A university lecturer is travelling around the world to research cheaper methods of building sustainable homes, in the hope that this will make them more widely available in the UK.

Dr Jenny Pickerill, a senior lecturer at the University of Leicester, will travel to the USA, Argentina, Thailand and Spain to study materials and techniques used there, in the hope that these can be used to help make sustainable homes in the UK more affordable.

Dr Pickerill said: “There is a real danger that the rise in popularity of eco homes will cause more inequality and heighten the rich-poor divide. As environmental issues become more and more topical, we need to keep in mind the economic pressures people face. In the rush to find environmental solutions, we shouldn’t forget social justice.”

The eight week project will begin on 1 June and will be funded through a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship.

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