Policy Leeds July signpost
This month sees the launch of the Climate Futures centre, a major climate report, election commentary, events and more.
Climate research at Leeds celebrated
The Priestley Centre celebrated the range of climate research across the University of Leeds as part of its relaunch as the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures on 20 June. One of two new Futures Institutes at the University of Leeds, the Priestley Centre brings together our expertise on all aspects of climate and climate change, from how we model the climate to what we can do to reduce levels of greenhouse gases and prepare for future conditions.
The centre works with policy makers, businesses, and communities to inform climate action.
The celebration included the presentation of a number of awards, including to the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission to recognise their work on impactful climate collaborations. Read more at: Prestigious climate prize winners announced.
Learn more about climate research at Leeds on the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures website. You can also sign up to the Priestley Centre newsletter and follow them on social media at LinkedIn Priestley-Centre-Climate and X (formerly Twitter) @PriestleyCentre.
Indicators of Global Climate Change report launched at UN June climate meeting
The second annual Indicators of Global Climate Change report has been launched at the UN June climate meeting in Bonn as part of preparation for the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan in November.
The Indicators of Global Climate Change Project is being coordinated by Professor Piers Forster, Director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures. With the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report not due until 2027, the project provides vital interim information on rapidly changing climate indicators.
The report finds that global warming caused by humans is advancing at 0.26°C per decade — the highest rate since records began.
Read more on this story: Rate of global warming caused by humans at an all-time high. The team have also written a Carbon Brief guest blog.
Watch the recording of the briefing session of the report with Piers Forster and fellow Leeds’ author Chris Smith: UNFCC events — Indicators of Global Climate Change
Read the full report at: Indicators of Global Climate Change 2023: annual update of key indicators of the state of the climate system and human influence
Leeds City Council Areas of Research Interest informs national discussion
Areas of Research Interest, or ARI, were developed by Government departments as a ways of improving their dialogue with researchers, and are now rapidly gaining traction as an approach.
At the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) Conference 2024, Juliet Jopson, Policy Leeds, and Abi Rowson, Horizons Institute, led a discussion on what we can learn from the activity around ARI, drawing on UPEN members’ expertise and their own experience of working with Leeds City Council to develop ARI.
Read more in our blog: Capturing the Areas of Research Interest zeitgeist.
Find out more about how we are working with Leeds City Council.
Events
Policy projects insights meetings
A few places are still available for the Policy Leeds Policy Projects Insights events. These events will share some of the diverse policy-relevant research projects happening at the University of Leeds. We will also hear from policy and research panels, with representatives from Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Sheffield Policy Campus, and Leeds Health and Social Care hub.
- Local and regional: 8 July, 12 noon — 4pm. View schedule (PDF).
- National and international: 16 July, 9.30am — 1pm. View schedule (PDF).
Both in-person at Cloth Hall Court, Leeds, with an online option also available for 8 July.
For further details and to register, please email the Policy Leeds team at policyleeds@leeds.ac.uk
What are the needs and challenges of farmers in financial distress within the UK insolvency regime?
10 July, 12–12.40pm Online.
Dr Oriana Casasola, School of Law, will explore the difficulties farmers face in the UK’s current insolvency regime compared with USA and Australia systems, and suggest routes to reform. Register for the Farmers in financial distress webinar.
News in brief
Centre for Cultural Value appoints new Director and releases book
Congratulations to Steve Dobson, who will become the Centre for Cultural Value’s new Director from August 2024. Current Director Ben Walmsley will become the Centre’s Associate Director of Policy. Read Centre for Cultural Value appoints new director.
The Centre has also just announced a new book, co-edited by Ben Walmsley, on the impacts of COVID-19 on the UK cultural sector. It looks at policy responses to the pandemic and implications for the future of the cultural sector. The e-book is available for free. Find out more about the Pandemic Culture book.
School absenteeism linked to early childhood problems
Children who are not considered “school ready” when starting primary school are more than twice as likely to become persistently absent during their education, a new study led by Dr Megan Wood, School of Psychology, has found. Read more on school absenteeism work.
Megan and the team draw on this study, amongst other work, as part of their policy briefing on how we can use routinely collected data like this to improve school attendance.
Leeds contributes to WHO report on harmful commercial practices
Dr Clare Patton, School of Law, is co-author on a major new report by the World Health Organisation on the impact of commercial practices — such as the sale of tobacco or fossil fuel — on non-infectious diseases. Clare led the Chapter titled ‘The commercial industry taking advantage of crises and emergencies’. Read the full report: Commercial Determinants of Noncommunicable Diseases in the WHO European Region.
The future of policing
ESRC Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre has release an end of project report on What do the public want from police? Towards a Minimum Policing Standard. Drawing on this work, Professor Adam Crawford discusses the need for Redesigning the contribution of police to public safety.
Good Samaritan law not needed for food
Redistributing surplus food can reduce food waste but the fear it may result in civil liability can prevent this. Some propose a Good Samaritan law as the solution, but in her new paper, Dr Carrie Bradshaw, School of Law, argues that such a law may be unnecessary in England. Read the paper Good Samaritan laws and Surplus Food Redistribution.
Publications and media
Election news and views
- Why don’t the Conservatives want to talk about arts and culture? Ben Walmsley, in the Conversation, looks at what the Conservative’s manifesto offers the cultural sector.
- I’m a debt advisor, this is how the government could fix people’s finances. David Spencer is featured in this election report by the i looking at what the next Government could do to ease the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
- Knife crime has increased in England and Wales over the last decade — here’s how the next government can prevent it. Toby Davies and Graham Farrell write for the Conversation on what’s behind the rise in knife crime and how to tackle it.
- Radio 4 Election 2024: Mishal Husain and Justin Webb, 21 June. Jillian Anable joins Justin Webb to discuss public transport as part of election coverage. Clip starts at 2:39:00.
- Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer’s election debate: an audience asking for a way out of hopelessness and getting nothing in response Stephen Coleman writes for the Conversation on the value of television debates for the electorate.
Roundup of the rest
- Open Wide — Gaps in NHS Dentistry. The Consumer Data Research Centre spotlights research by Stephen Clark identifying where extra provision of NHS dentistry is most needed in England.
- Improving children’s physical activity and nutrition (YouTube) Webinar recording discussing the recently released report on An evidence-based plan for supporting physical activity and healthy nutrition with and through education settings. Find the full series of reports and webinars on the Child of the North campaign webpage.
- The UK’s power grid needs upgrading to reach net zero — our new study shows where Sheridan Few writes for the Conversation on recent work looking at how the electrical power network can be upgraded to cope with increasing demand.
- Study warns of ‘alarming rise’ in long-lived greenhouse gas University of Leeds news article covering a major new report looking at global nitrous oxide levels.
- How climate change is fueling disease outbreaks. An article by the Conservation for the World Economic Forum draws on work by Mark Smith and Chris Thomas (University of Lincoln) on the impact of climate change on malaria transmission.
- Protection of saltmarshes is vital for climate change mitigation. The Priestley Centre reports on research that quantifies saltmarshes ability to store carbon.
- Human-driven impacts on carbon release from rivers. The Faculty of Environment covers research looking at how rivers contribute to the global release of greenhouse gases.
- Youth activists are now real agents of change at global climate summits Susan Ann Samuel and Maria Antonieta Nestor (University of Cambrige) write for the Conversation about the important role of youth activists in pushing UNFCCC climate negotiations.
Find more information on policy collaborations from across University of Leeds on the Policy Leeds website. If you would like to keep in touch with our work between signposts, please connect with us on LinkedIn, find us on X (formerly Twitter), or you can email us at policyleeds@leeds.ac.uk
