The ESI opened in 2013 and is committed to working in partnership with regional leaders. 

The Environment and Sustainability Institute launches new film to highlight the importance of working with partners to secure a sustainable future

With a week to go before the G7 conference starts in Cornwall, the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), based at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus, is launching a new film that documents the power of investing in ideas, research and partnerships to secure a more sustainable future.

The ESI opened in 2013 and is committed to working in partnership with regional leaders. Its team of interdisciplinary scientists are dedicated to finding solutions to the challenges of environmental sustainability and recognise the need to understand what works by collaborating with other organisations.

The Institute has strong partnerships that allows them to connect research and learning with practical experiments in nature’s recovery, off grid farming, the transition to net zero and planning for sustainable futures.

The film features the ESI’s work to embed research and learning in projects with Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Making Space for Nature (Cornwall Council), Bennamann Ltd, Cornish Lithium, Historic England, Cornwall Council’s Strategy Team and Britain’s Leading Edge (led by Cornwall Council).

It documents the power of nurturing long-term partnerships around shared interests; the insights gained from research and evaluation; and the value of having an inter-disciplinary academic institution on hand to support the transition to sustainable futures.

Professor Jane Wills, Director of the ESI, explains: “We know there is a long road ahead and we have limited time to get there; working together is essential and we have valuable experience to share.

"Cornwall is now at the forefront of understanding biodiversity loss and developing experiments in nature’s recovery, in creating the renewable energy technology and resources needed for a carbon neutral economy, and in planning and policy-making for sustainable futures.

“Cornwall is pioneering the transition to a greener economy with biodiversity at the heart of policy and the G7 leaders have the chance to learn more about it. I hope they will watch our short film.”

Watch and share the 10 minute film on the ESI website: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/esi

You can also watch the film as part of the University of Exeter’s Green Futures conference online at 11.15am on Saturday 12 June: https://greenfutures.exeter.ac.uk/

Date: 3 June 2021