Overview
Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at University of Oxford was established in 1991. It is embedded within the School of Geography and the Environment and focuses on interdisciplinary research into global environmental change. ECI’s purpose is to advance understanding and enable responses to environmental risks across natural and human systems.
Mission and focus areas
ECI seeks to understand the nature, causes and consequences of environmental change and to develop sustainable solutions through integrated science, policy and practice. Its thematic programmes include climate, energy, ecosystems, infrastructure, food systems, global finance and economy, environment and health, and land, society and governance. For sustainability-oriented finance and ESG practitioners, ECI’s work on nature-related financial risks, infrastructure resilience and the economics of ecosystem change offers evidence-based tools for integrating environmental risk into decision-making and value creation.
Structure and governance
ECI operates as an interdisciplinary institute within Oxford’s School of Geography and the Environment. It is led by a Director and supported by research teams organised around defined programmes and collaborative networks. ECI partners with governments, business, communities and global research consortia. Governance includes oversight of its teaching, research and stakeholder engagement functions, ensuring that outputs remain relevant to policy, industry and societal users.
Programs and offerings
ECI delivers a range of educational and research offerings. It hosts a full-time 12-month MSc in Environmental Change and Policy, designed to equip graduates with analytical and leadership skills in policy and environmental change. On the research side, ECI publishes peer-reviewed outputs, develops tools and frameworks on topics such as infrastructure resilience and nature-financial risk, and organises knowledge-exchange networks. Its collaborations and open-source tools (for example through the Oxford Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems) make it relevant for finance and sustainability professionals seeking applied research and decision-support.
