Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Policy@Manchester Articles: Environment
You are here: Home / Archives for Environment
Industrial blue containers in background with large piles of sand in front.

Can hydrogen help decarbonise small industrial emitters?

Maria SharminaHeadshot of Dr Vincenzo Spallina. By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted:

Decarbonising industry, among other hard-to-abate sectors, is a high priority in the UK as the country embarks on a pathway to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The government’s focus to date has been on the decarbonisation of large-scale energy-intensive industries. However, more than a fifth of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions come from […]

Urban green infrastructure: understanding and assessing risks from climate change

By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Urban Posted:

Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity, whilst climate change projections point towards further, largely negative, impacts on humans and nature. In response, climate change adaptation has become a stronger component of policy agendas globally. As part of this response, climate risk assessments are routinely undertaken across a wide variety of sectors and […]

Image of a range of people sitting on a bus

Driving improvement – socially just green transport solutions

Karen Lucas headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Urban Posted:

As the UK transitions to net zero and shifts to low carbon transport, policymakers are faced with the challenge of ensuring that a push for greener transport makes travel fairer and more accessible for those on low incomes. In this article, Professor Karen Lucas explores the detrimental impact of poor public transport connectivity and makes […]

Photo of interconnector on beach

Hydrogen: the missing piece in the clean energy puzzle

Aoife Foley headshotDlzar Al Kez headshotFaraedoon Ahmed By , and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Hydrogen has been proposed as a clean energy carrier, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative to fossil fuels during the net zero transition. Hydrogen’s significance lies in its production process, which in some cases means that it can be a zero-emission energy source. Hydrogen’s high energy density and versatility allow it to be used in various forms, including […]

Picture of an airplane being refuelled at an airport.

Decarbonising transport: is hydrogen the answer?

Alice LarkinAmanda Lea-Langton By and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted:

The UK government has enshrined net zero into law, but if it is to meet its targets then big strides need to be made towards decarbonising land-based transport, aviation, and shipping. Unlike most land-based transport, aviation and shipping are considered ‘difficult to decarbonise’. Their long-lived infrastructure, ongoing reliance on energy dense fuels, and issues around […]

Child, adult, and elderly man in a garden.

Positioning green infrastructure as essential infrastructure in the UK

Ian Mell By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Urban Posted:

As the impacts of the climate and biodiversity emergencies become clearer, there is a growing need to rethink how infrastructure is developed and managed in the UK. The planned redundancy of concrete and steel as building materials makes sustainable urban development problematic. However, the EU, via their Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) research programme, and the UK […]

two workers with high-viz jackets and blue helmets are stood in a construction site looking at an I-pad

Getting it right: are hydrogen standards good enough?

Profile picture of Dr Chris Jones By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Engineering Posted:

Hydrogen has the potential to be an important industrial feedstock and fuel. There are, however, various ways to produce and use it, leading to diverse supply chains with different environmental implications. Two considerations for the role of hydrogen in a low carbon economy stand out – ensuring that hydrogen production and supply has sufficiently low […]

Plastic bottles which have been crushed together into cubes.

Plastics policies are changing the game—but are SMEs being left behind?

Headshot of authorMaria Sharmina By and Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Renewables Posted:

The UK plastics policy landscape is undergoing major changes. While consultations stress the importance of avoiding harm to SMEs, policies often lack concrete measures against such harm. Research by the University of Manchester indicates that current and forthcoming plastics policies, shaped by these consultations, would affect stakeholders across the plastic supply chain differently, with SMEs […]

Woman and young girl washing their hands at the sink

Water reuse for sustainable practices in new housing infrastructure

Claire HoolohanAlison BrowneElla Foggitt By , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Urban Posted:

Demand for water will outstrip supply within the next 25 years in England. Changing patterns of water use – for example, as a result of increasing hygiene standards –  are intersecting with long-standing infrastructural challenges of ageing water and sewerage networks. In this article, Dr Ella Foggitt, Dr Claire Hoolohan and Professor Alison Browne assess […]

An illustrated image of multiple model green hydrogen molecules

How green is hydrogen?

Amanda Lea-Langton By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted:

Development of a low carbon hydrogen-based economy is seen as a major part of achieving net-zero emissions across the world. Hydrogen is a flexible and potentially non-polluting fuel because it only produces water when it is used in fuel cells or burnt. However, the production of hydrogen can have a high carbon footprint depending on […]

Become a contributor

Would you like to write for us on a public policy issue? Get in touch with a member of the team, ask for our editorial guidelines, or access our online training toolkit (UoM login required).

Disclaimer

Articles give the views of the author, and are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester.

Policy@Manchester

Manchester Policy Articles is an initiative from Policy@Manchester. Visit our web site to find out more

Contact Us

policy@manchester.ac.uk
t: +44 (0) 161 275 3038
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK