May 2012
02/05/2012: Fair Trade Phd Workshop Heralded a Success
April 2012
04/04/2012: Carrier bag charge: Supermarkets say use in Wales cut up to 90%
March 2012
27/03/2012: BRASS Sustainable Communities research highlighted at key event
21/03/2012: Research shows support of Welsh public over Badger Cull decision
05/03/2012: BRASS researchers contribute to work of the United Nations
February 2012
16/02/2012: BRASS Research Manager provides independent view of Auditor General's report 15/02/2012: BRASS Director writes for CIPD collection of thought pieces 06/02/2012: BRASS Co-Director to Lecture on 'The Changing Face of Environmental Regulation'
January 2012
25/01/2012: BRASS Associate writes about Carbon Labels for Guardian professional network
23/01/2012: Research suggests farmers lack confidence in badger vaccination
18/01/2012: BRASS Co-Directors to Advise on Single Environmental Body for Wales
Fair Trade Phd Workshop Heralded a Success
Attendees at the BRASS sponsored Fair Trade PhD Workshop, held as part of the Fair Trade International Symposium 2012, have heralded the event a success.
The workshop was designed to offer a more informal space in which registered PhD students could present work-in-progress and/or preliminary findings. Students were particularly encouraged to bring up methodological or theoretical issues and questions for discussion.
The emphasis of the day was focused on personal academic and research development. The event was also attended by Dr Benjamin Huybrechts and Dr Bob Doherty who were invited to provide guidance and support.
One PhD Student claimed it was a “great opportunity to create a network of interested FT research students, getting feedback, exchanging ideas. A wonderful experience!”
Another said: “Most established academics are a bit intimidating to talk to so having other PhD students to discuss ideas with both formally and informally was really great.”
BRASS Researcher Dr Alastair Smith who organised the event said: "Having only recently completed my own PhD it was great to be involved in organising the BRASS workshop which was specific to research students. The idea was to offer a relaxed environment of primarily peer-to-peer support, with a few more experienced academics to feed into the process. It was a really enjoyable day and a great way to lead into the full Fair Trade International Symposium 2012!"
The PhD Workshop ran between 10am and the early evening, when the event unfolded to include a collective dinner of Moroccan food in the centre of Liverpool. Attendance at the event, including refreshments and a buffet lunch, was entirely free of charge. In addition, those selected to attend were also offered a sponsored, and hence free, place at the main FTIS event, for which others were encouraged to submit a full paper.
Carrier bag charge: Supermarkets say use in Wales cut up to 90%
BRASS Research Manager, Lori Frater was interviewed today on 'Good Morning Wales' in relation to figures released by several major supermarkets to BBC Wales which claim a reduction in the use of carrier bags of up to 90%.
In 2009, shoppers across the country took home an estimated 350m carrier bags from the major supermarkets. The new figures suggest hundreds of millions fewer single use carrier bags could be handed out this year in supermarkets alone.
Lori Frater recently led a team of researchers from BRASS who conducted a survey with members of the public and retailers on the introduction of the new carrier bag charge in Wales just before the new legislation was implimented . The research produced an analysis of the attitudes, awareness and acceptance of the charge by the public and an analysis of the attitudes of retail companies, their level of understanding of the regulations and WG guidance, how they have introduced the charge (including staff training and record keeping) and how they would disseminate the proceeds from the charge.
Although this research predicted that the biggest impact of the carrier bag charge would be seen in supermarkets, there is concern over how long this behaviour change will last. 5 years after the carrier bag charge was introduced in Ireland, people became happy to pay for carrier bags so the amount charged had to be increased to modify the behaviour once again.
Listen to the interview on BBC Wales 'Good Morning Wales' by clicking here (2:17:01)
To view the reports produced by BRASS, please click on the links below
Introduction of Single Use Carrier Bag Charge, Wales: Awareness of and Acceptance by Shoppers in Cardiff
Introduction of Single Use Carrier Bag Charge, Wales 2011: The Retailer Experience: Phase II Report
BRASS Sustainable Communities research highlighted at key event
Some of BRASS's Research work featured at a joint Welsh Government/Sustainable Places Research Institute event 'Working Together: Urban Places as Sustainable Communities' at the Parc Thistle Hotel in Cardiff on March 26th.
BRASS Director Professor Ken Peattie provided an introductory session for the day on 'Sustainable Welsh Communities: Rediscovering Pride of Place' that touched upon a number of BRASS research projects with a link to sustainable communities and places including the ongoing research work conducted with the community at Stroud, work on the role of social enterprises and small businesses within communities, and the Bernie grassfire prevention project with South Wales Fire and Rescue.
The day featured best practice case studies in sustainable community development from Scotland, England and Wales and six interactive workshop sessions to help set the agenda for how to achieve more integrated policy development and research work in the field.
The slides from the day will be available shortly at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/
Research shows support of Welsh public over Badger Cull decision
Research conducted by Dr Gareth Enticott at BRASS shows public support for the decision not to cull badgers in West Wales to control bovine Tuberculosis announced yesterday by the Welsh Government.
A survey conducted by Cardiff University in anticipation of the decision found that only 25% trusted the Welsh Government to the tell the truth about the need for a badger cull. The survey of 695 people in Wales also found that 42.5% of people living in rural areas agreed that a badger cull was an acceptable way of dealing with bovine TB in cattle, compared to 36% who disagreed.
Dr Gareth Enticott at Cardiff University said: “Dealing with bovine TB has proved to be highly controversial. We know from research of farmers that they have low levels of trust in Government’s attempts to manage the disease. This research shows that distrust is also found amongst the Welsh public”.
Listen here to Dr Gareth Enticott being interviewed on 'Good Evening Wales'
BRASS researchers contribute to work of the United Nations
BRASS Research Manager, Dr Diego Vazquez and PhD Scholar, Evelyn Nava-Fischer have written a think-piece on 'Green Growth, Social Agency and the Regulation of Agricultural Production in India and Brazil' for the UN Research Institute for Social Development.
The researchers state that although 'Green Growth' has been promoted as a new paradigm that encompasses economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusion; some developing countries have been questioning its relevance for their development.
Through applying discourse ananlysis techniques to empirical case studies, it was clear that green growth narratives have shaped the policies of animal and plant resource exploitation and have consistently failed to understand that markets, production and consumption are socially constructed through social relations embedded in specific places and cultures.
This paper shows how this is being challenged by traditional social norms and practices in agricultural production in India and Brazil where it has created disincentives for farmers to participate.
Theirs is part of a series of think pieces reflecting on the importance of bringing the social dimension back into discussions about green economy and sustainable development.
BRASS Research Manager provides independent view of Auditor General's report
BRASS Research Manager, Lori Frater, has provided an independent view of waste policy and sustainability for the Auditor General's report on 'Public Preparation in Waste Recycling'.
The report is being presented by the Auditor General for Wales to the National Assembly for Wales on the 16th February 2012.
Please click here to view the report
BRASS Director writes for CIPD collection of thought pieces
BRASS Director, Professor Ken Peattie, has written the closing words for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) collection of thought pieces: ‘Responsible and sustainable business: HR leading the way'.
The collection was put together to explore global issues surrounding what it means to be a responsible and sustainable business, with contributions from eight experts and leading thinkers sharing their viewpoints under five key themes.
Under the theme ‘Sustainability: a challenge or an opportunity?’ Professor Peattie shares his view that businesses wholeheartedly adopting sustainability principles and embedding them into their corporate culture are the ones that succeed and become “top-performing companies”.
Sustainability is not a business issue but an approach to business and a way of looking at the world with a long-term outlook, according to Professor Peattie.
Sustainability therefore isn’t a challenge in itself, but a challenge to a business’s way of thinking. Businesses moving away from short-term shareholder value views to more long-term strategies are the ones who can achieve the greatest benefits.
Other contributors to the CIPD publication include the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility, Professor David Wheeler from Plymouth University, and Francesco Mereu, Director of HR, Corporate Planning and CSR for Toyota (GB) Plc.
BRASS Co-Director to Lecture on 'The Changing Face of Environmental Regulation'
BRASS Co-Director Professor Bob Lee will present a lecture at the University of Brighton this week (February 8th) on ‘The Changing Face of Environmental Regulation’.
Professor Lee will discuss whether environmental regulation can move on from its traditional focus on localised impacts of industrial production to address the widespread effects of unsustainable patterns of consumption.
The lecture is open to staff and students at the university.
Earlier this year, Professor Lee was appointed as a Special Advisor to the National Assembly for Wales’ Environment and Sustainability Committee. The committee will examine the business case into the creation of a single environmental body for Wales by bringing together the Forestry Commission Wales (FCW), Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and the Environment Agency Wales (EAW).
BRASS Associate writes about Carbon Labels for Guardian professional network
BRASS Associate, Dr Adam Corner from the Cardiff School of Psychology continues to write for the Guardian Sustainable Business Professional Network. His latest blog, Why we need to move forward on carbon labelling, explores the potential for carbon labelling to encourage more sustainable consumption. He draws on recent research by The Tyndall Centre, a partner of Cardiff Univeristy which suggests that consumers are confused about carbon labelling and will only improve when more organisations opt to display the carbon footprint of their products so there is more context for sustainable decision making.
For further information, contact Adam at corneraj@cf.ac.uk
Research suggests farmers lack confidence in badger vaccination
Research conducted by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) and BRASS has found that farmers surveyed in five areas of England lack confidence in a badger vaccine to prevent the spread of bovine Tuberculosis (bTB). Farmers also had low levels of trust in the Government’s ability to manage bovine Tuberculosis.
A total of 341 farmers were surveyed during the autumn of 2010 in five areas of England (Devon, Gloucestershire and Cheshire), including the area of the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project (BVDP) where badgers have been vaccinated against bTB. This survey preceded Defra’s announcement in 2011 of their intention to license groups of farmers/landowners to cull badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB in cattle.
In general, 48% of farmers in this study thought that vaccination was a good thing to do, but only a quarter thought that it would help prevent the spread of bTB. Overall, 33% of the farmers that responded to the survey could be said to support badger vaccination, whilst 19% rejected it outright. These attitudes were related to farmers’ views of Defra: less than a quarter of farmers thought Defra could manage vaccination competently; a third thought that the Government’s scientific case for badger vaccination lacked credibility; and the vast majority (89%) believed that it was not their responsibility to pay for vaccination.
Farmers responding to the survey were pessimistic that they were able to do anything about avoiding bTB restrictions: 79% said that it was simply a matter of luck if their cattle got bTB. The majority of farmers (52%) did not think the Government were doing a good job in relation to bTB policy; 80% believed that bTB policy was too influenced by the general public (as opposed to veterinary or agricultural specialists); and 46% did not believe bTB policy decisions in general to have been fairly made.
Lead researcher Dr Damian Maye (CCRI) said: “This research has provided an important preliminary analysis of farmers’ confidence in badger vaccination. The results suggest farmers have cautious views about the role of vaccination to control bTB in cattle. In particular, farmers surveyed were concerned about the practicality of badger vaccination”.
Dr Gareth Enticott , BRASS Research Associate added: “What this research is showing is that farmers are not confident that vaccination will work, partly because they had low levels of trust in the Government’s approach to bovine TB.”
BRASS Co-Directors to Advise on Single Environmental Body for Wales
BRASS Co-Directors, Professor Bob Lee and Professor Terry Marsden have been appointed as special advisors to the National Asssembly for Wales' Environment and Sustainability Committee. Their appointments come as part of the committee's review of the Business Case into the creation of a single environment body for wales.
The proposed single environment body would bring together the Forestry Commission Wales, Countryside Council for Wales and Environment Agency Wales. The committee will review the Business Case examining the costs and risks attached to this proposal.
Professor Lee commented, “The review of the business case will examine issues such as performance risk, finance, regulatory powers, what actual efficiencies will be made as a result of the merger and how the three bodies will fit together as one organisation.”
The business case review is taking place alongside a public consultation into the Single Environmental Body. The intention is to have a shadow body operating from April 2012 with the single environment body formally beginning its work in April 2013.
