麻豆影院

Dr Andrew Reeves

Job: Associate Professor

Faculty: Computing, Engineering and Media

School/department: School of Engineering, Infrastructure and Sustainability

Research group(s): Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD)

Address: IESD, Queens Building,麻豆影院,Leicester,LE1 9BH, UK

T: +44 (0)116 250 6569

E: areeves@dmu.ac.uk

W: /iesd

Social Media:

 

Personal profile

Andrew is a social scientist and educator with an academic focus on learning-based approaches to address the climate emergency and sustainable development within community and organisational settings.

Andrew is 麻豆影院’s Project Director for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and leads on the Environmental Sustainability theme for 麻豆影院’s ‘Universities for Leicester’ partnership with the University of Leicester.

His current research and knowledge exchange projects include the ‘Race to Zero Carbon Accelerator’ for Leicester, which is providing training and sustainability audits for SMEs to develop action plans to address climate change. Andrew is also co-ordinating a one-year Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) collaborative project to develop guidance on addressing sustainability issues within academic quality and student-voice processes for taught courses.

Prior recent research includes the Horizon2020 ‘eTEACHER’ project, which promoted energy-saving behaviour change in buildings across Europe via a gamified web-based app. Previous projects have focussed on capacity building for place-based climate change and sustainability initiatives in the Leicester area including “Communities Cutting Carbon” and Sustainable Harborough”. Andrew's PhD thesis explored the viability of achieving deep carbon emission cuts in existing social housing stock from an economic, social and technical perspective.

Andrew is module leader for "Leading Change for Sustainability”, which focuses on behaviour change and the practice of designing for pro-environmental change within social and organisational systems.

Andrew currently co-supervises five PhD students, each examining real-world sustainability initiatives in a range of contexts. These include the low-carbon retrofit of UK housing, sustainable housing and schooling in Nigeria and addressing sustainability in UK schools and universities. Previous supervised PhD research has addressed climate change adaptation in small island developing states, community-based sustainability, wellbeing through nature-connection and carbon footprint reduction through peer-to-peer support. All projects have drawn on cross-disciplinary approaches, focussing either on the UK or the Global South.

Previously at 麻豆影院, Andrew worked as a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Learning and Study Support (CLaSS), specialising in support for doctoral students and innovating in online and participatory approaches to teaching and learning.

Outside of his role at 麻豆影院, Andrew has co-founded several Leicester-based grassroots sustainability initiatives including Leicestershire’s first community energy co-operative, Greenlight festival and Leicester Carbon Rationing Action Group.

Research group affiliations

Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD)

Publications and outputs


  • dc.title: Resourcing place-based civic collaborations for climate action: an international comparison dc.contributor.author: Reeves, Andrew dc.description.abstract: The civic role of universities is recognised internationally, reflecting their role in their localities to deliver education, research, economic development, innovation and more. For example, in the UK context the government highlighted playing 'a greater civic role in their communities' as one of five key priorities for reform in higher education. However, in the UK and elsewhere, this multi-faceted role is frequently not strongly supported and incentivised through national, regional and local mechanisms which match place-based priorities to resourcing within higher education institutions. This paper takes the UK context as a starting point and through analysis of literature with a global focus and policy documents and scoping interviews with university staff and higher education stakeholders in two other contrasting countries (Japan and Germany), aims to identify practices and options for putting civic collaborations on a more sustainable and impactful footing. The analysis uses place-based climate action as a topic area, drawing lessons from the bottom-up (i.e. how place-based climate projects have been co-designed, resourced and delivered) and through identifying key resourcing opportunities from the top-down.

  • dc.title: Civic Universities in Communities: The case of Cuba's Municipal University Centres. dc.contributor.author: Reeves, Andrew; Jimenez Guethon, Reynaldo; Smith, Rosi; Collins, Lauren dc.description.abstract: Universities are 鈥 or can be 鈥 powerful linchpins, bringing local government, enterprise and people together to solve local problems. Global North universities rarely comprehensively fulfil this 鈥榯hird mission鈥. The Civic Universities movement that seeks to change this has made limited progress; good practice is isolated 鈥 neither fully supported by institutions nor integrated into communities. Academic and policy conversations about what civic universities are frequently limited to Global North models that have not produced change. Latin America鈥檚 focus on universities as integral to local development offers examples that effectively embody the Civic University, with Cuba鈥檚 Municipal University Centres (CUMs) exemplifying deep embedding in both policy and place. For decades, CUMs have offered mass part-time higher education in marginalised municipalities, using local professionals as lecturers, tying teaching to practice. Responding to decentralisation, they have become hyperconnected institutions and assumed new functions, partnering with local government on Municipal Development Strategies, and building research around community-defined 鈥榖anks of problems鈥. This contribution introduces key features of the CUM model and highlights its potential relevance for developing impactful civic university collaborations in Global North contexts.

  • dc.title: ESD Exchange 2026: Evaluation and Delivery dc.contributor.author: Kerr, Daniel; Reeves, Andrew dc.description.abstract: ESD Exchange is a national conference, aiming to provide space for dialogue, connection and sharing of practice/research for anyone engaged with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Green Skills in Higher Education across the UK or beyond. The 2026 event was initiated by 麻豆影院 and Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) and delivered through a 鈥楿niversities Partnership鈥 collaboration with the Universities of Leicester and Loughborough. The in-person event was held from Thursday 16th 鈥 Friday 17th April 2026, at 麻豆影院, using the Hugh Aston Building on day one and the Queens Building on day two. Two follow-on webinar sessions were also held in the two weeks afterward. This report describes how the event was delivered and summarises an evaluation of the event, including statistics, comments from attendees, and results of our post-event evaluation form. dc.description: Collaboration between 麻豆影院, University of Leicester and Loughborough University education for sustainable development teams

  • dc.title: Enabling universities' regional engagement for climate action in cities and communities: an international comparison dc.contributor.author: Reeves, Andrew dc.description.abstract: Work towards sustainable and regenerative cities and communities, in alignment with SDG11, relies upon the involvement of universities as key players within their localities delivering education, research, economic development, innovation and more. However, in the UK and elsewhere, this multi-faceted role is frequently not strongly supported and incentivised through national, regional and local mechanisms which match place-based priorities to resourcing within higher education institutions, whether through research funding, multi-stakeholder policy development, community-engaged learning or otherwise. This paper draws upon literature analysis with a UK and international focus and scoping interviews with university staff and higher education stakeholders in countries with a contrasting policy context to the UK (Japan and Germany) and aims to identify practices and options for putting civic collaborations on a more sustainable and impactful footing. Place-based action on the climate emergency is the specific topic focus, examining lessons drawn from the bottom-up (i.e. how place-based climate projects have been co-designed, resourced and delivered) alongside key resourcing opportunities from the top-down. The findings are of value to a range of stakeholders in higher education, regional/national policy and otherwise with an interest in enhancing the positive impacts of universities for regional and local policy priorities.

  • dc.title: Leicestershire Collaborate to Accelerate Net Zero : Final Insights Report on Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) Governance and Place based Collaboration dc.contributor.author: Reeves, Andrew; Kerr, Daniel William; Rowlatt, John dc.description.abstract: This report outlines the key actions undertaken, impacts achieved and insights generated through delivery of Work Package 1 (WP1) of Leicestershire Collaborate to Accelerate Net Zero (LCAN). WP1 focused on establishing enabling governance arrangements towards the delivery of clean energy projects identified through the Leicestershire Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP). The approach undertaken for WP1 was to be evidence-based and to undertake action-research with local and regional project partners so that approaches to governance and collaboration were realistic, desirable and agreed by those bodies directly involved, principally local authorities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR). The key innovation of WP1 came from the action-research focus of our work, with university staff directly collaborating with and convening stakeholders from local government and beyond in the LLR subregion, as well as advising and influencing local authority officers on impactful and innovative practices identified from across the UK. Positioning a network of universities as 鈥榓political鈥 actors which can act and convene for local public benefit was an innovative approach to overcome some barriers to joint working between local government actors. The project also established a strong evidence base on factors supporting and hindering local government-influenced energy project development and delivery within UK regions, particularly those without a combined or strategic authority structure. The key deliverable of WP1 was an agreed approach to take forward collaborative delivery of the Leicester and Leicestershire LAEP, convened by the Universities Partnership for LLR. This comprises a 鈥楥lean Energy Project Community of Practice鈥, largely made up of local government officers, coupled with a strategic collaboration focussed upon enabling energy project investment at scale across LLR. The announcement of local government reorganisation during the delivery period and uncertainty about the future of local government in LLR hampered efforts to establish a well-resourced and long-term governance approach to drive delivery of LAEP projects. This led to agreement on 鈥榠nterim鈥 regional governance approaches, in advance of a likely future LLR Strategic Authority. Overall, LCAN has had a significant impact in the Leicestershire area, in particular by developing an innovative LAEP which provides a robust evidence base for future clean energy project investment in future years. Funding for staff roles across a range of project partners has been a major investment in developing mutual trust and collaboration between a range of stakeholder bodies and individuals which will have a lasting legacy beyond the funded period.

  • dc.title: Net Zero and Clean Energy Collaboration in regions without a combined authority: the case of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland dc.contributor.author: Reeves, Andrew; Kerr, Daniel William; Rowlatt, John dc.description.abstract: A presentation highlighting challenges and opportunities in developing clean energy projects based upon local area energy planning analysis in the context of English regions without a combined authority structure.

  • dc.title: Governance for net zero project evaluation: Experiences from UK local authorities dc.contributor.author: Kerr, Daniel William; Reeves, Andrew; Rowlatt, John dc.description.abstract: The United Kingdom has committed, through a legally-binding target, to achieve net zero emissions in the UK economy by 2050. The UK government envisages local authorities as being critical actors in achieving net zero. However, no coherent national guidance regarding net zero implementation exists for local governments. In the context of evolving national- and regional- scale energy planning, with the formation of Great British Energy, the National Energy System Operator and other bodies, local authorities will have an increasing role in energy planning. However, funding environments, human resources and technical capacity remain constrained. Strong governance mechanisms will be required to manage the socio-technical transition to a net zero future in the UK, and to engage with multiple actors across spatial and political scales. This article draws on research examining the challenges that UK local authorities (at County Council, District Council and Combined Authority scales) are having with access to and analysis of data for meaningful evaluation of current projects and future project planning. Through semi-structured interviews with 19 separate actors from UK local authorities, national bodies and consultancies working in net zero with UK local governments, we: 鈥 Examine the evaluation gap in carbon reduction, project costs and progress to net zero. 鈥 Consider the effect that an uncoordinated national policy framework for net zero is having on the ability for local authorities to effectively evaluate future project development routes. 鈥 Discuss how the increasingly adopted Local Area Energy Planning methodology is affecting local net zero policy and spatial planning, and what governance frameworks are needed to ensure that a net zero project is well-facilitated, timely and accelerated. Our findings highlight principles for how governance for monitoring and evaluation of net zero projects is a necessary foundation for assessing the success or failure of interventions, having relevance in the UK and beyond. dc.description: open access article

  • dc.title: Pilot of the DESNZ 鈥楩it For Finance鈥 Tool dc.contributor.author: Kerr, Daniel William; Rowlatt, John; Reeves, Andrew dc.description.abstract: In May 2025, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) in the UK introduced a new online tool, named 鈥淔it-For-Finance鈥, to aid local authorities in assessing their readiness for financing net zero projects. The tool supports self-assessment of readiness for implementing new financial schemes using private finance, blended finance, crowdfunding and other finance mechanisms to deliver infrastructural projects in the climate change space. The online tool comprises of 150 questions, covering 7 overarching themes, with 53 sub-themes defining a wide array of focused sectors for assessing financial readiness and innovation for local authorities. This report offers an illustrative account of the tool鈥檚 application and outputs, using Leicestershire County Council (LCC) as a case study local authority and drawing upon insights and data available through the Leicestershire Collaborate to Accelerate Net Zero (LCAN) project, funded by Innovate UK.

  • dc.title: The Decarbonisation of a 300-Home Neighbourhood: A Business Case to support Local Area Energy Plan delivery dc.contributor.author: Rowlatt, John; Kerr, Daniel William; Reeves, Andrew dc.description.abstract: This report presents a business case for the transition of a 300-home neighbourhood to low-carbon technology (LCT), specifically focusing on the integrated installation of Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), Solar Photovoltaics (PV), and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). While the technical viability of such a project is well-established, this analysis argues that its success is fundamentally contingent on robust governance, financial credibility, and dedicated human resources to manage risk effectively and deliver a high-quality, scalable outcome that aligns with the strategic objectives of for large-scale retrofitted as highlighted through Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPs). This document puts forward a suggested process, incorporating political commitment, extensive public engagement, delivery by a Community Interest Company in partnership with local government and blended financing models.

  • dc.title: Powering the Transition: A Strategic Framework for Local Area Energy Planning in England鈥檚 New Devolution Landscape dc.contributor.author: Rowlatt, John; Kerr, Daniel William; Reeves, Andrew dc.description.abstract: This report puts forward a framework of actionable recommendations for newly-formed Strategic Authorities focussed on delivery of actions highlighted in local area energy plans (LAEPs). These focus on structuring a cross-departmental delivery unit, adopting a diversified investment strategy that moves beyond grant dependency towards unlocking the "Integrated Settlement," designing a dynamic and co-produced LAEP when the analysis is undertaken or renewed and strategically engaging with the Regional Strategic Energy Planning (RESP) process to ensure local energy ambitions are deliverable. dc.description: [note for DORA team - document to follow, please create record in interim.]

Key research outputs


Reeves, A. and Mitchell, A. (2016) Sowing Seeds and Promising a Harvest: Learning from the Delivery and Evaluation of a Local Sustainability Transition Initiative in the UK. Paper presented to International Energy Policy and Programme Evaluation Conference (IEPPEC), Amsterdam, 7-9 June 2016.


Reeves, A. (2016) Exploring Local and Community Capacity to Reduce Fuel Poverty: The Case of Home Energy Advice Visits in the UK. Energies, 9 (4), pp 27

Reeves, A., Lemon, M. and Cook, D. (2014) Jump-starting transition? Catalysing grassroots action on climate change. Energy Efficiency, 7 (1), pp. 115-132


Reeves, A. (2010) Making it viable: exploring the influence of organisational context on efforts to achieve deep carbon emission cuts in existing UK social housing. Energy Efficiency, 4 (1), pp. 75-92


Reeves, A., Taylor, S. and Fleming, P. (2010) Modelling the potential to achieve deep carbon emission cuts in existing UK social housing: The case of Peabody. Energy Policy, 38 (8), pp. 4241-4251.

Research interests/expertise

Education for Sustainable Development

Sustainable Communities

Energy Efficiency

Conservation Psychology

Permaculture

Social Enterprise

Learning Development

Action Research

Areas of teaching

Module Leader: Leading Change for Sustainability (MSc Energy and Sustainable Development).

Qualifications

PhD         Energy and Sustainable Development (麻豆影院)         2006-2009

MMath     Mathematics (four-year masters degree, 1st class, hons)                  1996-2000

Membership of professional associations and societies

Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)

Consultancy work

 

Current research students

  • John Rowlatt -1st Supervisor (promoting low carbon housing retrofit through persona modelling)
  • Abi Okoya - 1st Supervisor (innovation in education and sustainable development in Nigeria)
  • Huraira Umar Baba - 1st Supervisor (compressed earth blocks as a sustainable building material in Nigeria)
  • Sarah Thomson  - 2nd Supervisor (barriers to Service Learning in UK higher education)
  • Tasnina Karim - 2nd supervisor (gender issues  influencing sustainability education in secondary schools)

Professional esteem indicators


  • Chair of the East Midlands Regional Centre of Excellence (RCE) for Education for Sustainable Development (2019-)
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