energy – Page 3

The energy strategy: missed opportunities, false solutions, better ways forward

By Prof Matthew Paterson Filed Under: British Politics, Energy and Environment Posted: May 9, 2022

The government’s ‘British Energy Security Strategy’ released on the 7th April 2022 has raised more questions than answers for those in interested in energy policy. While it claims to offer solutions to the dual problems of rising energy prices and threats to natural gas supplies, it adopts an outdated method that runs conversely to net […]

The Energy Security Strategy: Going nuclear

By Francis Livens Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: April 7, 2022

The government has today announced plans to build eight new nuclear reactors in the UK, alongside strategies to boost wind, hydrogen, and solar production. These new reactors are intended to improve the UK’s energy self-sufficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as creating thousands of new jobs. In this blog, Professor Francis Livens of […]

Reimagining water consumption: challenges and opportunities to reduce domestic water demand in the UK

By Claire Hoolohan Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Urban Posted: April 5, 2022

Emissions related to domestic water use contribute 5-6% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing emissions from domestic water use is necessary for the UK to meet its ambitious target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. However, current policy instruments to reduce water-related emissions remain limited in scope. In this blog, Dr Claire Hoololan […]

Decarbonising domestic heating

By Claire Brown Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Urban Posted: March 17, 2022

Home is where the heart is, but with climate change the way our homes are built and required to function is shifting. Overheating is just one example that is being discussed at length within the academic and commercial sectors. Projections for UK homes in 2050 and 2080 show significant issues around overheating and sustained overheating […]

Building nuclear for a greener future

By William Bodel, Gregg Butler, Juan Matthews, Francis Livens and Adrian Bull Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: March 7, 2022

The UK’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050 is an enormous undertaking, and many acknowledge that achieving such a goal requires an increase in nuclear energy capacity and therefore an increase in the number of nuclear sites across the UK. In this blog, colleagues from the Dalton Nuclear Institute; William Bodel, Adrian Bull, Gregg […]

Indoor and outdoor wood burning needs a new way of thinking

By Amanda Lea-Langton Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Urban Posted: February 16, 2022

Biomass combustion, a significant contributor to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), has increased in urban areas due to the growing popularity of wood-burning stoves and biomass boilers. In this blog, Dr. Amanda Lea-Langton, Senior Lecturer in Bioenergy Engineering at The University of Manchester and member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, outlines policy recommendations […]

Carbon Capture and Storage and Greenhouse Gas Removal – Essential ingredients for net zero

By Sarah Mander and Clair Gough Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: February 7, 2022

Our planet is heating up, and the impacts of climate change are already being felt across the world. We all know reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential for our planet’s future. However, research shows that, given the scale and urgency of the challenge of reducing emissions across the entire economy, meeting climate change targets will […]

Sustainable engineering – not just engineering for sustainability

By Michael Fisher Filed Under: Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: January 25, 2022

Net zero now forms the heart of policies and strategies across government, from “levelling up” to “build back better”. Combined with the UK’s National Infrastructure Strategy, it is clear that engineering – particularly new technologies such as robotics and AI – has a core role in our decarbonisation efforts. But how green are the technologies […]

How to incentivise bioenergy with carbon capture and storage responsibly

By Rob Bellamy Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: January 24, 2022

The latest IPCC report on the state of the world’s climate shows that the remaining carbon budget – the amount of CO2 that can still be emitted while keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees – is almost gone. To meet net zero within these parameters, we will need to remove CO2 that is already in […]

Carbon capture and storage: A solution under our noses

By Cathy Hollis, Kevin Taylor and Lin Ma Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: January 10, 2022

In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to legally commit to achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. With new evidence of rapid, anthropogenic-induced climate change emerging, it is likely that many climate forecasts have underestimated the speed and extent of climate change. This means that drastic action is needed to both slow […]