Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Policy@Manchester Articles
Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Making sustainable business models for green electricity attractive to the mainstream

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

Scaling up green electricity is key to achieving net zero. While the government has made progress in supporting solar PV and offshore wind, technologies alone will not make for a successful transition to net zero. To be successful in the market, technologies need an attractive business model. In this blog, Professor Jonatan Pinkse discusses how […]

Group of teens in school chatting

LGBT+ inequalities in adolescent wellbeing

By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Growth and Inclusion Posted:

Improving wellbeing in every area of the UK is the overarching ambition of the Levelling Up White Paper, and government has said it will undertake further work to supplement existing wellbeing data at a subnational level. In Greater Manchester, a community-led, hyper-local project is underway to understand and improve children and young people’s wellbeing, and […]

Aerial view of UK town

The importance of mapping in the shift to net zero

Picture of Charlottepicture of Hannah By , and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment Posted:

Delivering on net zero energy requires the radical transformation of our whole energy system from supply and distribution to demand. In this blog, Charlotte Brown, Hannah Charles and Rob Bellamy explore three topics that illustrate the importance of mapping in relation to low carbon energy transitions and their implications for policy. Policymakers should go ‘beyond […]

Smart meter on kitchen counter

Energy inequality and low carbon futures: geography matters

Picture of AmishDr Kate ScottPicture of Manonpicture of Stefan By , , and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment Posted:

The UK is heading towards a period of economic uncertainty. The cost-of-living crisis, inflation, and an increase in energy prices have further stressed the finances of households. With a rapid increase in the number of households experiencing difficulty in affording their domestic energy, many will be unable to secure the level of energy needed for […]

Too close to the sun: The health benefits and economic case for banning sunbeds

By , and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Melanoma skin cancers are the UK’s fifth most common cancer, causing over 2,000 deaths each year. Over 85% of cases are preventable, with excessive exposure to ultraviolet light the most common cause, including the ultraviolet light used in sunbeds. The cancer risk from sunbeds is well known, but a new study has outlined the stark […]

VR headset in purple lighting

Online safety: Child abuse and exploitation in eXtended Reality

Picture of Steve Pettifer By and Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Digital Futures Posted:

In 2020 a team led by Professor Emma Barrett and Professor Steve Pettifer was commissioned by GCHQ to examine how child exploitation and abuse may evolve in light of the latest emerging technology trend: the widespread adoption of immersive ‘eXtended Reality’ (XR) technologies, including Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Their report synthesises research on online […]

Making light work: Recommendations for healthy lighting

By and Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Science and Technology, Urban Posted:

Light exposure has important effects on human health and wellbeing, regulating our sleep/wake cycles, and influencing our mental and physical health. Advances in our understanding of the role of light in health, and emerging lighting technologies, now present opportunities to adjust lighting to promote optimal physical and mental health and performance. In this blog, Professor […]

Taking action on hot air: Why agriculture is the key to reducing UK methane emissions

By Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

While much of the global discussion on climate change focusses on cutting CO2 emissions, methane is around 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas in trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. At COP26, the UK Government committed to reducing methane emissions by 30%. In this blog, Emeritus Professor Ian Plewis lays out the scale […]

How logistics workers kept the UK going during lockdown: Lessons for the next pandemic

Martie van Tongeren By , , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Health and Care Posted:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures to reduce social contacts were applied in most countries; something that was only viable because the logistics sector continued to deliver. However, in the face of a lack of pandemic preparedness and planning from the government, how did different parts of the sector respond? In this blog, Dr Hua Wei, […]

An elderly woman sits on a bench near a large pond, on her own.

What we need to know next about loneliness

By Filed Under: Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care, Urban Posted:

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the UK’s mental health, particularly loneliness. Data from spring 2021 found a million more adults were feeling lonely “often” or “always” compared to spring 2020. Now, a recent evidence review for DCMS, led by Professor Pamela Qualter, has set out what we know – and don’t […]

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

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