Reforming the UK food system isn’t just an imperative, it’s an opportunity

Speaking at a first-of-its-kind National Emergency Briefing on climate change, Professor Paul Behrens outlines the urgent need to reform the UK food system – and the diverse benefits this would bring for farmers, the public and nature.

What we told UK leaders about climate and nature at a national emergency briefing

Reflections on COP30 in Belém

Researchers from across the University of Oxford were at COP30 in Belém, taking part in side events, presenting new research, and working with partners to support the negotiations and inform the wider political process. They included the Directors of two of our major programmes, Nathalie Seddon from our Agile initiative and Thomas Hale from the Oxford Martin Programme on Climate Policy.

Climate policy models are missing the human cost, says new Lancet review

A Lancet Planetary Health Review, co-authored by Professor Paul Behrens from our Future of Food programme, finds that widely used climate policy models overlook major impacts on people’s lives. The result is that prevention can be undervalued.

New plan aims to make public procurement a force for climate action

Today at COP30 in Belém, the Government of Brazil announced an ambitious plan to drive action on climate change using the power of public procurement. The Belém Declaration on Sustainable Public Procurement establishes concrete measures to move high-impact markets and production chains into alignment with the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, including targets up to 2030 and sustainability indicators.

Global move towards plant-based diets could reshape farming jobs and reduce labour costs worldwide, Oxford study finds

A global shift towards healthier, more sustainable eating patterns could reshape agricultural employment across the world, according to new research from the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI).

Pre-COP dialogue cements Oxford and Brazil partnership in forest conservation and climate finance innovation

Brazil’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Antonio Patriota, highlighted the country’s groundbreaking Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF)—an ambitious financing mechanism that will reward nations for preserving tropical forests.

Oxford Martin School launches four new programmes to address global challenges

The new programmes bring Oxford researchers together with global partners to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues, from the health impacts of climate change on children to equitable medicine access, technological change, and criminal justice reform.

By changing our diets now, we can avoid the food chaos that climate change is bringing

How can we make cities a place where people and nature thrive together?

Melissa Felipe Cadillo, Programme Coordinator of the Oxford Martin Programme on Biodiversity and Society, describes how universities can act as key brokers to include local residents in decisions on nature recovery in urban environments.

New global index puts nature at the heart of human progress

Researchers from the University of Oxford, including those from the Oxford Martin Programme on Biodiversity and Society, have joined international partners such as the United Nations Development Programme to propose an optimistic and practical new framework to inspire stronger action on nature.

New study highlights legal “grey areas” in wildlife trade

Researchers from the Oxford Martin Programme on Wildlife Trade have identified legal uncertainties in wildlife trade and argue that addressing them could help secure better outcomes for both wildlife and people.

Montserrat’s Premier Reuben Meade visits Oxford to deepen scientific collaboration on volcanic research

On May 6th, 2025, Montserrat’s Premier Reuben Meade visited the Department of Earth Sciences at Oxford University, hosted by the Oxford Martin School’s Rethinking Natural Resources (ReSET) Programme. The Premier was accompanied by Harvey Edgecombe, a senior advisor to the Montserrat government.