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
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 […]

Woman working in a warehouse moving boxes

Employing a fairer system – improving the labour market for vulnerable groups

Jill Rubery By , and Filed Under: All posts, UK economy, Work Posted:

The Employment Rights Bill sets out proposals to strengthen labour market protections, reduce welfare spending and tackle economic inactivity. It is positioned as a mechanism to deliver the broader policy objective to ‘make work pay’, which includes supply-side reforms designed to tackle unemployment and labour market inactivity. In this article, Mat Johnson, Jill Rubery and […]

Openreach engineer maintenance telecommunication stand on a street. Openreach is a BT Group division, that maintains a connection to the telecommunication network in the UK

The digital infrastructure divide: the spatial landscape of broadband coverage across the UK

By and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment Posted:

Changing social norms and the COVID-19 lockdowns have drastically shifted how we utilise the internet to conduct our daily lives, creating a rapid increase in home/hybrid working and online shopping. In this article, Professor Cecilia Wong and Dr Helen Zheng demonstrate how high quality, reliable and good coverage of telecommunication infrastructure has resulted in differential […]

Two women are looking at each other laughing

Cervical cancer prevention: ensuring equity throughout the screening process

A portrait of Caroline SandersA portrait of Emma CrosbieJennifer Davies By , , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Cervical cancer accounts for 1 in 50 new cancer cases in women and people with a cervix in the UK. Screening is essential to identify and treat preinvasive cervical disease, but many people report barriers to engaging with or accessing screening services. Here, Stephanie Gillibrand, Caroline Sanders, Emma Crosbie and Jennifer Davies share research into […]

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 […]

Woman inside a bus travelling alone

Safer transport for women and girls through better data collection

Reka Solymosi By Filed Under: All posts Posted:

It is estimated that only 17% of victims of sexual violence report the crime. This underreporting of sexual harassment and violence against women and girls (VAWG) on public transport hampers efforts to design evidence-based safety measures, leaving women to navigate unsafe conditions that undermine their mobility and freedom. Reducing gendered violence on public transport is […]

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 […]

Four children in white t-shirt uniforms are smiling and running

Transforming children and young people’s futures through PE, school sport, and physical activity

Sarah MacQuarrieAlexandra Hennessey author headshot By and Filed Under: All posts, Education, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Today’s children and young people encounter multifaceted challenges, including mental health concerns, reduced physical activity, and persistent inequities in access to sports. As the post-pandemic landscape reshapes our society, physical education (PE), school sports, and physical activity (PESSPA) emerge as critical tools in fostering healthier, happier, and more resilient children and young people. In this […]

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 […]

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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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