Sustainable Earth

Topic description and stories

The climate crisis and biodiversity losses are affecting the planet at an alarming pace. Cambridge researchers are helping the response to these threats, building resilience, supporting the transition from fossil fuels to a zero-carbon future, and enabling us to act sustainably to protect the planet's precious resources and reduce waste.

The climate crisis: towards zero carbon

26 February 2020

Sir David Attenborough, Dr Jane Goodall DBE and leading Cambridge University researchers talk about the urgency of climate crisis – and some of the solutions that will take us towards zero carbon.

Nature’s value to business

12 Jul 2011

A programme convening business leaders and policy makers is helping to identify the value to business of nature – and the step changes needed to...

Birds of a feather display only a fraction of possible colours

23 Jun 2011

Research reveals plumages exhibit less than a third of possible colours birds can see.

Innovating sustainable housing design

06 Jun 2011

A new building initiative aims to innovate sustainable housing design for the developing world.

Bags of charcoal lined on the road into Dar es Salaam. This charcoal was produced in the forest and woodlands outside of Dar. Charcoal is the main source of cooking fuel in urban areas across sub-Saharan Africa.

Scientists calculate the true cost of saving rainforest and improving food security

31 May 2011

Current plans to mitigate deforestation could adversely affect rural poor.

Facing up to Fukushima

20 May 2011

In the wake of the disaster at the Fukushima reactor, Japan and other nations are re-evaluating their attitude to nuclear energy. Cambridge academic...

Intelligent airports and greener smart phones: award-winning Cambridge innovation

13 Apr 2011

Two Cambridge researchers have received prizes at the ICT Pioneers awards for their groundbreaking approach to modern problems.

Image shows a variety of cuckoo finches each adapted to mimic a different host species or colour morph

Biological arms races in birds

13 Apr 2011

New research reveals how biological arms races between cuckoos and host birds can escalate into a competition between the host evolving new, unique...