Summary of the impact

A research programme led by Boyle in Edinburgh (with Birnie (LSE) and Redgwell (UCL)) pioneered the discipline of international environmental law. That work, in turn, informed the infrastructure for international environmental law in practice. Through Boyle's work as legal counsel in several high-profile international cases (2010-11), his proposed subject-paradigm has been translated from theory to legal framework. Crucially, it has been endorsed and applied by both the International Law Commission and relevant international courts, including the International Court of Justice.

Summary of the impact

The Green Guide to Specification is an environmental profiling system that enables designers and constructors to select building materials and components which have the lowest environmental impact. Designed and developed at Oxford Brookes University, the Green Guide methodology provides the construction industry with reliable environmental evaluations based on quantitative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data. Now in its 4th edition and part of the BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes programmes, Green Guide has been used to reduce environmental impacts for over 230,000 recorded construction projects, with a further 1.07 million projects registered awaiting certification worldwide. In 2009, the Green Guide was adopted as the official design standard for all construction materials used in the London 2012 Olympics.

Summary of the impact

Research by the UCL Centre for Law and the Environment has directly influenced government policy and practice on environmental regulations, enforcement and sanctions. It has:

• Led to the enactment of government legislation;
• Influenced the creation of a new sanctions policy between the UK Environment Agency and private companies;
• Benefited environmental charities and local communities;
• Led to the establishment of a new Environment Tribunal in England and Wales;
• Established new regulatory sanctions principles adopted by other regulatory agencies;
• Influenced environmental sanctions policies in other jurisdictions.

Summary of the impact

Research conducted by Rieu-Clarke and Wouters has deepened knowledge and understanding of the role of international law in contributing to the peaceful management of the world's transboundary water resources amongst a range of stakeholders, including policy makers. The impact is manifested in invitations to high-level policy forums and engagement with policy makers at numerous training events. Additionally, several governments have ratified the UN Watercourses Convention (UNWC), in part due to their research, and their work has contributed to the imminent entry into force of the Convention.

Summary of the impact

The Government of India has put forward a National Water Framework Act arising from part of the work of the national Planning Commission. Philippe Cullet's research on water law and governance has directly impacted upon the nature of India's planned legislation on the issue, facilitated by his chairmanship of a group within India's Planning Commission. This is of great significance in a country where 12% of the 1.2 billion-population lacks access to improved drinking water and where there are major concerns around sustainability of supply.

Summary of the impact

The development and marketing of the Chemcatcher passive sampler has significantly improved the way water quality is monitored. These cost-effective devices are either used alongside or can replace established approaches that rely on infrequent spot or bottle sampling. We have contributed to the development of national and international standards for the use of passive samplers, and the dissemination of results to end users has facilitated the uptake of passive sampling technology worldwide. Our passive samplers have been used to monitor a diverse range of environmental problems, from pharmaceuticals in drinking water to the release of radioactive caesium after the Fukushima nuclear reactor incident in Japan.

Summary of the impact

This research has made a sustained and continuing impact on the development and application of the substantive criminal law, including mens rea and general defences, and especially in the areas of complicity and homicide, in terms of

i) development of the law by the appellate courts;

ii) application of the law by practitioners; and

iii) government policy as to the reform of the law of murder and complicity.

Summary of the impact

Falmouth University's RANE (Research in Art, Nature and Environment) research group, led by Dr. Daro Montag, interrogates nexus points between the visual arts, the environmental sciences and ecological philosophy. Established in 2004, RANE has held high profile public exhibitions, lectures and events and is a leading figure of the global art and environment field. During this period, RANE has raised public awareness of environmental issues nationally and internationally; though creative practice RANE has led public engagement and debate on questions of sustainability.

Summary of the impact

This case study is based around a network of activities and collaborations, that have affected over 100 companies and around 25,000 people directly (and many more indirectly). This is illustrated through 4 specific initiatives:

a) Project Green

b) Science for Sustainability

c) Resilience of land/water resources

d) Keele University Sustainability Hub

These initiatives have been developed directly from expertise in specific areas of environmental and sustainability research, with a strong focus on collaboration across the traditional disciplinary boundaries — geoscience, chemistry, engineering and social science have all been key components.

`Project Green' was launched in 2011, and was initially an 18-month project to provide sustainability training and internships for job-seeking graduates; the project (including follow-on schemes) has supported well over 200 graduates, with placements in over 100 organisations (mainly businesses), and external funding of over £1M.

`Science for Sustainability' was established in 2006, to disseminate important environmental sustainability issues to communities and the public through displays, road-shows, public talks, school outreach and partnership working with Councils and third-sector organisations; it operates locally, regionally and nationally, and has so far engaged >25,000 people from schools and the general public

The work on land/water resilience is one specific example of collaborative work that is having a major impact on drought/flood issues that are of increasing global importance, using new environmental monitoring and data analysis techniques that have been developed at Keele.

The `Keele University Sustainability Hub' comprises a £3.5M renovation of a derelict farmhouse, to create a unique `green' resource. This exemplar sustainable building houses teaching (including a new MSc programme), research on sustainable energy and community engagement, and a wide range of external engagement and outreach activities. Its underpinning principle is the cross-fertilization of these activities, and the Hub has hosted an average of >1000 users per month since opening in 2011. Developing environmental sustainability research is a key `top-level' strategic vision for Keele, and the Sustainability Hub acts as a focal point for education, outreach, widening participation and, most importantly, collaborative research and development and engagement with industry, business and the public sector and other external organisations.

Summary of the impact

Global waste disposal strategies and chemical regulations have been transformed through LEC's world-leading research into the environmental sources, fate and behaviour of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Firstly, our research has directly supported controlled high temperature incineration as a long-term option for the disposal of municipal waste, by showing that well regulated incineration is not an environmentally significant source of dioxin emissions. Secondly, our research has maintained the controlled utilisation of sewage sludge (biosolids) on agricultural land as an effective risk-based management solution that re-cycles valuable carbon and nutrients to soil. Our research has underpinned the development of the UK's Dioxin Strategy and supported international chemicals regulation for one of the most important global flame retardant chemicals in current use under the Stockholm Convention.