€3.9m UCC Sustainable Futures project launched

  • Higher education institutes join forces with enterprise partners to co-develop educational programmes focused on sustainability, decarbonisation, circular economy and business leadership.
  • Significant €3.9m Sustainable Futures project is led by University College Cork in collaboration with Maynooth University and Atlantic Technological University.
  • Industry partners include Microsoft, Carbery Group, Mannok Holdings, Glenveagh Properties, Musgraves, Logitech, PM Group, Glanbia, Kepak, CIE Group, EirGrid, ESB, Davy Horizons and Blue Planet Consulting.
  • Sustainable Futures develops solutions for a sustainable, net zero and nature-positive future and aims to empower industry and enterprise to transition to a net zero carbon future

The Sustainable Futures project – led by University College Cork in partnership with Maynooth University and Atlantic Technological University – aims to empower industry and enterprise to not only meet their new legal requirements in transitioning to a net zero and nature-positive future, but to see new opportunities while meeting Ireland’s climate challenges.

A range of new postgraduate programmes, including a flagship Masters in Sustainability in Enterprise, have been developed, aimed at university graduates from all disciplines, industry staff, and current and aspiring leaders looking to develop their capacity to drive the industry and business response to sustainability challenges. New executive education and continuing professional development courses will also be developed, aimed at professionals across all sectors who wish to enhance their skills to deliver on all aspects of sustainability within enterprise.

The Sustainable Futures project was recently awarded €3,913,440 under the Higher Education Authority’s Human Capital Initiative. The project brings together higher education and multiple enterprise partners to co-develop educational programmes focused on sustainability, decarbonisation, circular economy and business leadership.

UCC has also launched a new Sustainable Futures Lab which is a new collaborative space for co-innovating solutions for a sustainable, net zero and nature positive future.

Project lead Dr Marguerite Nyhan, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering & Future Sustainability in UCC’s School of Engineering & Architecture and the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), said sustainability is a complex problem that requires a complex solution.

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The Government’s Climate Action Plan proposes major national carbon emissions reduction targets. As such, there has never been a more urgent time to create leaders in environmental sustainability in industry, enterprise, business, and broader society who will drive the transition to a net zero future.

“This can’t be solved by any one discipline and as such, we have brought together engineering, science, business, management and sociology. Sustainable Futures aims to help leaders to take action on climate change and sustainability by applying academic rigour to real-world problems.

“We are developing curriculums, delivering courses, and identifying the challenges and innovating new solutions to sustainability and decarbonisation. The Sustainable Futures courses are aimed at providing cutting-edge knowledge and thought leadership to industry on how they can transition their companies towards net zero and environmentally sustainable practices.
Dr Marguerite Nyhan
Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering & Future Sustainability
MaREI, ERI and UCC’s School of Engineering & Architecture

All MaREI Team Members
Marguerite Nyhan
Marguerite Nyhan
Funded Investigator