Research Centre for Sustainable Transitions

Institute for Planetary Resilience and Community Transformation

The Research Centre for Sustainable Transitions (CST) brings together engineers, social scientists, architects and psychologists to address the challenges of climate change.

Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals we explore the challenges that contemporary modern societies face, trying to understand the systemic changes required to meet these challenges and transformations.

We explore changes brought about by Brexit, climate-related instability and associated environmental issues; questions surrounding energy demand, generation and supply, the zero-carbon agenda and its potential impact on the health and wellbeing of communities; society’s ability to predict and respond to potential future scenarios and uncertainties such as climate-induced disasters.

Our mission

  • Demonstrate a diverse and evolving understanding of issues relating to sustainable development and society’s preparedness for future change within socio-technical systems
  • Provide new perspectives and develop unique solutions to societal, political, environmental and economic challenges, at all scales
  • Embrace urgent and challenging questions for current and future generations, and produce world-class research in exploration of these
  • Understand complexity, employ flexibility, and approach research in a cross-disciplinary and multi-dimensional manner.
  • Produce research that is innovative, transdisciplinary, creative and impactful.

Related articles

  • Searching for Snow Hares

    In this new film, Yvonne Reddick journeys across the wintry Cairngorm Plateau in search of mountain hares, and meets people determined to protect the snowy winters that the hares need.

  • Climate resilience, social justice and COVID-19 recovery in Preston

    The ‘Climate Resilience, Social Justice and COVID-19 Recovery in Preston’ project explored, both conceptually and with stakeholders from Preston’s anchor institutions and diverse communities, how disruption from one threat might galvanise momentum to address another.

Contact us

To find out more please contact the Centre’s Co-Directors, Professor John Whitton and Professor Champika Liyanage, or Centre Coordinator, Dr Ioan Charnley-Parry.