Dr Nana Osei Bonsu

Dr Nana Osei Bonsu

Business School
Assistant Professor in Responsible Business & Sustainability
Deputy Programme Director of the Undergraduate Business Management Suite (Singapore)

Contact details

Address
Centre for Responsible Business
Birmingham Business School
University House
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham
B15 2TT

Nana's professional and research interests relate to sustainability policy and governance frameworks required to transition towards a responsible and sustainable future. This includes environmental sustainability issues, e.g. ambient air pollution and their impact on public health in Low-Medium Income Countries (LMICs).

His current problem-solving oriented research focuses on Circular Economy, Net-Zero Emissions transition, links to cleaner energy technologies (e.g. electric vehicles transition), and interplay with the Global Value Chains and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

His research, e.g., net-zero emissions and climate change, the UN SDGs, Nature-Based Solutions and environmental sustainability issues, adopt a multidisciplinary approach following social innovation, nexus thinking, and scenarios development concepts.

Before joining the University of Birmingham, Nana's professional experience included working in the mining sector and working for Surrey County Council, London Borough of Hounslow and London Councils, where he worked on Infrastructure, Transport, Environment Health-related policy and projects,e.g. dealing with planning permission and Green Building Certifications/BREEAM requirements.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Land-Use & Sustainable Forestry Research, 2016, University College of Dublin
  • MSc. Environmental Resource & Sustainable Management, 2010, University College of Dublin
  • BSc. Environmental, Health & Safety Management, 2008, Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland
  • PGC in Managing Development, Open University
  • Postgraduate Study: Environment Decision-Making Process, Open University
  • Postgraduate Study: Occupational, Health & Safety Management, Open University
  • Sciences - Laboratory Technology, University of Cape Coast, GH, 1999 

Biography

Dr Nana Osei Bonsu is an Assistant Professor in Responsible Business & Sustainability at the Centre for Responsible Business, Birmingham Business School.

His professional and research interest relates to sustainability policy and governance, exploring the linkages among diverse local, regional and global priorities for policy and socio-ecological change required towards sustainable futures. He examines Sustainable Development Goals, with links to: Sustainable Transportation, Land-Use Ecosystem Governance initiatives such as Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Protection.

Nana’s background include contributing to research projects funded by the European Commission to achieve more coherent processes for integrated forest and land-use management policy formulation. His approaches range from locally focused case studies exploring cross-institutional and cross-boundary interfaces. Recent interdisciplinary and published research include the examination of societal conflicting demands on Land-Use Ecosystem Services, and the role of Integrated Land-Use Planning towards multi-stakeholder desired outcomes.

His work at the Centre for Responsible Business at the Birmingham Business School includes emphasis on businesses integration of Global Value Chains on society, focusing on Britain’s policy vison towards low-carbon economy and zero emission vehicles.

Before joining Birmingham University, Nana worked for Surrey County Council, London Borough of Hounslow and London Councils where he worked on Infrastructure, Transport, Environment-Health related policy and projects. Prior to that, Nana spent four years at the University College of Dublin, School of Agricultural and Food Science where he worked as Research Scientist on EU FP-7 funded large-scale collaborative research project INTEGRAL. He has conducted research and applied work in multi-stakeholder processes and participatory scenarios development.

Previous postgraduate research looked into environmental sustainability practices amongst Small Medium Enterprises, and the scope of improvement in Ireland. Within the private sector (both in Europe and Africa), Nana has worked with businesses, including, multi-nationals, to review and implement Quality, Environmental, Health and Safety management systems - towards ISO standards certifications. Past professional experience include working as a Production Engineer with Union Espanola de Explosivos, GH (currently MAXAM, GH), - responsible for explosives and blasting solutions for Mining, Quarrying and Construction applications. 

Teaching

Module Lead:  

  • Responsible Business: Theory and Practice - on the UoB BSc Business Management (Singapore) Programme
  • Module Lead Responsible Business, Executive MBA

Research

Research interests

  • Net-Zero Emissions, Climate Change and Transition to Electric Vehicles
  • Global Value Chains Management & Circular Economy
  • Scenarios and Future-Oriented Thinking Methodologies for Sustainability Public Policy
  • Sustainable Development Concerns & Social Innovation
  • Sustainability & Responsible Business Practices
  • Sustainable Cities, Transportation & Ambient Air Pollution
  • Natural Resources Conflicts & Management
  • Sustainable Forest Management & Land-Use Planning
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Management

Current projects

Nana is currently working on a study that aims to explore Britain's’ Low-Carbon Economy and Zero Emission Vehicles Global Value Chain Sustainability.

Other activities

  • Pro Bono professional and academic services for external bodies
  • Editor of the journal,  Forest Policy and Economics
  • Reviewer, Futures Journal, Journal of Sustainable Forestry etc.
  • Membership with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), and appointed member of CIEH Air Quality Panel, - tasked with advising/influencing UK’s government policy around combating air pollution. 

Publications

Commissioned Report: Addressing the climate challenge, 2021. University of Birmingham.

Book Chapter: Bonsu et al, 2024. Sustainable and responsible operations management, in Zhang Y (ed), 2024. Handbook on Teaching and Learning in Operations Management, pg. 356-371. 

COP26 and the role of Parliamentarians in addressing climate change threats within the Commonwealth's vulnerable nations. The Parliamentarian, the Journal of Commonwealth Parliaments.  https://issuu.com/theparliamentarian/docs/parl2021iss3finalsingle/42

Bonsu, NO, 2021. Net zero-emission vehicles shift and equitable ownership in low-income households and communities: why responsible and circularity business models are essential. Springer Nature, Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-021-00022-1

Bonsu, N.O.; TyreeHageman, J.; Kele, J. Beyond Agenda 2030: Future-Oriented Mechanisms in Localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainability 202012, 9797. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239797

Bonsu, N.O et al., How Coronavirus (COVID-19) has made the Invisible Silent Killer of Air Pollution Visible: Lessons for Building Resilient Communities. Biomed J Sci & Tech Res 28(1)-2020. BJSTR. MS.ID.004587

Bonsu, N.O., 2020. Towards a circular and low-carbon economy: Insights from the transitioning to electric vehicles and net zero economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 256, p.120659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120659

Bonsu et al. (2019). Conservation conflict: Managing forestry versus hen harrier species under Europe's Birds Directive (Journal of Environmental Management) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109676

Bonsu, N (2019). Transition to Electric Vehicles: Stimulating Local Authorities to address charging infrastructure challenges (Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business Policy Brief)

Bonsu et al. (2017). Evaluating the use of an Integrated Land-Use Planning Approach in addressing Ecosystems Conflicting Demands: Experience from an Irish Forest Landscape (Journal of Futures) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2016.08.004

Bonsu et.al (2015).  Understanding Forest Resource Conflicts in Ireland: A Case Study Approach (Journal of Land Use Policy) www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026483771500352X

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

  • Electric Vehicles Transition
  • Net Zero, Sustainability
  • Circular Economy
  • Responsible Business

Expertise

Expert in sustainable business practices, sustainable transportation, land use planning and governance, national resources conflicts and management, sustainable forest management, implementation of sustainable development goals, biodiversity and conservation management and circular economy.