Skyscraper with plants growing up the facade, Sydney

Discover our equitable sustainability research

Exploring scalable solutions for sustainable development challenges

The Centre for Equitable Sustainability at the University of Portsmouth aims to achieve world-class standing in the field of sustainability, focusing on engendering action and innovation to address the challenges that hinder our journey toward an equitable and sustainable society. 

At the heart of our centre’s objectives is the proposal of scalable solutions for sustainable development challenges. We aim to provide agile and evidence-based response to sustainability police needs and wicked sustainability problems. We will prioritize areas such as sustainable consumption and production, global equity, justice and inclusion, sustainable infrastructure, energy, climate change governance, as well as biodiversity and wildlife protection. 

Overall, the Centre will develop and facilitate inter-disciplinary research activities to create opportunities for impactful research that not only drives knowledge exchange but also engages communities and establishes key partnerships with local organisations and beyond. 

Our five themes

Theme 1: Building responsible, equitable, sustainable production and consumption

Sub-topics include:

  • SDG 12 implementation
  • Circular economy
  • Ethical consumption
  • Corporate Social Responsibility

Theme 2: Building global justice and sustainable and inclusive communities

Sub-topics include:

  • SDG 5, SDG10, SDG 11 implementation
  • Economic justice
  • Social inclusion
  • Climate change and economic inequality,
  • South-South Collaboration

Theme 3: Responsible innovation, technology and project management for equitable sustainability

Sub-topics include:

  • SDG 9 implementation
  • Collaboration with women-led and minority-led businesses
  • Pro-social behaviour through innovation
  • Technology for equitable sustainability
  • Responsible Project Management

Theme 4: Action for climate change and clean and affordable energy

Sub-topics include:

  • SDG 7, SDG 13 implementation
  • Energy poverty and justice
  • Renewable energy
  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation

Theme 5: Scaling environmental stewardship and wildlife protection

Sub-topics include:

  • SDG 15 implementation
  • Biodiversity protection
  • Ecosystem regeneration
  • Equitable co-existence of human and non-human species
  • Criminal justice

Publication highlights

2024

Blue economy financing solutions for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors of Caribbean island states

Bennett, M., Failler, P., March, A. L. A.

3 Aug 2024, In: Fishes. 9, 8, 39p., 305

Analysis of fish consumption in the ECOWAS region and Mauritania: current constraints and future challenges

Elhadj bara, D., Pierre, F.

1 Jul 2024, In: Sustainability. 16, 13, 18p., 5429

Investigating the effects of COVID-19 on tourism in the G7 countries

Bazrafshan, R., Komasi, H., Nemati, A., Williams, N. L., Zolfani, S. H.

3 Jun 2024, In: Technological and Economic Development of Economy. 30, 4, p. 1064–1086

A classification of poachers from the sea: four types to rule them all

Drakeford, B., Failler, P., Forse, A., Martinez Ballesteros, V. H., Rodriguez Rodriguez, G.

1 Jun 2024, In: Society and Natural Resources. 37, 4, p. 495-520, 26p.

Technology transfer challenges in asymmetric alliances between high-technology and low-technology firms

Frishammar, J., Simms, C.

1 Apr 2024, In: Research Policy. 53, 3, 20p., 104937

Active Research Projects

Sustainable Energy and Air Quality Improvement for Coastal Harbours to Achieve Net-zero with Grid Enhancements

Arabikhan, F., Barter, A., Becerra, V., Bourie, D., Canning, B., Couceiro, F., Hutchinson, D., Martinson, B., Mathieu, C., Peachey, S., Price, C., Pullinger, M., Ries, J., Roberts, K., Toyer, E., Williams, J.

02/10/2023 → 28/03/2025

Valuing digital culture and heritage

Alberti, F., Bailey-Ross, C., Cox, J., McBride, K.

04/09/2023 → 04/09/2026

  • PlastiCity

    The PlastiCity project aimed to increase commercial and industrial plastic recycling rates in the 2 Seas Region (United-Kingdom, France, Netherlands and Belgium) from 20-30% to 50%. It developed new solutions and strategies for localising, collecting, recycling, and reusing “lost plastics” in urban environments.

Related courses

  • Global Sustainability
  • Leadership, Ethics, Governance and Sustainability
  • Responsible and Sustainable Business
  • Corporate Governance and Ethics
  • Managing Employment Relations in a Global Context'
  • Slavery and Anti-Slavery in the Atlantic World
  • Criminal Justice and Human Rights
  • Black Criminology, Race and the Criminal Justice System, 
  • Green Criminology: environmental crimes and harms
  • Global Environmental Justice
  • Wildlife Crime: threats and Response
  • Crimes of the Powerful: Corporate and Governmental Environmental Harms
  • Environmental Activism: policing and legal responses
  • International Environmental & Wildlife Law
  • Ecological Justice and Climate Change Criminology
  • Green Criminology and Wildlife Crime

Staff members

Karen Zona Middleton Portrait

Dr Karen Middleton

Senior Lecturer

Karen.Middleton@port.ac.uk

School of Strategy, Marketing, and Innovation

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Sepehr Abrishami Portrait

Dr Sepehr Abrishami

Senior Lecturer

sepehr.abrishami@port.ac.uk

School of Civil Engineering and Surveying

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

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Professor Diego Vazquez-Brust

Professor of Global Business Sustainability and Strategy

Associate Head (Research and Innovation)

diego.vazquez-brust@port.ac.uk

Portsmouth Business School

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Ali Selcuk Can Portrait

Dr Selcuk Can

Senior Lecturer

Ali.Can@port.ac.uk

School of Strategy, Marketing, and Innovation

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Rui Yang Portrait

Dr Rui Yang

Associate Head (Global)

rui.yang@port.ac.uk

Organisation Studies and Human Resource Management

Faculty of Business and Law

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Myropi Garri Portrait

Dr Myropi Garri

Senior Lecturer

myropi.garri@port.ac.uk

Strategy Enterprise and Innovation

Faculty of Business and Law

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Richard Yuksel Ekinci Portrait

Professor Yuksel Ekinci

Professor of Marketing and Sales

yuksel.ekinci@port.ac.uk

Marketing

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Dr Jana Ries

Faculty Director of Postgraduate Research

Jana.Ries@port.ac.uk

Operations and Systems Management

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Victor Becerra Portrait

Media ready expert

Professor Victor Becerra

Professor of Power Systems Engineering

victor.becerra@port.ac.uk

School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

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Mahsa Ghaffari Portrait

Dr Mahsa Ghaffari

Senior Lecturer

Mahsa.Ghaffari@port.ac.uk

Marketing

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Matthew Robert Anderson Portrait

Dr Matthew Anderson

Senior Lecturer

Matthew.Anderson@port.ac.uk

Portsmouth Business School

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Christopher Don Simms Portrait

Media ready expert

Professor Chris Simms

Professor of Innovation Management and New Product Development

Chris.Simms@port.ac.uk

Portsmouth Business School

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Roza Sagitova Portrait

Media ready expert

Dr Roza Sagitova

Senior Lecturer

roza.sagitova@port.ac.uk

Portsmouth Business School

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Caroline Cox Portrait

Dr Caroline Cox

Associate Professor in Wildlife Crime and Policy

caroline.cox@port.ac.uk

Portsmouth Law School

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Tarek Teba Portrait

Dr Tarek Teba

Associate Professor in Architectural Heritage

tarek.teba@port.ac.uk

School of Architecture, Art and Design

Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

PhD Supervisor

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Leila Delphine Choukroune Portrait

Professor Leila Choukroune

Professor of International Law

Theme Professor (Democratic Citizenship)

leila.choukroune@port.ac.uk

School of Law

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Karen Mary McBride Portrait

Media ready expert

Professor Karen McBride

Professor of Accounting

Karen.McBride@port.ac.uk

School of Accounting, Economics and Finance

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Pierre Failler Portrait

Media ready expert

Professor Pierre Failler

Professor of Economics

Pierre.Failler@port.ac.uk

Economics and Finance

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Helen Thompson-Whiteside Portrait

Dr Helen Thompson-Whiteside

Associate Professor in Marketing and Society

Helen.Thompson-Whiteside@port.ac.uk

School of Strategy, Marketing, and Innovation

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Foivos Kallitsis Portrait

Dr Phevos Kallitsis

Associate Head (Academic)

Phevos.Kallitsis@port.ac.uk

School of Architecture, Art and Design

Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

PhD Supervisor

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Judith Fletcher-Brown Portrait

Dr Judith Fletcher-Brown

Associate Professor in Social Marketing

Judith.Fletcher-Brown@port.ac.uk

Marketing

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Barry Edward Smart Portrait

Professor Barry Smart

Professor of Sociology

Barry.Smart@port.ac.uk

School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics, and Literature

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

PhD Supervisor

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Guido Robazza Portrait

Dr Guido Robazza

Associate Professor in Urban Studies & Architecture

guido.robazza@port.ac.uk

School of Architecture, Art and Design

Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

PhD Supervisor

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Nigel Leroy Williams Portrait

Professor Nigel Williams

Associate Dean (Research and Innovation)

Nigel.Williams@port.ac.uk

School of Organisations, Systems, and People

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Nicholas John Howden Pamment Portrait

Dr Nick Pamment

Director of Innovation

Nick.Pamment@port.ac.uk

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

PhD Supervisor

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Lester Charles Hunt Portrait

Professor Lester Hunt

Professor of Economics

Lester.Hunt@port.ac.uk

Economics and Finance

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Cressida Jane Bowyer Portrait

Media ready expert

Dr Cressida Bowyer

Associate Professor in Arts and Sustainability

cressida.bowyer@port.ac.uk

Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

PhD Supervisor

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Contact us

To speak to us about our research, please email diego.vazquez-brust@port.ac.uk.