Our interdisciplinary research explores how pathways to sustainability, green transformations and equitable access to resources such as land, water and food can be achieved and help us meet the environmental as well as human development-related goals of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
Our work builds on a long tradition of critical social science engagement with environmental issues and resource politics in collaboration with partners globally. It explores how pathways to sustainability are shaped by political-economic and social processes, and understands how they are driven by technology, markets, states and citizens. Our research sheds new light on how we can achieve green transformations that move us from fossil fuel to renewable energy, from throw-away to circular economies. It addresses the politics of sustainability, and understands how transformations occur at local levels as well as global, in both rural and urban settings, and be led by citizens as well as national governments. In doing so, it shines a light on how sustainable resource use, consumption and production is shaped by issues such as gender, livelihoods and politics.
The ESRC STEPS Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) is an interdisciplinary global research and policy engagement centre.
Significant progress on gender equality has been made in past decades, but in recent years gender and sexual rights have become increasingly under threat from a global wave of backlash.
In this special podcast to celebrate International Women’s Day, IDS Fellow Deepta Chopra is in...
The act of murder is incomprehensible to most of us. We consume murder mysteries and detective stories on screen and in books, trying to understand the motivations and tipping points that lead someone to take another life. But when it comes to femicide — the killing of women and girls because...
Anabel was born in 1978 into a non-poor household in Borno, Nigeria, where her father owned a cattle business with her uncle. Upon the death of her uncle, her father stopped the business, which temporarily pushed the family into poverty. Working on the farm collaboratively with her husband,...
There is just one week left to apply for the IDS-hosted Chronic Poverty Advisory Network (CPAN) specialist professional course on mixed methods research and evaluations on poverty and inequality. Find out more about this exciting new online course - and apply before the deadline.
Gaining access to land for the next generation is a struggle in Zimbabwe. There is huge demand as the last blog discussed, but there are very few simple options. Many young people have to cobble together different sources of land, perhaps waiting for a formal allocation or an inheritance.
We...
Humanitarian action is essential to support people facing crisis, save lives, assist their recovery, maintain their dignity, and increase their resilience. Developing our humanitarian knowledge, skills, and abilities is crucial if we are to prevent and respond to the multiple and protracted...
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review synthesises the literature from academic sources and knowledge institutions on the evidence what sub-sectors have the best potential for value-added exports that can contribute to the structural economic transformation of Pakistan.
The focus of the review is on...
Stephen D. Biggs, who has recently died, was at IDS from 1969 to 1973 and was part of a group who went on to make long-lasting and pioneering contributions to rural development and wider development policy and action. Below is an appreciation of his academic life from colleagues who knew him...
Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, social protection in Syria has undergone rapid and profound changes. These are examined in a Briefing Paper based on background reports by researchers for Proximity International as part of the BASIC Research Programme. Ten researchers across...
In a rapidly evolving global trade and development landscape, addressing trade-related challenges through aid for trade (AfT) remains highly relevant. This Policy Briefing provides a framing for an inclusive lens on AfT to enable more inclusive policy and programming.
At least 15 million South Africans suffer from food insecurity. That means they don’t have enough nutritious food to live healthy lives.
This is due to a combination of factors, including unemployment, poverty, inequality and food system failures.
More than 1,000...
Earlier this month, Cape Town became a powerhouse of collaboration, invention, and dedication to addressing one of humanity's most serious challenges: adjusting to an increasingly warming climate. This was the second convening of The Heat Adaptation Research for Action (HeatNexus) Network, a...
In an extraordinary time of challenge and change, we use more than 50 years of expertise to transform development approaches that create more equitable and sustainable futures. The work you do with us will help make progressive change towards universal development; to build and connect solidarities for collective action, locally and globally. The University of Sussex has been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies for the past five years (QS World University Rankings by Subject).