Health and Decarbonisation

Climate Change is a growing health challenge both in the UK and globally. Extremes of heat were estimated to have resulted in 11,000 excess deaths across Europe during the summer of 2020 alone. Other projected impacts include the spread of diseases due to changes in vector ecology and increases in respiratory conditions.

Healthcare systems themselves account for almost 5% of net global carbon emissions, and therefore have a key role to play in decarbonisation.

At Plymouth, collaborations between biomedical, social and natural scientists, and partnerships with NHS and sector innovators, provide a holistic foundation through which our research addresses health impacts of climate change to ultimately inform policy and achieve decarbonised health and care systems.

eHealth Productivity and Innovation in Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly (EPIC)

Led by the University's Centre for Health Technology, EPIC works to strengthen the digital health ecosystem in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, a a peripheral and coastal local authority with high levels of deprivation. By supporting development-led growth in enterprises, and working with health and care users, EPIC works to develop useful solutions to real-world needs within health and care. eHealth solutions, from robotics to VR, sensors to wearables are working to address difficulties providing care in remote locations, addressing loneliness and isolation and improving user experiences of existing health systems.

Generating Older Active Lives Digitally (GOALD)

Participating in activities such as online games, virtual social gatherings and using assistive technologies allows us to stay connected to our communities and create meaningful experiences which positively impact our health and wellbeing. But how can we ensure these activities are accessible to older people?

The GOALD project is using intergenerational groups to examine how to design and deliver digital resources to provide and engage older people in structured activity programmes with the aim of improving their health and wellbeing.

Centre for Decarbonisation and Offshore Renewable Energy

In response to climate change imperatives, we are bringing together a critical mass of leading research and expertise from across the University of Plymouth. Through co-creation and collaboration with partners from business, government and key communities from across the globe, the Centre aims to be a beacon for the University’s whole-system transdisciplinary approach to solutions-oriented research, accelerating sustainable developments in decarbonisation and renewable energy.