KD506 SCI Newsletter 2019.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2019 12:47 Page 1 Sustainable Consumption Institute SCI Newsletter Autumn 2019 The Year in Review and Looking Forward Frank Boons, Director As one of the key research institutes of We continue to build on the work of Alan, Frank inequality. For me this Fund, using small grants The University of Manchester, the SCI seeks and other SCI members, as we move towards a of £5000, is an example I would like to see to combine the excellence of individual situation where the SCI is no longer dependent replicated in other contexts within the researchers with effective group practices to on a single funder, but instead strategically University; as we have proven, such small deliver meaningful research that has academic seeks funding in an increasingly competitive grants, if awarded and then monitored in a as well as societal relevance. The items in this environment. coherent and contextualised way (a key newsletter, which reports on the academic This success comes out of hard work done by condition!), provide excellent value for money. year 2018-2019, shows how we have been all SCI members to develop the social practices These initiatives all contribute to our main succesfully doing this. I am very pleased to necessary to acquire funding without losing target for the coming academic year: the congratulate two SCI members, Frank Geels focus on academic excellence. Through an finalisation and presentation of our renewed and Alan Warde, on receiving recognition for internal competition we selected initiatives for research agenda. As the item on the SCI Festival their work. Both Alan and Frank have been key one year projects that we see as kernels of describes (p.12), we are working towards an in the development of core areas of research future research activity. As the report in this event that promises to create a lot of buzz, and within the SCI, and it is gratifying to see that newsletter shows, we have been able to generate which will allow us to cement our position as a such work is appreciated across the academic immediate outputs from this funding. Perhaps leading institute in the area of sustainable communities to which we seek to contribute. the greatest effort to do this has been our consumption and production in the years to come. Research and Internationalisation Fund (see p. 4). The ESRC-funded project Imagined futures One crucial result has been the development of of consumption is one of the early successes of our international networks around key areas of our new strategy (see p. 11). research such as digital urban platforms, social Contact: movements, consumption work, and social [email protected] KD506 SCI Newsletter 2019.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2019 12:47 Page 2 PhD Congratulations Ulrike Ehgartner Ulrike Ehgartner was awarded her PhD in April 2019, following a successful viva examined by Bente Halkier (Prof of Sociology, University of Copenhagen), and Alan Warde (Prof of Sociology, The University of Manchester). Ulrike’s thesis, titled “Environmentally and socially responsible consumption? A study on food sustainability discourses” analysed understandings of sustainability and consumption of food amongst UK expert stakeholders, including supermarket sustainability professionals, policy makers, NGO practitioners, and journalists. Dr Ehgartner has Joe Blakey already published on her research in the journal Congratulations to Dr Joe Blakey, who Sustainable Consumption & Production, as well successfully defended his PhD thesis on 19 as with fellow SCI doctoral researchers in Global February 2019. Joe’s thesis examines the Discourse. We are pleased that Ulrike continues Anna Wienhues relationship between carbon accounting and to work at the SCI as a Research Associate on Congratulations to Dr Anna Wienhues, who post-foundational approaches to ‘the political’. the ESRC funded “Imagined Futures of successfully defended her PhD thesis in May It considers how accounting and accounting Consumption” project (see p. 11). Her thesis 2018. Anna's thesis, ‘Life in Common: standardisation shape what (in)action is seen was co-supervised by former SCI Director, Distributive Ecological Justice on a Shared as legitimate through an auto-ethnography Dale Southerton (now Prof of Sociology of Earth’, develops an account of justice to of accounting for Manchester’s carbon Consumption, University of Bristol) and the nonhumans (ie, to animals, plants, etc), footprint and a series of interviews with SCI’s Dan Welch (Lecturer in Sociology). which sits at the forefront of current policy-makers, accountants and activists. posthumanist theoretical developments in The thesis was supervised by Dr Alison political thought. Her thesis was supervised Browne and Prof Erik Swyngedouw. It was by Sherilyn MacGregor (Politics/SCI) and examined by Prof James Evans (The John O’Neill (Philosophy), and it was University of Manchester) and Prof Scott examined by Carl Death (Politics, University Prudham (University of Toronto). Joe has a of Manchester) and Elizabeth Cripps (Politics, 2 year lectureship in Geography, and you University of Edinburgh). Two journal articles can read more about his work in The from her doctoral research were published Conversation https://theconversation.com/ while Anna was a member of the SCI: profiles/joe-blakey-454157/articles. Congratulations again Joe! Niki Hutson Wienhues, A. (2018) ‘Situating the Half-Earth Congratulations to Dr Niki Hutson, who was Proposal in Distributive Justice: Conditions awarded her PhD at the end of 2017 following for Just Conservation’ Biological Marc Hudson a successful viva examined by Prof Patrick Conservation , 228C, 44-51. Congratulations to Dr Marc Hudson, who Vermeulen from Nijmegen University Wienhues, A. (2017) ‘Sharing the Earth: A successfully defended his PhD thesis on (external) and Professor Jonatan Pinkse from Biocentric Account of Ecological Justice.’ 7 January 2019. The thesis was examined The University of Manchester (internal). Journal of Agricultural and Environmental by Prof Peter Newell from the University Niki’s thesis is titled ‘Exploring the Ethics, 30 (3), 367-385. of Sussex (external) and Prof Mat Paterson from Institutional Work of an Industry Association The University of Manchester. Marc’s thesis, in the Greening of Industrial Sectors’. The Since March 2019 Anna has been a “Enacted inertia: incumbent resistance to study focused on sustainability challenges Postdoctoral Researcher at the Ethics carbon pricing in Australia (1989-2011)" faced by the coatings industry and the role Research Institute of the University of examined the strategies and actions of industry that a key industry association played in Zurich, Switzerland, employed full-time on incumbents in the Australian coal sector as they shaping innovative responses. The research Anna Deplazes Zemp’s project ‘Peoples’ sought to defend the status quo in the face of was supervised by Prof Andrew McMeekin Place in Nature’ funded by the NOMIS attempts to introduce radical carbon reduction and Dr Paul Dewick. Niki now works as Foundation and the University Research policies. Prof Andrew McMeekin and Dr Mike project manager for GlobeScan, providing Priority Programme (URPP) on Global Hodson supervised the research. Marc has insight and strategy for sustainable change Change and Biodiversity. She also has a book published many articles in The Conversation, to help companies, NGOs and governmental manuscript based on her PhD thesis under drawing on his PhD research, which can be organizations address sustainable review with Bristol University Press. accessed at https://theconversation.com/ development goals. Congratulations again Anna! profiles/marc-hudson-180939. SCI Newsletter page 2 Autumn 2019 KD506 SCI Newsletter 2019.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2019 12:47 Page 3 ‘Come and let’s have tea together’: SCI researchers share findings from pioneering study of Somali perspectives on sustainability Catherine Walker, Sherilyn MacGregor and Tally Katz-Gerro On 29 April 2019, Sherilyn MacGregor, In introducing the research, Sherilyn • The main reasons why participants said they Tally Katz-Gerro and Catherine Walker held a acknowledged the invaluable role of two Somali cared about these things were Islamic values, community engagement event at Claremont co-researchers, Salah Abdisamad and Safia care for others, saving money and awareness Primary School (CPS), Moss Side, to share Abdulrahman, who were unable to attend the that resources are scarce in many contexts, including Somalia. findings from their SCI-funded study event due to work commitments. She explained ‘Environmental Sustainability: Somali that the interest in the research among • Participants told us that they try to continue community members owed a great deal to Salah Perspectives’. The Somali phrase Kaalay Aan practices from Somalia, such as making daily and Safia’s enthusiasm for the topic, which they efforts to save water and electricity and Shaah Cabnee (‘come and let’s have tea both felt had been an overlooked area in relation cooking to portion. However, some things together’) summed up the informal to Somali communities. As expressed by Salah that they used do such as sharing food with atmosphere at this event, where Somali in a comment read by Sherilyn at the event: ‘I neighbours and growing food organically residents of Moss Side had a chance to hear was particularly looking forward to the response (or at all) are more difficult in Moss Side. and comment on findings from research the Somali community would give to the survey • Participants also told us how they had completed between August and October 2018. and was apprehensive if they were going to turn developed new practices in Manchester. The event was attended by 21 people, including up! But we were not disappointed, the response For example, whilst recycling was generally Somali parents/carers with children at CPS, was excellent’. not necessary in Somalia, in Manchester study participants, representatives from the Indeed, in a short time and with a relatively small participants said they try to recycle what they can. Somali Adult Social Care Association, the local budget, the study has produced excellent environmental group Upping It, the Al Furqan responses.