Goal 13: Research

The University’s research activities play a key role in our approach to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Here’s a wider showcase of our work addressing Goal 13.

Investigating the Housing and Construction Sector’s Role in Net-Zero Challenges

A research team from the Alliance Manchester Business School and Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIOIR) is working on a project for The Productivity Institute: ‘Addressing the net-zero and productivity challenges: How could the housing and construction sector play a key role?’. The team is looking to develop a more precise understanding of the productivity challenges in the construction sector and hope to uncover ways in which more sustainable practices can deliver productivity improvements. The research project focuses on solutions for the UK market and involves extensive collaboration with industry. Importantly, the ultimate aim is to help advance towards the UK’s net-zero target and improve productivity growth targets.

University Living Lab Nominated for an Earthshot prize

The University Living Lab applies the expertise of students to real-world sustainability challenges through developing student research projects with external organisations to help meet sustainability goals. The University Living Lab was created after Dr Jennifer O’Brien from our University’s School of Environment, Education and Development and Academic Lead for Sustainability Teaching and Learning was awarded a Higher Education and SDGs Challenge Grant by the Association of  Commonwealth Universities (ACU). In 2022, over 40,000 staff and students at our University were nominated for The Earthshot Prize for their practical action on climate change. The Earthshot Prize utilizes the massive global force for sustainability to produce change whilst shaping the decision makers of the future. In the last two years, the University has saved CO2 through active travel, shaped municipal climate change policy, increased biodiversity and enabled ethical consumption whilst empowering and equipping the future workforce of a net zero world.

Using AI to Tackle Humanity’s Greatest Challenges

A Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Manchester has been working with an international team of colleagues to create a pioneering research platform called ‘Virtual Labs’, which uses autonomous AI to retrieve and share relevant knowledge with research teams around the world who are now in a race to mitigate the impact of climate change. The technology will also help fast-track new research and innovation to support breakthroughs in diverse areas of study, from the development of new advanced materials to the design of new drugs.