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Image Thematic Landing
Climate and environment

Climate and environmental changes are unfolding at an unprecedented rate around the world. Our research analyses the impacts of increasing drought and famine, rising temperatures and vulnerability of marginalised communities to natural and human-made hazards.

Central to our work is the fact that climate and environmental change is driven by extraction and consumption. Our work examines how different groups are responding to change, analysing the forces such as unequal power relations and conflicts over resources that influence decisions.

We aim to understand how the transition to a low-carbon economy is affecting communities, environments and people’s livelihoods. We examine dominant narratives and agendas around the linked issues of climate change, conservation, land, carbon, scarcity, security and resilience, and what alternatives are possible.

We work collaboratively with people who are marginalised from decision-making, to incorporate their knowledge and experiences in research findings and policy recommendations.

Latest News
Tropicalising the evidence: climate uncertainty and public policy in Brazil
15 June 2026
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Centre for Future Natures
A networking and research initiative that aims to share and amplify stories and knowledge from the spaces, movements and struggles for the commons and against enclosures.
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RELIABLE
As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, this project aims to explore and test strategies for climate preparedness that are attuned to uncertainties.
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Resilient and Equitable Nature-based Pathways in Southern African Rangelands (REPAIR)
A research project that explores whether and how equitable, contextual, community-led approaches to nature-based solutions can support adaptability and resilience in Southern Africa’s rangelands.
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The Great Green Wall and Sahelian Environmental Imaginaries
Exploring high-end conceptualisations of African green futures by studying how ideas of greening the Sahel region have developed, persisted and been contested.
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Co-designing Learning for Evidence-based climate policy in Marmara’s Municipalities, Türkiye (CLEMM)
This project aims to strengthen knowledge systems required to support effective and socially just climate adaptation/mitigation action within and across urban municipalities in the Marmara Region of Türkiye.
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The Urban Futures project: Toward health equity, inclusive governance, and climate adaptation in African informal settlements
Working with informal settlement residents in Sub-Saharan African cities to understand the lived realities of climate change and co-produce contextually appropriate adaptation strategies.
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Sussex Sustainability Research Partnership
The Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) delivers interdisciplinary research to help achieve the global sustainability goals for humanity and the environment.
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MSc Climate Change, Development and Policy
Study the challenges of moving to a low-carbon economy and adapting to climate change, and how they influence global and regional development.
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Sustainability Opinion
Can mid-level actors make climate action more reliable?
The pace of climate change is outpacing the scale of our response, uncertainty is on the rise everywhere, and climate action often focuses on global/national policy or strengthening frontline response. But there is an important…
June 2026
Climate & environment Opinion
Climate finance and the credibility gap in global climate action
Shafqat Choudhury, MA Governance, Development and Public Policy (class of 2025–26), joined the Institute of Development Studies after working in development finance. On World Environment Day, he argues that the gap between climate finance pledges…
June 2026