sustainability dimensions of the music industry - cultural, social, economic, and environmental. We discuss the topics of the  environmental costs of streaming, what music students think of sustainability and music, financial inequalities between artists and whether Taylor Swift is more environmentally damaging than concrete! Don't worry Swifties, there is a robust defence of your favourite artist provided by our Editor and Third Year Environmental Science student Lily Killner!Devine, K. (2019). Decomposed. The Political Ecology of Music. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262537780/Prior, H. M. (2022). How Can Music Help Us to Address the Climate Crisis? Music & Science, 5. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043221075725. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20592043221075725Spotify Sustainability statement: https://www.lifeatspotify.com/diversity-equity-impact/climate-action Host: Professor Simon Kemp Guest: Professor Tom Irvine Editor: Lily Killner Engage with on Instagram & X/Twitter: @meliorapodcast

In this special episode of the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI) at the University of Southampton we are looking at some of the main outcomes from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP)28. Recorded on the afternoon the gavel came down on COP28, we are joined by Grace Compton SRI Specialist Policy Officer and Public Policy Southampton, Professor Craig Hutton Director of the SRI, Lily Killner BSc Environmental Science student and Podcast Editor, and Sophie Green, BSc Geography student and Podcast Editor to give their immediate impressions as the conference closed. Through this episode we are looking to provide a balanced analysis of COP28, discussing the positives and the negatives. We look at the path into COP28, Loss and Damage, Climate Finance, Gender Equality, the Global Stocktake, and the ‘Transition away from Fossil Fuels’.  Grace takes on the role of ‘Good COP’ to provide the optimistic analysis, whilst Craig opted to take the role of ‘Bad COP’ considering the more problematic outcomes.  To conclude, Sophie and Lily provide the voices of the younger generation and judge as to whether they believe COP28 offers them hope for the future.   This is the closing episode of Season 1 of the podcast.  We hope you have enjoyed the episodes and that you will join us for Season 2 when we return in January 2024.  Host: Prof Simon Kemp Guests: Grace Compton, Sophie Green, Prof Craig Hutton, Lily Killner Editor: Sophie Green Engage with us on instagram or X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Centre (SRI) at the University of Southampton we are looking at some of the outcomes, discussions, and concerns at the halfway point of COP28.Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Alice Brock, Sustainable Development Goals Project Officer in the SRI to discuss the latest climate science news releases, loss and damage, the COP28 presidency, phase-down or phase-out, academic responses,  the UK's role at the conference, and hopes for the final oucomes.Apologies for the sound quality being a little different. We recorded this on Teams with headphone microphones and released it pretty much immediately (with no editing or background music added) on Wednesday 6th December to keep it as up to date as possible.Links to the news articles discussed in the episode:Climate Action Tracker 2023 update: https://climateactiontracker.org/publications/no-change-to-warming-as-fossil-fuel-endgame-brings-focus-onto-false-solutions/Global Tipping Points Report news article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/06/earth-on-verge-of-five-catastrophic-tipping-points-scientists-warnHost: Prof Simon KempGuest: Alice BrockEngage with us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode, host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by two PhD students at the University of Southampton, Alice Brock and Molly Simmons, to explore the world of PhDs. Alice Brock’s PhD focuses on personal carbon budgets, while Molly Simmons’ PhD focuses on sustainable diets.  Whether you are a student considering a PhD, a fellow researcher, or simply curious about the world of academic research, this episode allows you to discover the dynamic world of doctoral research. The episode answers a plethora of questions: what a PhD is; how you get them; what they mean; your future after a PhD; and the day-to-day life of a PhD student.  South Coast Doctoral Training Programme: https://southcoastdtp.ac.uk/ (the programme both Alice & Molly are registered on)Doctoral Training Centres & Partnerships at the University of Southampton: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/centres/doctoral-training-centre.pageFind a PhD: https://www.findaphd.com/Host: Professor Simon Kemp Guests: Alice Brock and Molly Simmons Editor: Sophie Green Engage with us on instagram & X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI) at the University of Southampton we are discussing everyone's favourite annual global summit, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)  Conference of the Parties (COP), specifically COP28.Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Professor Craig Hutton, Director of the SRI and Grace Compton, Specialist Policy Officer for the SRI and Public Policy Southampton to explore COP28 which is starting the day this episode is published (30th November 2023) and running until Tuesday 12th December 2023.We explain what the Conference of the Parties is about, what it is like to attend a COP, what it means from a policy perspective, and whether it is problematic for it be hosted in the United Arab Emirates and the position of the President.  Finally, we briefly discuss our hopes for COP28.  We will be evaluating the outcomes and whether the broad hopes of the sustainability community have been met in our next special episode after COP28 has closed.COP28 UNFCCC site where you can watch the event and access resources: https://www.cop28.com/en/ United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: https://unfccc.int/Climate Action Tracker: https://climateactiontracker.org/Podcast host: Simon KempPodcast guests: Grace Compton and Craig HuttonPodcast episode editor: Sophie GreenEngage with us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

In this ‘Meliora shorts episode’, Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Vicky Howat and Lea Francastel, from Climate Fresk. The episode highlights the work of Climate Fresk, and how they are running workshops globally to enhance climate change knowledge. Within just 3 hours, the workshop takes you through a journey of the science behind climate change and empowers individuals to take action. This is a fantastic programme, and you can (and should) learn more at the Climate Fresk Website: https://climatefresk.org/ Also, the biggest Climate Fresk to take place in the UK was recently held at the University of Bath. Read about it here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/biggest-ever-uk-climate-fresk-workshops-take-place-at-university-of-bath/Host: Professor Simon Kemp Guests: Vicky Howat and Lea Francastel Editor: Lily Killner

In this episode of the Meliora podcast we reflect on our experiences at the EAUC annual conference in Bath in June 2023. Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by the editors of the podcast and undergraduate students Sophie Green and Lily Killner as well as PhD student Molly Simmons who all attended the conference, along with Jasmine Morgan who was unfortunately unavailable at the time of this recording.We discuss what it is like attending a conference from an academic and student perspective, and delve into our personal highlights of the event. Be sure to listen to our previous episode at the EAUC conference for full coverage of this always excellent annual sustainability in higher education conference. To find out more about the EAUC 'The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education' visit: https://www.eauc.org.uk/home Host: Professor Simon Kemp Guests: Sophie Green, Lily Killner, Molly Simmons Editor: Lily Killner Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter): @meliorapodcast

Back in June 2023 the Meliora Podcast team attended the EAUC annual conference at the University of Bath. The conference focus was  ‘Conversations on Climate Solutions’ which aimed to bring together the UK’s best Higher and Further Education academics, leaders, students and professionals to address the climate and ecological emergency.  In this episode, the team provide an overview of the 2 days spent at the conference, whilst sharing their experiences and outcomes from a variety of conversations and presentations we attended. Furthermore, Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Professor Jim Longhurst, Former Chair of the EAUC, to give an insight into his role at the EAUC.  Apologies for the delayed release of this episode in terms of proximity to the conference.  This is because we launched the podcast during the university academic year rather than the summer, but we still feel this and the supporting 'Reflections' episode provide an interesting and useful contribution to this podcast series addressing all elements of sustainability in higher education.To find out more about the EAUC 'The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education' visit: https://www.eauc.org.uk/home Host: Professor Simon Kemp Guests: Professor Jim Longhurst, Sophie Green, Lily Killner, Jasmine Morgan, Molly Simmons. Editor: Sophie Green Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter): @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast we are discussing Personal Carbon Budgets. Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Alice Brock, Sustainable Development Goals Officer in the Sustainability & Resilience Institute, and PhD student in the School of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Southampton where she is researching this complex area.Throughout this episode we delve into the environmental, social, cultural and economic aspects of this newly emerging subject, from what is a Personal Carbon Budget, the controversies that surround this concept, and the findings from Alice’s research.  Links to papers of interest from this episode:Brock, A., Kemp, S. Williams, I.D. 2022. Personal Carbon Budgets: A Pestle Review. Sustainability. 14(15), 9238. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9238 Brock, A. Williams, I.D.,  Kemp, S. 2023.. “I'll take the easiest option please”. Carbon reduction preferences of the public. Journal of Cleaner Production. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652623035564 Fuso Nerini, F., Fawcett, T., Parag, Y. et al. 2021. Personal carbon allowances revisited. Nat Sustain 4, 1025–1031. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00756-wCarbon Trust. Personal Carbon Allowances White paper. https://www.carbontrust.com/our-work-and-impact/guides-reports-and-tools/personal-carbon-allowances-white-paperFawcett, T. 2010,Personal carbon trading: A policy ahead of its time?, Energy Policy, Volume 38, Issue 11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421510005239 Host: Prof Simon KempGuest: Alice BrockEditor: Lily KillnerFollow us on Instagram and X/Twitter: @meliorapodcast

Food production, transportation, packaging, storage, cooking, consumption and disposal is referred to as one of the largest contributors to anthropogenic climate change and has a vast array of social and health impacts. In this episode, host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by PhD researcher Molly Simmons to explore the sustainability impacts associated with the entire food system.  Sustainable diets can have lower environmental impacts, but also need to be culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and nutritionally adequate. In this episode, we discover the carbon emissions, freshwater withdrawal and biodiversity loss associated with a variety of food types, as well as understanding what steps need to be taken to achieve a truly sustainable diet. Key papers/websites mentioned in this episode: Clark et al. (2020) Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5 and 2 degree C climate change targets. PubMed 370(6517):705-708 - Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets - PubMed (nih.gov) Crippa et al. (2021) Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Nature Food 198-209. - Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions | Nature Food Trends in UK meat consumption: Trends in UK meat consumption: analysis of data from years 1–11 (2008–09 to 2018–19) of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme - The Lancet Planetary Health Willet et al. (2019) Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet 393(10170):447-492 - Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems - The Lancet World Population Prospects (2022) wpp2022_summary_of_results.pdf (un.org) Host: Prof Simon Kemp  Guest: Molly Simmons Editor: Sophie Green Follow us on instagram & X(Twitter): @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast we are exploring the sustainability impacts of  cryptocurrency. Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Dr Larisa Yarovaya, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Southampton. This eye-opening episode covers how cryptocurrency is generated, the environmental costs of cryptocurrency from energy demand to electronic waste, and the social consequences associated with this.  Links to Dr Yarovaya's academic profile and key papers associated with this episode: Dr Larisa Yarovaya profile: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/business-school/about/departments/banking-and-finance/staff/ly1c18.page Corbet, S., Lucey, B., Yarovaya, L. 2021. Bitcoin-energy markets interrelationships - New evidence. Resources Policy, Volume 70, 2021, 101916, ISSN 0301-4207, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101916. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420720309478) Wang, Y., Lucey, B., Vigne, S. A., Yarovaya. L,. 2021. An index of cryptocurrency environmental attention (ICEA). China Finance Review International. Vol. 12 No. 3, 2022. pp. 378-414  Follow us on instagram and X(Twitter): @meliorapodcast Host: Professor Simon Kemp Guest: Dr Larisa Yarovaya Editor: Lily Killner

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast we focus on the new interdisciplinary Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI) at the University of Southampton.  The SRI formally launched on Wednesday 1st November, and to support this event host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Professor Craig Hutton (Director) and Associate Professor Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong (Deputy-Director) to discuss all matters SRI.  Sustainability requires collaboration between society, policy-makers, business and universities. The SRI is providing an open door for all people, across all sectors, to get involved with this sustainability challenge, with a focus on the university as the venue for this interdisciplinary collaboration work. By addressing some of the greatest issues that pose an existential threat to the world, the SRI creates an opportunity to bring communities together. From decarbonization to the tools and methods required for sustainability, this episode explores the main research themes of the SRI, not only within the University, but also in the wider community.  Please note, this episode does not include the final, full SRI team as it was recorded before appointments were confirmed.Get involved with the SRI: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/institutes-centres/sustainability-resilience-institute  Follow us on instagram and X(twitter): @meliorapodcastHost: Prof Simon Kemp Guests: Prof Craig Hutton and Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong Editor: Sophie Green