Professor Iain Black

Professor Of Practice

Marketing

Contact

Personal statement

My main areas of expertise and interest are in the fields of sustainable consumption and climate change, contributing to SDG’s 12, (Sustainable Consumption and Production), 4 (Quality Education) and 13, Climate Action.

My research focuses on why people choose not to consume (anti-consumption), deconsumerisation, responses to scarcity and why we say will act sustainably but don’t. This is known as the ‘Green gap’.   On these and related topics I’ve been published in top ranked academic journals including: Journal of Cleaner Production, Sustainable Development, Psychology & Marketing, the European Journal of Marketing, Marketing Letters, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Marketing Management and Journal of Consumer Behaviour.

I lead Strathclyde Business School’s sustainability strategy across the faculty and am PRME Director.  A main focus for my knowledge exchange activities is the Climate Solutions Programme https://www.climatesolutionsnetwork.com/ this is a partnership with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society that provides upskilling training helping managers develop the knowledge and skills required to meet organisational challenges from climate change.

I am a past Sustainable Consumption theme leader for the International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS) and remain active within policy forums and charities including Common Weal and Friends of the Earth Scotland. My recent contributions to policy appear in; ‘Sorted: A handbook for a better Scotland’, ‘Our Common home: A Green New Deal for Scotland’, ‘Building Back Better: Principles for sustainable resource use in a Wellbeing economy’ and the Scottish Governments Climate Change Engagement Strategy. I was a member of the Circularity Gap Report (CGR) Scotland Advisory Group and currently sit on the Scottish Governments Global Footprint Outcome Working Group.

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Publications

Learning from tobacco control : understanding and challenging negative feedback loops
Black Iain
Global Tipping Points (2025)
Triggering positive tipping points
Black Iain, Zorell Carolin
SCORAI (Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative) (2024)
Changing systems through mental model leverage points : creating faster, deeper action on the climate emergency
Black Iain, Leventon Julia, Anderson Craig
European Marketing Academy Conference 2024 (2024)
Climate Emergency Mission oriented Market Making
Black Iain
(2024)
Evidence review to support the development of a Wellbeing Economy strategy in Scotland.
McCartney Gerry, Hill OConnor Clemmie, Laughlin Sue, Robertson Tony, Bunse Lukas, Crighton Matthew, McLeod Aileen, Cochrane Phoebe, Stuart Francis, Black Iain, McMaster Robert
(2024)
Wellwashing: why a superficial approach to wellbeing economics will fail.
Black Iain
(2023)

More publications

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Professional Activities

The Time is Now: Role of Sustainability in Leadership
Speaker
11/3/2025
Scotland Natural Capital Market Framework: Who benefits?
Recipient
30/11/2024
Signatory to Open letter to the First Minister regarding Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill.
Recipient
1/10/2024
Association for Consumer Research Conference 2024
Organiser
24/9/2024
Global Tipping Points Community Retreat (Event)
Peer reviewer
6/6/2024
Signatory to Open letter to the Deputy First Minister regarding support for the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill.
Recipient
5/6/2024

More professional activities

Projects

ENVA: To embed expertise in material characterisation to break down turbine blades and their composite materials
Black, Iain (Co-investigator)
Support for KTP Project Id: 4945. Support KTP Associate to complete market analysis. £5000
01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2027
What does good look like: Report supporting SSEN Transmission Sustainability Strategy
Black, Iain (Principal Investigator) Speirs, Jamie (Co-investigator)
Signed by SSE on Strathclyde T's and C's (no changes)
15-Jan-2023 - 29-Jan-2024
Climate Solutions Partnership
Black, Iain (Principal Investigator)
This partnership with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society provides upskilling training to develop knowledge and skills required to meet organisational challenges from climate change. Over 135,000 students have studied these online and blended courses.
09-Jan-2019

More projects

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Contact

Professor Iain Black
Professor Of Practice
Marketing

Email: iain.black@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 3247