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Fracking’s back on the menu, but is it half-baked?

By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted:

The UK and other European countries are facing a severe energy crisis, with the potential to place more than 8 million UK households in fuel poverty this winter. This ‘energy’ crisis is more accurately a natural gas crisis, driven mostly by restrictions on Russian gas supply to Europe. In one of her first initiatives as […]

Woman putting coin in the jar with plant.

How public procurement can influence innovation, productivity and societal challenges

Elvira Uyarra By Filed Under: All posts, Growth and Inclusion, OnProductivity, UK economy Posted:

The public sector is an extremely influential buyer in the market. Through public procurement, the government can influence productivity in various ways. It can develop and scale up productivity-enhancing innovations, and it can reward more innovative suppliers by shaping markets and amplifying innovative practices and technologies. Her applicable policy recommendations focus on improving poignance of […]

cityscape at night

Nuclear power – the role of government

Adrian Bull with beard By and Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Energy and Environment, Science and Technology Posted:

In 2006, Prime Minister Tony Blair assured Britain that nuclear was “back on the agenda with a vengeance”. Boris Johnson has described his commitment to deliver nuclear at “warp speed”, and the three intervening Prime Ministers have also emphasised their support for nuclear. Yet Britain’s first new nuclear plant – Hinkley Point C (HPC) – […]

Electrical engineer working in modern thermal power plant

The skills gap for long term nuclear future

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

The world’s climate and energy crises continues to worsen with extreme weather, heatwaves and increasing global energy prices. The IEA’s net zero by 2050 pathway has identified the need for nuclear, including SMRs growing support for this in the UK, Canada, France and the US. In this blog, Aneeqa Khan discusses the steps needed to […]

Image of media city in Salford lit up at night reflected in the water of the quay

Creativity, industry and devolved responsibility: how local industrial strategies can support levelling up

Abigail Gilmore By Filed Under: All posts, Growth and Inclusion, Levelling up Posted:

Local creative and cultural industries strategies can play a key role in devolution policy, and understanding the differences and nuances of local industrial strategies helps inform policymakers looking at cultural and creative industries-led ‘levelling up’. Ultimately, policy should be shaped by local strategy and regional identity as much as national goals. This blog raises policy […]

Image of a woman interacting with advanced technology

The role of R&D in the levelling up agenda

Richard A.L. Jones headshot By Filed Under: British Politics, Levelling up, OnProductivity, Research and development, UK economy Posted:

Innovation drives productivity, and R&D importantly underpins innovation. Places in the south-east of the UK disproportionately hold the highest rates of public and charitable spending on R&D. In order to mend the geographical imbalances in R&D spending, the way that funding is allocated must be changed. This can be challenging given the patchy nature of […]

Electrification – technology and people

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

The drive to achieve Net Zero is underpinned by the principle that as a society we should ensure that we leave this planet better off, and indeed make it better for the next generation. Smart electrification is a key part of this. This is the combination of technology and human behaviour; it means electricity can’t […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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