About the Project
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing society, and tackling it requires everyone to be involved. Nottingham has ambitious climate targets and was the first UK city to declare a climate emergency. However, little is known about how Muslim communities engage with climate action initiatives, or how their participation can best be supported. With more than 40,000 Muslims living in Nottingham, and faith playing an important role in shaping values, behaviours and community life, there…
is a need to better understand how faith-based partnerships can support local climate action.
This PhD project will explore how partnerships with faith-based community organisations can encourage and sustain Muslim engagement in climate action in Nottingham. Working with the Karimia Institute, one of Nottingham's longest-established Muslim faith and community organisations, the researcher will explore the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and involvement of Muslim communities in climate action. The project will look at how Islamic values, faith leaders and community networks influence environmental awareness, identify what helps or holds back participation, and co-design and evaluate a faith-based partnership approach to strengthen Muslim engagement.
The research will use a mixed-methods, community-based participatory approach, meaning that diverse Muslim communities will be actively involved throughout. Working across Nottingham, the researcher will carry out surveys with Muslim residents, alongside interviews and focus groups with community members, faith leaders, mosque representatives, community organisations and environmental practitioners. These findings will shape a series of co-design workshops, where community members and partners will work together to develop and test a faith-based approach to climate action.
The project builds on research suggesting that faith communities can play an important role in caring for the environment and encouraging behaviour change. Despite growing interest in religion and climate action, Muslim engagement remains under-researched, particularly in UK cities. This project will generate new evidence on Muslim communities' experiences of climate action, and produce a practical, evidence-based framework that can be used elsewhere. The findings will help local authorities, community organisations and faith institutions develop more inclusive, community-led climate initiatives, supporting Nottingham's net zero ambitions while offering learning for other communities across the UK and beyond.
This project has been co-created with and is supported by researchers from Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham, and partners at the Karimia Institute. The successful candidate for this project will be enrolled at Nottingham Trent University.
Project Aims and Objectives
The research aims to explore the role of faith-based community partnerships in promoting and sustaining Muslim community engagement in climate action in Nottingham. The study examines how Islamic values and community networks support participation in climate action, adopting a holistic approach that considers climate impacts across multiple areas rather than focusing on a single issue. Objectives are:
- To explore knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and engagement of Muslim communities in Nottingham regarding climate change and climate action
- To examine influence of Islamic values, faith leaders, and community networks on environmental awareness and engagement of Muslims
- To identify barriers and enablers to Muslim engagement in climate action
- To co-design, implement, and evaluate a faith-based community partnership approach to enhance Muslim engagement in climate action in Nottingham
- To develop an evidence-based, replicable framework for faith-based community organisations to support Muslim engagement in climate action in the UK and beyond
What is Collaboratory?
Collaboratory is a research programme, led by Universities for Nottingham and the Leicester Universities Partnership, that places community knowledge and experience at the heart of research. This eight-year initiative is pioneering a new approach to collaboration, working closely with local communities and community-focused organisations to develop and deliver research that addresses the needs and priorities of local communities.
Supervisors
- Lead Academic Supervisor: Muhammad Usman Mazhar (NTU) - muhammadusman.mazhar@ntu.ac.uk
- Academic Co-Supervisor(s): Dr Christopher Ives (UoN), - Chris.Ives@nottingham.ac.uk
- Community Supervisor: Professor Dr Musharraf Hussain OBE, DL (Karimia Institute) - musharraf.hussain@karimia.com