To maximise the impact of our activities, the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources engages with leading scholars and other stakeholders to produce internationally leading research in the areas of resource efficiency and the Circular Economy. Academics from the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources have engaged in the TC323 to develop the new family of ISO standards in the Circular Economy, are members of the World Resources Panel and are part of three of the UKRI Circular Economy Centres.
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Research areas
Our research and teaching agendas are solution oriented and work across the following core interrelated areas:
- Developing modelling capability to map and understand global flows of resources and assess the impact of policies and interventions towards sustainability
- Identifying policy mixes and areas of policy experimentation and innovation, including assessing the impact of policy interventions for the transition to sustainable, circular and resource-efficient economies and societies based empirically grounded policy analysis approaches
- Analyse complex supply chain and leverage points towards more sustainable resource use
- Engaging and fostering transdisciplinary collaboration to advance knowledge in the area of sustainable societal transitions
- Exploring the role of new business models and systems of innovation towards resource efficiency and circularity
- Transforming societies and individual behaviours towards resource efficiency and the circular economy
Research stories
Mapping the flows and emissions of Fashion Textiles in London
Read on the ReLondon website the report 'London’s fashion footprint: An analysis of material flows, consumption-based emissions, and levers for climate action'.
Remaking steel for a net zero carbon circular economy
Climate action’s goal to deliver net-zero emissions will require joined-up thinking across different parts of the economy and society.
Sustainable Resources and the Circular Economy
The concept of a Circular Economy was in its infancy a decade ago, now it's regarded as a core aspect of a sustainable future. Discover our involvement in this research area over the last ten years.
Vision for the future of plastics – policy brief
We rely on plastics for our everyday lives. Decarbonizing the plastic sector is possible but can only be achieved if we stop throwing them away or incinerating them and move towards a circular economy
Research projects
- UKRI Circular Metals Centre - access the external webpage.
- UKRI Circular Textiles Centre - London’s Fashion Textile Footprint - access the external webpage.
- UKRI Construction Minerals Circular Economy Centre - access the external webpage.
Sustainable, circular, resource-efficient economies and societies in teaching
Our MSc Programmes aim to educate the next generation of thought and business leaders to address the net zero and circular economy transition.
Sustainable Resources: Economics, Policy and Transitions MSc
The Sustainable Resources: Economics, Policy and Transitions MSc, provides a comprehensive overview of main analytical tools, the economic foundations and policy mixes for the transition towards the Circular Economy. As part of the programme the students will get familiarised with circularity assessment tools, circular economy business models, challenges and drivers for the management of the transition towards circularity and will reflect on the system changes required to create a system which is regenerative and aims to maintain circular flows of resources across different economic sectors.
Doctoral research (PhD)
Our PhD students conduct cutting edge research in the areas of resource management, critical materials for batteries and the net zero transition, circular economy new business models and other aspects of the circular transition.
Current PhD students:
- Haoning Li - 'Sustainable Critical Materials for Batteries in China.'
- Zijie Ma - 'Macro economic modelling of Steel with material flow extension.'
- Seigo Robinson - 'Circular Economy New Business Models.'
Recently completed PhDs:
- Lilia Caiado Coelho Beltrão Couto - 'Socioeconomic Impacts of Long-Term Renewable Electricity Generation: a multi-regional analysis for Brazil.'
- Victor Nechifor - 'Modelling freshwater resources use and the economic impacts of demand-driven water scarcity.'
- Metin Piskin - 'Regional Input Output analysis of construction Minerals.'
Researchers
Teresa Domenech
Associate Professor
t.domenech@ucl.ac.uk
Alvaro Calzadilla
Associate Professor
a.calzadilla@ucl.ac.uk
Matthew Winning
Senior Research Fellow
m.winning@ucl.ac.uk
Metin Piskin
Research Fellow
m.piskin@ucl.ac.uk