Issues

We currently focus on four main issues: disarmament and security, climate change and energy, questions of who controls science and technology and issues surrounding new and emerging technologies. You will also see that we work on some other issues too. You can explore these with the menu on the left of this page and with the search function. Material in this section includes all SGR's main outputs since 2005, with a selection of the more important material from before then.

Flooding (Hermann Traub via Pixabay)

Climate change: an introduction to SGR's work

An introduction to SGR's concerns and activities on climate change.

Latest update: 28 August 2020

RAF Predator drone

Brexit Britain’s security policy: cutting aid to spend on weapons

A string of announcements over the past year have set out Britain’s security and defence priorities in the wake of Brexit. These show an emphasis on high tech military equipment such as robotic and nuclear weapons, while the overseas aid budget is slashed and action on climate change remains inadequate. Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, assesses the situation.

17 March 2021

A theatre closed due to the pandemic

Aid betrayal & “catastrophic moral failure” of poorest missing vaccines

Andrew Simms, SGR's assistant director describes the UK's great aid betrayal, and the moral failure of pandemic vaccines not reaching the world's poorest.

8 March 2021

EU military carbon report cover

The carbon footprint of military sectors in the EU

Militaries use a lot of fossil fuels, yet are frequently exempt from publicly reporting their carbon emissions. SGR and CEOBS examine EU military carbon footprints in a new report by Stuart Parkinson and Linsey Cottrell.

23 February 2021

Scorched desert

Military v climate spending in the UK

In November 2020, the UK government announced a huge increase in military spending, a modest increase in climate change spending, and an enormous cut to the overseas aid budget. Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, looks at the implications for Britain's effort to tackle the climate crisis.

22 February 2021

Drone (iStock)

Military involvement in UK universities - an update

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, outlines how a major increase in UK military spending will draw universities further into programmes related to nuclear weapons, armed drones, and military space technology - fuelling arms races and decreasing international security.

24 January 2021

Trident nuclear missile

Scientists welcome entry into force of nuclear weapons ban treaty

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) welcomes the entry into force of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and calls on the UK government to support it.

22 January 2021

 

Bike

Commuter behaviour change during lockdown

Dr Jan Maskell, SGR, summarises how commuters changed their behaviour during the Covid-19 lockdown in spring 2020, and assesses the implications for tackling the climate emergency.

8 January 2021

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Nuclear weapons: a beginner’s guide to the threats

As the world approaches the 'entry into force' of a new United Nations treaty banning nuclear weapons, Dr Philip Webber, SGR, summarises the key scientific and technological information on the current threat from these arms.

Latest update: 16 December 2020

Cover of Scientists behaving responsibly report, shows a burger, a plane, a scientist in a lab and someone installing solar panels

Over 100 sign Science Oath for the Climate

Scientists, engineers and academics working in climate commit to personal behaviour change and calling out policy conflicts to tackle the climate emergency

10 December 2020