The University of Sheffield is one of the original red brick universities, and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities. The high calibre of its research was indicated by the results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, which found that 41 of its 49 submissions contained more than 50% “world-leading” and “internationally excellent” research. The University of Sheffield was named UK University of the Year in the 2011 Times Higher Education Awards.

Sheffield works closely with industry partners to ensure its research findings and recommendations are widely adopted. This is apparent from their work on greening the supply chain. The Logistics and Supply Chain Management Research Centre has worked with a local partner, SEAMS, to develop software that allows companies to map their current emission sources, develop more environmentally friendly products and change their current business process to access new markets, reduce energy consumption and retain carbon-conscious customers. Similarly, the University of Sheffield is closely involved with the nation-wide CO2Chem Network, which brings together academics, industry and policymakers to work on carbon capture and utilisation. Sheffield is particularly focused on novel ways of separating CO2 from methane using a recently developed class of solvent materials that does not evaporate (thereby creating atmospheric emissions).

Much of this work is coordinated by the Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, which excels in multidisciplinary research on energy, environment and sustainability issues. The Centre is also running Project Sunshine, which examines climate change mitigation and adaptation through a range of lenses. This is exemplified by the research into photovoltaics, where researchers are studying the use of organic materials, the structure of semiconducting plastics and the application of PV technologies for efficient utilisation. However, Sheffield is also exploring less familiar opportunities to exploit solar energy more effectively, from the potential of microalgae to produce biodiesel from waste CO2 to introducing C4 photosynthesis to increase carbon uptake by crops. These theoretical advancements are combined with real world application through the Environment and Behaviour Research Group, which is furthering knowledge of the social, technical and economic drivers of environmental change and the human responses to that change.

The University of Sheffield has a very strong environmental science department, which has contributed substantially to the understanding of the response of organisms and ecosystems to changing environmental conditions. The University’s strengths in this field are perhaps epitomised by the work of Professor Terry Callaghan, a member of the United Nations Environment Programme on Stratospheric Ozone Depletion Effects, lead author of the Millennium Assessment of Polar Systems, and lead author of the chapter on polar regions in the IPCC Fourth Assessment.