Taylor Burns, Mehri Khosravi Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London When planning a summer holiday, most travellers think about flights, accommodation and attractions. However, another consideration is on the rise: Is it too hot to travel? Europe’s summer heatwaves in 2026 have demonstrated that extreme heat is no longer just an inconvenience; it is becoming a significant disruption to travel, tourism, and daily life. Just days after the official start

Research Affiliate Lunch: Karina Townsend Presenting The 2025-26 academic year has brought with it a new cohort of Research Affiliates to grow the sustainability research environment at UEL. Following a highly successful first year of collaboration, networking, and support, the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) is delighted to announce the continuation and expansion of the SRI Research Affiliates Programme as it enters its second year. Launched in 2024 as part of the UE

Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London Photograph by Stuart Connop As the International Day for Biological Diversity approaches on 22 May, it is worth reflecting on the remarkable ecological richness that exists much closer to home than many people realise. Biodiversity is often associated with remote rainforests, protected national parks, or rural wilderness. Yet some of the UK’s most fascinating ecological landscapes can be found within cities, includi

By Afua Assan and Mehri Khosravi Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London Summer travel is beginning to look different. Temperature is becoming a decisive factor in how people plan, choose, and time their trips, signalling a shift that destinations can no longer ignore. Across Europe, extreme heat is reshaping what was once the most predictable part of the tourism calendar. Destinations that relied on warm, stable summers are now facing temperatures that d

By Afua Assan and Mehri Khosravi Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London In England, extreme heat already causes thousands of excess deaths in some summers, with older adults accounting for the vast majority. Yet it is still widely perceived as something to be enjoyed, filling beaches and coastal towns (Figure 1), rather than recognised as a serious public health risk. Figure 1: Southend-on-Sea, just one hour from London [1] - By Afua Assan and Mehri Khos

Community garden in Chiswick, London. As cities grow, denser, hotter, and more vulnerable to extreme weather, we have all heard the same hopeful message: “nature can save us”. Trees cool streets. Wetlands absorb floods. Parks improve air quality and bring communities together. In other words, Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI), from urban forests, street trees, parks to rivers and wetlands, has become the new hero of sustainable cities. So why, despite all this enthusiasm, a

Laura Wendling, Karina Corada Perez, Mehri Khosravi Sustainability research Institute (SRI), University of East London London is often celebrated for its green ambitions, from net-zero commitments to its expanding parks, community gardens, and circular-economy projects. But the real strength of this city lies in its people. In London, any vision of sustainability must begin with belonging. A community cannot be sustainable if some people are pushed out of belonging. East Lond

For a long time, urban development has largely separated human populations from nature, with only a few specialist (non-human) species able to persist in urban areas. Recently, there has been increasing recognition of the impact of the loss of nature on our communities and the cost of trying to replace these lost benefits. Renaturing approaches are now gaining more popularity, with green roofs and walls appearing across our cities, and biodiverse areas like wildflower meadows