Projects
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| Reference Number | UKRI1500 | |
| Title | PACT - Production and Consumption Transformations | |
| Status | Started | |
| Energy Categories | Other Power and Storage Technologies (Electric power conversion) 5%; Other Power and Storage Technologies (Electricity transmission and distribution) 5%; Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research (Energy Economics) 30%; Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research (Environmental, social and economic impacts) 60%; |
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| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | SOCIAL SCIENCES (Economics and Econometrics) 50%; SOCIAL SCIENCES (Politics and International Studies) 20%; SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology) 30%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation) 60%; Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy) 40%; |
|
| Principal Investigator |
John Barrett University of Leeds |
|
| Award Type | Standard | |
| Funding Source | EPSRC | |
| Start Date | 01 June 2025 | |
| End Date | 01 April 2029 | |
| Duration | 46 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £3,297,764 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Unknown | |
| Region | Yorkshire & Humberside | |
| Programme | Energy and Decarbonisation | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | John Barrett , University of Leeds |
| Other Investigator | Paul Brockway , University of Leeds Matthew Lockwood , University of Sussex Anne Owen , University of Leeds Rebecca Willis , Lancaster University |
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| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | ||
| Abstract | To meet the UK’s 2030 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission target we need to reduce GHG emissions by nearly 5%/year, three times the 1.5%/year reduction rate achieved since 1990. Previous reductions have come mainly from decarbonising the power sector and offshoring heavy industry, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver further substantial GHG reductions. The UK is at a watershed moment where future reductions will have to be delivered differently from the past. It is simply not possible to rely on the policy of ‘electrifying everything and provide zero carbon electricity’ without also considering systems of production and consumption. This requires broader consideration of how to align patterns of production and consumption with climate targets that can deliver short term goals (by 2030) and reduce risks in the long-term (by 2050). Whilst the carbon intensity of the economy is high (79% of UK energy demand is provided by fossil fuels), there is a critical role for energy demand reduction and material efficiency measures. At the same time, the transformation of production and consumption needs to be socially just. On the production side, this will require managing the transformation of labour markets and skills provision to protect workers in affected sectors. On the consumption side, monetary and non-monetary costs and benefits associated with the transition need to be distributed fairly. A socially just transformation of production and consumption systems in line with climate targets is a complex systems problem that requires a detailed investigation into the intersecting and intertwined economic, social and political realities. Our comprehensive approach encompasses the economic, political, and social systems within which production value chains and consumption patterns evolve, and will support the development of a just, prosperous, sustainable, and resilient transition pathway to net zero. We plan to work with stakeholders to develop co-created pathways of consumption and production futures that are climate compatible. We will develop new transferable analytical frameworks for the inclusion of consumption and production measures in energy and climate policy, and we will provide much needed tools for UK industry to understand their production value chains. Our dynamic research programme will focus on actionable insights and ensure real-world impact, working with government departments, institutions, and the private sector to develop impactful test cases and demonstrate the effectiveness of systems approaches. We will develop practical business models which are fit for a net zero transition, including metrics and toolkits to measure business performance and reductions in material consumption. We will explore how changes to consumption could feasibly be implemented at each level of government, from national to local, including developing a new analytical framework for policy and political change toensure that policies are fair, effective, and inclusive. Finally, we will evaluate the societal, political, and economic systems upon which the delivery of the UK’s transition to net zero depends. Our research programme will create a series of benefits; it will equip Government with the necessary knowledge and approaches to address unsustainable consumption patterns and carbon intensive supply chains; it will equip organisations with the evidence and knowledge to understand the carbon implications of their supply chains; and it will evaluate societal, political, and economic systems in order to cement systems approaches which can realise the UK’s transition to net zero | |
| Data | No related datasets |
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| Projects | No related projects |
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| Publications | No related publications |
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| Added to Database | 22/10/25 | |
