News
COP31: "Zero Waste" must move from climate ambition to climate action
COP31 kicked off today, with "Zero Waste and Methane Reduction” a top priority. Dr Amani Maalouf comments on why waste contributes to climate change, and how technology can help identify the worst offending waste sites.
New research ahead of Anthropic’s IPO on how the company will affect society’s capacity to absorb AI safely
As Anthropic prepares to list, new research from Silicon Boundaries, a joint initiative of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group and Theia Finance Labs, asks how far Anthropic helps or hinders society in staying within a safe operating space for AI.
What does Anthropic mean for the safe operating space for AI?
As Anthropic prepares to list, Dr Ben Caldecott and Jakob Thomä have published new analysis on how the company could affect society’s capacity to absorb AI safely.
Nature finance needs a fundamental rethink, researchers argue
New research from academics including Professor Nathalie Seddon concludes that natural capital markets are a relatively small source of finance for nature projects, despite playing an outsized role in the global nature finance debate.
Budget 2026: "This Budget proves bills are cut by policy, not drilling"
The UK Government announced its latest Budget today, including plans to give millions of households a £100 energy payment. Dr Anupama Sen and Cassandra Etter-Wenzel give their verdict.
Tired, irritable and craving carbs? Why darker days affect our bodies and brains
Dr Laurence Wainwright explores the possible evolutionary roots of seasonal affective disorder and the ‘winter blues’ in his latest article for The Conversation. "Seasonal depression is complex, with genetic susceptibility, circadian rhythms and environmental circumstances potentially contributing. Nevertheless, our sensitivity to seasonal light raises questions about modern working life."
Comment: Why the clock change triggers an ancient 'biological handbrake’
Drawing on his emerging research into the complex interplay of circadian disruption and mood disorders, Dr Laurence Wainwright explores the possible evolutionary roots of seasonal affective disorder and the ‘winter blues’.
MSc SEE student Justice Appiah Nuamah named one of eight global Energy Leaders for Tomorrow
Just weeks into his MSc at Oxford’s Smith School, Mastercard Foundation Scholar Justice Appiah Nuamah has been recognised as one of eight emerging energy leaders worldwide at the 2026 Energy Intelligence Forum in London.
From 'climate vandalism' to 'good energy policy': The green economy reacts to Jackdaw gas field approval
Business Green rounds up from reactions from politicians, trade associations, think tanks, and researchers including Steve Smith, Arnell Associate Professor of Greenhouse Gas Removal, Smith School, University of Oxford.
Expert Comment: Today’s Jackdaw decision is a strategic blunder that could cost future generations
Cassandra Etter-Wenzel, DPhil candidate at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and Dr Anupama Sen, Head of Policy Engagement at the Smith School, argue that the debate over the Jackdaw gas field focused on the wrong questions, and that its gas would have been worth more to the UK held in reserve for future generations.
The 2050 trap: why distant climate laws fail to move markets and what actually unlocks clean investment
Setting a distant 2050 target allows leaders to claim climate action today while deferring the capital allocation decisions to tomorrow. In this insight piece, Dr Gireesh Shrimali sets out the steps ministers and regulators must take to turn national targets into megawatts
Corporate climate risk picture is still murky
Disclosure regulation can play an important role in pushing corporate leaders “to think about important issues systematically”, says Dr Ben Caldecott, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme. “But let’s put it in perspective . . . it won’t produce the big, major changes required.”