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Tag Archives for: "environment"
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Photo of interconnector on beach

Hydrogen: the missing piece in the clean energy puzzle

Aoife Foley headshotDlzar Al Kez headshotFaraedoon Ahmed 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 […]

Tagged With: #OnHydrogen, carbon reduction, energy, environment, Hydrogen, net zero

Picture of an airplane being refuelled at an airport.

Decarbonising transport: is hydrogen the answer?

Alice LarkinAmanda Lea-Langton 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 […]

Tagged With: #OnHydrogen, carbon reduction, energy, environment, Hydrogen, infrastructure, net zero, sustainability, transport

Child, adult, and elderly man in a garden.

Positioning green infrastructure as essential infrastructure in the UK

Ian Mell By Ian Mell Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Urban Posted: February 17, 2025

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 […]

Tagged With: #OnInfrastructure, climate change, environment, infrastructure, SEED, sustainability, urban

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 Adeyemi Adelekan and Maria Sharmina Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Renewables Posted: February 6, 2025

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 […]

Tagged With: Business Energy & Industry, economy, environment, inclusive growth, net zero, productivity, sustainability, Tyndall

Woman and young girl washing their hands at the sink

Water reuse for sustainable practices in new housing infrastructure

Claire HoolohanAlison BrowneElla Foggitt By Claire Hoolohan, Alison Browne and Ella Foggitt Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Urban Posted: February 4, 2025

Demand for water will outstrip supply within the next 25 years in England. Changing patterns of water use – for example, as a result of increasing hygiene standards –  are intersecting with long-standing infrastructural challenges of ageing water and sewerage networks. In this article, Dr Ella Foggitt, Dr Claire Hoolohan and Professor Alison Browne assess […]

Tagged With: #OnInfrastructure, climate change, environment, infrastructure, local government, SCI, sustainability, Tyndall

Image of a nuclear power station in the background with the bottom of an electricity pylon and a yellow grassy field in the foreground.

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) […]

Tagged With: carbon reduction, CS-Energy, Dalton, energy, environment, Hydrogen, net zero, nuclear

An illustrated image of multiple model green hydrogen molecules

How green is hydrogen?

Amanda Lea-Langton 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 […]

Tagged With: #OnHydrogen, carbon reduction, climate change, energy, environment, Hydrogen, MERI, net zero

Industrial chimney pluming out smoke surrounded by an urban landscape of buildings.

Advanced materials addressing health risks from exposure to benzene

Headshot of Martin Schröder.Headshot of Sihai Yang. By Martin Schröder and Sihai Yang Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban, Work Posted: December 2, 2024

Benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) with widespread industrial applications, poses severe health risks to humans even at trace levels. Its genotoxic effects, which involve direct damage to cellular DNA and genetic material leading to mutations, are strongly linked to cancer and blood disorders, making its control a critical priority for workplace safety and environmental […]

Tagged With: advanced materials, air quality, cancer, CS-AdvancedMaterials, environment, Health & Safety, innovation, public health, science & engineering, technology, transport, urban

A housing construction site, surrounded by rural countryside

Belting up to deliver housing targets – are Grey Belts the answer?

Ian Mell By Ian Mell Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Urban Posted: November 27, 2024

To meet targets of building 1.5 million homes, the new government launched a consultation on the process for releasing Green Belt land. Proposals include creating a new designation of “Grey Belt” land. But given the contentious nature of Green Belts and the arguments made for and against development in these locations, the addition of this new […]

Tagged With: environment, housing, infrastructure, science & engineering, SEED, urban

Aerial view of UK house development being built.

Harnessing Digital Solutions for Sustainable Housing Expansion: A GIS-Powered Approach

Photo of Richard Kingston By Richard Kingston Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Environment Posted: October 17, 2024

The UK government has committed to an ambitious housing strategy of building 1.5 million homes over the next five years to address the chronic housing shortage exacerbated by rising demand, affordability and population growth. This plan must also rectify long-term structural challenges in the housing market whilst ensuring homes are built sustainably. Here, Professor Richard Kingston […]

Tagged With: british politics, climate change, digital, economy, environment, housing, inclusive growth, infrastructure, net zero, sustainability, urban

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