energy

Rattling the supply chains: creating a more sustainable way to do business

By Arijit De Filed Under: All posts, Environment Posted: April 22, 2025

As global supply chains account for approximately 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable supply chain management is not merely an ethical aspiration; it is a strategic imperative with far-reaching implications for economic, environmental, and social wellbeing. In this article from our publication, On Infrastructure, Dr Arijit De explores what steps policymakers and regulatory bodies […]

A load of hot water: overcoming the barriers to decarbonising the heating sector

By Jingyi Li, Cathy Hollis and Alejandro Gallego Schmid Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables Posted: April 14, 2025

The heating sector accounts for nearly one third of the UK’s annual carbon emissions. Despite the pressing need to achieve net-zero by 2050, decarbonisation of the heating sector in the UK faces significant challenges. The previous UK government’s delay in curtailing oil and gas projects in the North Sea has served to divert focus away […]

Can hydrogen help decarbonise small industrial emitters?

By Maria Sharmina and Vincenzo Spallina Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted: April 7, 2025

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 […]

Hydrogen: the missing piece in the clean energy puzzle

By Aoife Foley, Dlzar Al Kez and Faraedoon Ahmed Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 17, 2025

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 […]

Decarbonising transport: is hydrogen the answer?

By Alice Larkin and Amanda Lea-Langton Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted: February 25, 2025

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 […]

Getting it right: are hydrogen standards good enough?

By Christopher Jones Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Engineering Posted: February 11, 2025

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 […]

Is advanced nuclear the route to low-carbon hydrogen production?

By William Bodel Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted: January 27, 2025

There is increasing recognition that a UK net zero future will feature a significant role for hydrogen as an energy vector. The UK currently relies heavily on natural gas for heat, industry and power production. If net zero ambitions are to be realised, this must be replaced with either increased electrification (powered by low-carbon sources) […]

How green is hydrogen?

By Amanda Lea-Langton Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted: January 15, 2025

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 […]

Can nuclear power work with renewables to achieve net zero?

By Juan Matthews Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: November 18, 2024

Decarbonising electricity in the UK is far from straightforward. Government plans for the nation’s future electricity supply rely heavily on renewables, supported by gas power during periods of low renewable output. In this article, Professor Juan Matthews considers how nuclear energy can provide an alternative to gas power and support a future renewables-heavy grid, and […]

Clean energy superpower – and climate action kryptonite

By Matthew Paterson Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Energy and Environment, Environment Posted: September 18, 2024

The government have identified climate action as a core mission set out in their manifesto. Framing this in terms of Britain becoming a ‘clean energy superpower’ has generated considerable initiative around renewed climate action, but in this article, Professor Matthew Paterson outlines how this approach creates policy gaps – and potential political problems. Labour has […]