net zero – Page 2

Making sustainable business models for green electricity attractive to the mainstream

By Jonatan Pinkse Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables Posted: July 4, 2022

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 […]

The importance of mapping in the shift to net zero

By Charlotte Brown, Hannah Charles and Rob Bellamy Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment Posted: June 17, 2022

Delivering on net zero energy requires the radical transformation of our whole energy system from supply and distribution to demand. In this blog, Charlotte Brown, Hannah Charles and Rob Bellamy explore three topics that illustrate the importance of mapping in relation to low carbon energy transitions and their implications for policy. Policymakers should go ‘beyond […]

Taking action on hot air: Why agriculture is the key to reducing UK methane emissions

By Ian Plewis Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: May 24, 2022

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 […]

Why policy on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions needs to be joined-up

By Grant Allen Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Urban Posted: April 21, 2022

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving air quality are closely linked objectives but are not considered simultaneously under current policy frameworks. In this blog, Professor Grant Allen discusses the benefits of developing a common policy framework aligning GHGs reduction goals with improvements in air quality. Considering these two objectives simultaneously, rather than in isolation, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]