Professor Mark Charlton

Dr Mark Charlton is a Professor of Sustainable Development and leads the United Nations Academic Impact Hub Chair for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities at DMU. Mark also teaches Sustainable Development in the department of Politics. Since 2014, Mark has worked closely with the United Nations (UN) on a number of campaigns that engage university staff and students in global issues. Since 2018, Mark has led the United Nations Academic Impact SDG Hub at DMU, working across the university to develop research, teaching and civic outputs that seek to impact and promote indicators of the SDGs. His current research looks at efforts to tackle climate change in marginalised communities. Much of this work promotes just climate transitions, with a particular emphasis on supporting refugee populations and other vulnerable groups using ethnographic and citizen science methods. Mark is passionate about driving systemic change through inclusive, sustainable, and democratic practices that empower marginalised voices. Mark is also currently Deputy Director of the Global Challenges and Cultures Research and Innovation Institute at DMU.

Deputy Director of the Institute of Global Challenges and Cultures 

Institute of Sustainable Futures

• Thomson, S, Reeves, A, and Charlton, M. ‘A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet: Uncovering the Hidden Service-Learning in UK Higher Education’s Pedagogical Practice’. In Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, edited by Enakshi Sengupta and Patrick Blessinger, 113–26. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120220000046006.
• Charlton, M., Blair, A., 2021. Can Volunteering on ‘Real World’ Issues Influence Political Engagement among Young People? A UK Case Study, in: Teaching Civic Engagement Globally. American Political Studies Association. http://web.apsanet.org/teachingcivicengagement/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2021/09/Teaching-Civic-Engagement-Globally-TOC.pdf
• Granger, R., Charlton, M., Redefining city governance: towards rapid-response open planning. Town Planning Review 91, 1–7. https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/journals/ahead-of-print/43
• Charlton, M., 2020. Addressing a Changing World: Climate Change, Refugees, Human Rights, and You, in: The Global Politics of Human Rights: Bringing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) into the 21st Century. Berlin Forum on Global Politics (BFoGP), Institute for Global Dialogue, and RECLAIM! Universal Human Rights Initiative. https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Global_Politics_of_Human_Rights/Z2XxDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
• Charlton, M., 2020a. Universities will be essential to meeting the SDGs in 10 years. Times Higher Education. URL https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/universities-will-be-essential-meeting-sdgs-10-years (accessed 4.24.20).
• Reeves, A., Frank, R., Charlton, M., 2018. Uniting the University around the UN SDGs - a UK case study. Global Association Master’s in Development Practice. https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/handle/2086/17048

Political Engagement, Community Engagement, Climate Change, Climate Justice, Young People's Politics

Policymaking, Sustainable Development

PhD in Policy and Public Administration

Sustainable Futures (The Politics of Sustainable Development Policy)

Policy Commission (Public Policymaking)

• • UNAI SDG 11 Hub Chair
  • COP @ DMU
  • Project Atefa - Refugee Advocacy
  • Net Zero Football/Football for the Goals
  • UNAI SDG 16 Hub 
  • DMULocal
  • DMU Square Mile India
  • DMU Square Mile

•  PSA German Politics Conference, Glasgow, 2024
• UNAI SDGs HUB Conference, Athens, 2024
• European Consortium of Political Research, Prague, 2023
• Academic Council on the United Nations System, Geneva, 2022
• Together Campaign Conference, United Nations, New York, 2018

Civil Society Engagement on Climate Action 

DMU to help create first Net Zero amateur football teams

MPs urged to help footbal clubs go green

DMU to lead climate action in Leicester during COP