Energy and Environment

Policy responses for the breakdown in climate consensus

By Paul Tobin and Matthew Paterson Filed Under: Energy and Environment Posted: July 4, 2024

From 2021 onwards, there has been a ‘climate consensus breakdown’ – and a backlash against net zero. This backlash has changed the nature of Conservative-Labour competition around climate change, from one focused around policy performance, to one questioning how ambitious and rapid UK climate policy should be. The two biggest parties also faced electoral competition […]

Electricity access vs toxic lead pollution: tackling waste from solar power in sub-Saharan Africa

By Christopher Kinally and Alejandro Gallego Schmid Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: April 25, 2024

Millions of short-lived solar energy devices are being sold to households across sub-Saharan Africa each year as a strategy to increase access to electricity. However, the current lack of infrastructure to safely manage the resulting toxic waste flow raises significant environmental, human health, and social justice concerns. Here, Dr Christopher Kinally and Dr Alejandro Gallego […]

What does a ‘metal intensive’ future entail?

By Dr Sampriti Mahanty and Professor Frank Boons Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted: February 6, 2024

Critical metals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese, are key to the path towards net zero. The UK Government released their Critical Minerals Strategy in early 2023, which sets out to improve the resilience of the critical metal supply chain. In this article from our publication ‘On Resilience’, Dr Sampriti Mahanty and Professor […]

Accelerating the electric vehicle transition in the UK

By James Jackson Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted: January 22, 2024

Following the publication of the industrial strategy in 2017, in which Theresa May attempted to envisage a post-Brexit future, electric vehicles (EVs) were identified as an important opportunity for the UK political economy. Yet, despite the almost annual publications that reiterated the need for EVs to become a significant feature of the UK, attempts to […]

Promoting flood protection: setting a target for 10% improved water retention in towns and cities

By Graham Haughton and Iain White Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment Posted: January 18, 2024

Every year flooding affects communities around the UK. The Chartered Institute for Water and Environmental Management recently contended that although there has been expert agreement for many years about reforms, policy change has been slow. In part, this is due to the complex governance system within which flooding occurs. In this article, Professor Graham Haughton […]

Sparking change: the rush to electrify

By Robin Preece, Eduardo Alejandro Martínez Ceseña and Paul Jarman Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: January 16, 2024

The environmental threats of climate change and extreme weather are forcing us to rethink our energy production and usage. As a society, we know how to produce clean low-carbon electricity and deliver it to customers in a reliable, efficient and economical manner. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Dr Robin Preece, Dr Eduardo […]

No room for drought: Steps to improve the UK agricultural sector’s resilience to drought and water security

By Tim Foster Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment Posted: January 10, 2024

In 2022, the UK experienced its fifth driest summer since 1836. Combined with record-breaking temperatures, this led to severe drought conditions across the country, with key agricultural regions as some of the worst affected areas. The drought resulted in widespread reductions in crop yields and harvested areas, as dwindling water supplies in soils, rivers, and […]

Climate change: navigating a clear route for UK shipping

By Simon Bullock, Alice Larkin and James Mason Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted: January 8, 2024

After a year of devastating climate disasters, nations at COP 28 in Dubai in December signalled the need for the “end of the fossil fuel era”. To meet that ambition, 2024 will need to see a major acceleration in global action to address climate change. Here, Simon Bullock, Alice Larkin, and James Mason from the […]

Planning ahead: A multi-sector approach to net zero

By Mathaios Panteli, Eduardo Alejandro Martínez Ceseña and Julien Harou Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: December 13, 2023

With climate change increasing some resources’ uncertainty – and global development making others scarcer and more interdependent – society requires improved planning and policy frameworks to deliver a secure, equitable and resilient transformation to net zero. In this article from our publication On Resilience, Professor Julien Harou, Dr Eduardo A. Martínez Ceseña and Professor Mathaios Panteli explore how […]

Freedom energy: minimising geopolitical risks to reach net zero

By Matthew Paterson Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted: November 30, 2023

Geopolitical dynamics are crucial to our thinking about the future of energy and the pursuit of net zero. In this article from our publication On Resilience, Professor Matthew Paterson explores the complexity of alternatives to fossil fuels, the impact of renewables on our energy security, and how policymakers can reduce exposure to the geopolitical risks of the […]