Sustainable Futures Research Exchange

As part of our commitment to the 'Decade of Action' to address global warming and support environmental regeneration, the Sustainable Business and Clean Growth research cluster regularly host seminars on the broad themes of Sustainable Business and Sustainable Futures.

These seminars aim to share cutting-edge and empirically sound insight into the roles that business, law, social science and policy play in accelerating the shift to a ‘Net Zero’ and an abundant future. In these short sessions, leading academics and change agents from within and beyond the University present lessons learned from academic research and explore how academic insight can help address the practical challenges faced in the ‘Race to Zero’.

A key feature of these seminars is the opportunity provided for the exchange ideas and challenging dialogue - which often leads to some lively conversations. 

These seminars are aimed at researchers, practitioners, business and civic leaders who are keen to engage with cutting-edge knowledge, thinking and practice. Most seminars are online, but each year we host one longer face-to-face event, where we give more time to think and talk about these important themes.

Upcoming seminars

Future seminars will be available to book soon.

Previous seminars

Mission Zero: Delivering Net Zero Business Support in the Post-ERDF Era

In this webinar (29 March 2023), we asked how regional policymakers and business programme providers can better support firms to make the shift to net zero. As European funding streams come to a close and new UK funding begins to replace them, we explored the lessons learned over recent years that can help policymakers and programme providers take a quantum leap in pro-environmental enterprise provision.

Keynote speakers

• Dr Will Eadson, Professor of Urban and Regional Studies, Sheffield Hallam University
• Dr Fred Paterson, Associate Professor in Sustainable Business and Clean Growth, University of Derby
• Zoe Osmond, Director of Clean Growth UK, Brighton University

Multi-stakeholder Partnerships Towards Sustainable Development: Theory and Practice

This seminar (7 March 2023) connected academics and practitioners and explored the value of multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development and in relation to specific national and regional policy agendas such as Net Zero.

Keynote speakers

• Dr David Murphy, Associate Professor of Sustainability and Collaborative Leadership, Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership, University of Cumbria
• Dr Swetketu Patnaik, Associate Professor of Strategy and International Management, Faculty of Business and Law, Anglia Ruskin University
• Dr Angelika Zummermann, Senior Lecturer in International Business and Strategy, Loughborough University

Climate Change and Legal Education

• Presenter: Dr Kim Bouwer, Assistant Professor, University of Durham Law School

In this seminar (24 November 2022), Dr Bouwer discussed an experiment in curriculum design, mainstreaming climate change, and environmental law education in the Land Law course. Subsequently, through a staff-student co-production exercise, three third-year students conducted an empirical study to evaluate the students’ engagement with these materials, and their broader views concerning climate change and their legal education. Dr Bouwer then explained the rationale for, and critically evaluated the course and the empirical study.  

The role of Industry 4.0 technologies and collaborative innovation models 

• Presenter: Muhammad F. Mubarak, Lecturer and PhD scholar, School of Economics and Business, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania

In this seminar (30 June 2022), Mubarak talked about the role of Industry 4.0 technologies and collaborative innovation models that promote Green and Eco-Innovations. He also explored green and eco-innovations in the landscape of the fourth industrial revolution, how firms in the Asia-Pacific region perceive and conduct green innovation, how Industry 4.0 technologies can influence Green Innovations and improve supply chain innovation, and the limitations of the existing fourth Industrial revolution to promote green and eco-innovation. 

The long and winding road of applied sustainable business research: from ‘a blueprint for survival’ to the UK net zero strategy

• Presenter: Dr Fred Paterson, Associate Professor Sustainable Business and Clean Growth, University of Derby

In this webinar (24 June 2022, Fred presented a personal learning journey, recounting some of the pitfalls and pleasures along the way. He explored some of the lessons learned from inspirational researchers, provocateurs and thought leaders and how his research and practice reflected (or failed to reflect) these shining examples.

Pursuing net zero: Systems transformation in industrial sectors

• Presenter: Professor Peter Ball, Professor of Operations Management Director of Business and Community Engagement, University of York 

In this seminar (31 March 2022), Professor Peter Ball explored how companies can pursue net zero whilst achieving efficiency and resilience gains that make them fitter and stronger. Their sustainability strategies are reducing their costs, reducing their energy demand and reducing their environmental impact. The knowledge and achievements gained within these enterprises act as a springboard for further gains by working with others and their learning can help others to replicate their successes. Importantly, their ambitions can lead not just to more efficient supply chains, but transformations in the wider business and industrial systems.  

This means that future industrial systems will impact less on the environment and become more resilient, more competitive and fairer. With examples from food and drink manufacturing and foundation industries such as glass and metals, Professor Ball’s presentation drew on multiple systems level transformation research projects undertaken by the University of York Management School to reflect on the barriers that must be overcome, and how concepts such as the ‘six capitals’ illustrate the opportunities and challenges.

How can small businesses make a big impact in the race to net-zero? 

• Presenter: Dr Fred Paterson, Associate Professor of Sustainable Business and Clean Growth, University of Derby 

In this Ted Talk presentation (13 January 2022), Dr Paterson argues that we have a good understanding of our climate and environmental challenges; a clear set of solutions to these existential threats and a good of level of support for business to make the shift to sustainability. Our biggest challenge is inertia, and our greatest asset is a nature positive mindset. Fred will show how small firms across the region are already making significant contributions to our sustainable future and how all of us can join them in the ‘Race to Zero’.

How can industrial digitalisation help drive us to Net Zero? 

• Presenter: Professor Steve Evans, Director of Research in Industrial Sustainability, University of Cambridge 

In this seminar (20 October 2021), Professor Evans talked about how industrial digitalisation helps drive Net Zero manufacturing. He drew on many projects, case studies and latest government reports to explain how some companies are driving toward resource efficiency and how they are using digital technologies to drive carbon reduction alongside labour and capital productivity. Professor Evans also offers some thoughts on the convergence of digitisation and sustainability – the two great changes sweeping global manufacturing – and where this might take us.