Research for the agencies

Challenges for funded research into sustainable development

Andrew Church, Geography Division

School of Environment and Technology

7 year programme of Government funded research intoleisure on rivers and the coast of

England and Wales

SET - Niall Burnside, Chris Joyce, Jon Lee, Waste and Energy Research Group staff

Chelsea School - Neil Ravenscroft, Paul Gilchrist, Gill Rogers,Belinda Wheaton

Plumpton - Becky Taylor

VRU, Business Services, Estates

The funding agencies

• DEFRA

• Environment Agency

• Natural England

• Welsh Assembly Government

• British Waterways

• Sport England

Challenges for government funded research into

sustainable development

• ‘Sustainable’ institutional support for research

• Ethics and environmental research

• The power and influence of university research

Access to the countryside

Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 - The Right to Roam

Excludes water Political pressure to extend especially from canoeistsOpposition from anglers and landowners

Global problem of public access to natural resources for leisure and tourism

Four projects 2001-2008

Project 1 - The policy context

• ‘Water-based sport and recreation: the facts’

• Demand, supply and access issues

• What is the problem?

Project 2 – Feasibility study

• Project 1 conclusions – Eight policy scenarios in a strategic contexte.g. legislation, purchase land, voluntary agreement

• A Study of the Feasibility of Voluntary Access Agreements for canoeing (Countryside Agency)

Project 3 – Implementation of Canoe Access Agreements

Project 4 – Development of regional strategies for water related sport and recreation

On going work for the Environment Agency

‘Sustainable’ institutional support for research?

From this - DEFRA tender 2001

The University, within its Mission Statement,

recognises its role in the application of

knowledge and expertise to the understanding

of public policy.

To this - Environment Agency Tender 2007

Technical 3. Environmental Questionnaire A (SME/ LR) Technical

Company Name: University of Brighton

1. Does your Company take into account environmental issues in its overall performance?

10. Please provide details of any Environmental Management System that your organisation holds (that covers the services in question). If you hold any certified systems, please include copies of your certificate/s.

2. Do you consider environmental issues for all the products and services you supply?

Always Regularly Often Rarely

Never

Comments______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Does your Company audit the impact it may have on the environment?

Always Regularly Often Rarely

NeverComments

Ethics and environmental research

University Guidance on Good Practice inResearch ethics and governance

Research which would normally be consideredto involve more than minimal risk would includeresearch involving:

• Likelihood of significant negative impact on the physical or social environment

The power and influence of university research

Challenges for government funded research into

sustainable development

• ‘Sustainable’ institutional support

• Ethics and environmental research

• The power and influence of university research – transparency and accountability

seduction

persuasion

negotiation

manipulation

inducement

coercion

authority

domination

Modalities of power

After Allen 2003