sustainability

Accelerating the electric vehicle transition in the UK

By James Jackson Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted: January 22, 2024

Following the publication of the industrial strategy in 2017, in which Theresa May attempted to envisage a post-Brexit future, electric vehicles (EVs) were identified as an important opportunity for the UK political economy. Yet, despite the almost annual publications that reiterated the need for EVs to become a significant feature of the UK, attempts to […]

Promoting flood protection: setting a target for 10% improved water retention in towns and cities

By Graham Haughton and Iain White Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment Posted: January 18, 2024

Every year flooding affects communities around the UK. The Chartered Institute for Water and Environmental Management recently contended that although there has been expert agreement for many years about reforms, policy change has been slow. In part, this is due to the complex governance system within which flooding occurs. In this article, Professor Graham Haughton […]

Sparking change: the rush to electrify

By Robin Preece, Eduardo Alejandro Martínez Ceseña and Paul Jarman Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: January 16, 2024

The environmental threats of climate change and extreme weather are forcing us to rethink our energy production and usage. As a society, we know how to produce clean low-carbon electricity and deliver it to customers in a reliable, efficient and economical manner. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Dr Robin Preece, Dr Eduardo […]

No room for drought: Steps to improve the UK agricultural sector’s resilience to drought and water security

By Tim Foster Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment Posted: January 10, 2024

In 2022, the UK experienced its fifth driest summer since 1836. Combined with record-breaking temperatures, this led to severe drought conditions across the country, with key agricultural regions as some of the worst affected areas. The drought resulted in widespread reductions in crop yields and harvested areas, as dwindling water supplies in soils, rivers, and […]

Climate change: navigating a clear route for UK shipping

By Simon Bullock, Alice Larkin and James Mason Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted: January 8, 2024

After a year of devastating climate disasters, nations at COP 28 in Dubai in December signalled the need for the “end of the fossil fuel era”. To meet that ambition, 2024 will need to see a major acceleration in global action to address climate change. Here, Simon Bullock, Alice Larkin, and James Mason from the […]

Game changers, a new approach to tackling sportswear garment waste

By Lindsay Pressdee, Amy Benstead and Jo Conlon Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted: October 16, 2023

The UK disposes of one million tonnes of textiles every year, 300,000 tonnes of which end up in landfill or incineration and figures suggest 10% of global CO2 emissions could come from the fashion industry. The football sector is a huge contributor to this – approximately 2.45 million Liverpool and 1.95 million Manchester United sports shirts […]

Artificial Intelligence and future transport and mobility: What do cities want and how can urban planning respond?

By Ransford A. Acheampong Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban Posted: September 14, 2023

Experts agree that automated driving technologies constitute perhaps the most significant transformation in urban and transport planning since the invention of the private motor vehicle. In this article, Dr Ransford A. Acheampong assesses how policy-makers have an urgent responsibility to create alternative urban futures in which we are able to meet our everyday mobility needs […]

Built on sand: the need for new environmental standards in the construction industry

By Judy Too and Obuks Ejohwomu Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: August 2, 2023

The building sector is responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions, and many policies have been introduced about the energy efficiency of buildings during their working life. However, little consideration has been given to the whole life of a building, from the production of materials to the disposal of old buildings. Here, Ms Judy Too […]

Delivering on climate commitments: restricting global warming to 1.5C

By Angela Mae Minas Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Technology Posted: June 27, 2023

In 2015, world leaders committed to holding global warming to well below 2C whilst pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5C as part of The Paris Agreement at COP21. It is now expected that the world is likely to hit this level of warming within the next five years. In this article, Dr Angela Minas […]

How can “Great British Nuclear” make a great difference?

By Adrian Bull Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 31, 2023

The announcement of Great British Nuclear (GBN) is a long awaited positive step. GBN clearly now faces a monumental workload and a range of challenges as it sets the ground for new nuclear build in the UK. In this article, Professor Adrian Bull emphasises the need to engage with development companies rather than just ‘starting […]