Environmental Sustainability (ES) Champions Network

The environmental sustainability champions network is a group of academics, researchers, support staff, and students, based in the School of Health Sciences, focusing on how we can support and protect the natural world.
The environmentally depleted planet impacts on physical and mental health in myriad ways. Climate change is associated with increasing risk of extreme weather events, which contribute to physical harm and psychological trauma. Breakdown in food supply and clean water systems have implications for health and nutrition. Air pollution contributes to problems such as respiratory health. Antimicrobial resistance is a major concern in medicine. The declining planet contributes to anxiety and ecological distress. The natural environment is also a major resource for protecting and restoring our mental health. Time spent in green space can be positive for our wellbeing.
The health sciences have an important role to play in understanding the interaction between our depleted and changing planetary systems and our physical and mental health. Practitioners need to be mindful of how the environment and associated issues such as climate change, air pollution, and the biodiversity crisis may be contributing to their patients’ difficulties. Research is needed to identify how we can best mitigate against or prevent these impacts. We have identified three short-term priorities that we are focussing on:
- Outreach and awareness: We run outreach events for communities inside and outside the university, focused on sustainability and planetary health. These include a University welcome week stall and hosting events such as an “active breakfast” to encourage car-free commuting. We have developed resources, such as the Eco-booklet created by Harriet Bickley, which provides a comprehensive guide to campus and non-campus recycling, waste reduction, ethical purchasing, green travel and biodiversity, to help live a more sustainable life in Manchester.
- ES in the curriculum: Themes of planetary health and sustainability are of key importance to the health sciences, and we want to see every undergraduate and postgraduate programme in the School of Health Sciences cover these issues and their relevance to that field. We can support this goal by linking lectures into guidance and resources concerning planetary health and sustainability.
- Joining the Planetary Health Alliance: The School of Health Sciences joined the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) in October 2024. The PHA is a partnership of over 450 organisations, including research institutions and universities, focused on the topic of planetary health. Joining the PHA helps us link with a wider network of researchers and campaigners working in this area, providing access to resources and opportunities for shared learning and collaboration.
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