Can feminism shape a greener Scotland?

That is the question one University of Dundee researcher will attempt to answer after being named as one of Scotland’s new generation of leading academics.

Dr Stephanie Schreven, from the University’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Business, will examine the role gender plays in transitioning to a greener economy.

She will undertake this work following her selection for the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s inaugural Research Leadership Scheme, which equips participants with the skills to lead major interdisciplinary research bids addressing critical scientific and societal challenges.

Dr Schreven, said, “Green solutions often focus on top-down solutions, overlooking the role overproduction plays in generating waste, while bottom-up change requires a transformation in consumer behaviour.

“My research considers the conditions that enable ethical consumption, including how feminist perspectives can advance environmental sustainability. For example, when we look at second-hand clothes consumption, we explore practices of ‘doing the right thing’, but also question who specifically is doing the right thing, and whether that is equally fair from a gender perspective.

“Who are the people making reuse possible? Who is taking donations to charity shops? Who is photographing and delivering items for resale? There is a need to examine this and debate how our environmental challenges are not gender neutral. This new RSE initiative is an opportunity to examine topics such as this and help build a green future for Scotland.”

Funded by the RSE Foundation and Caledonian Research Fund, the Research Leadership Scheme is a two-year pilot providing researchers with structured support to build confidence, skills and leadership through a combination of mentoring, seed funding and peer learning.

RSE Vice President, Research, Professor Anne Anderson OBE FRSE said, “The strength of Scotland’s research sector depends on nurturing talented people, and empowering them to lead with confidence, creativity, and ambition.

“This new Scheme is an important investment in that future. By bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines and supporting them to collaborate on some of the most pressing challenges of our time, the RSE hopes to help build the leadership capacity our country needs.”