Recent Additions to the EDC

In this report we provide a brief overview of the UKERC Whole Systems Networking Fund, before providing summaries from each of the projects awarded during the programme

This briefing summarises findings on how different UK policy instruments to promote the growth of renewable generation have influenced financiers and changed the nature of finance in the UK offshore wind market.

The transition to a net-zero society requires novel regulatory and policy approaches acknowledging the socio-cultural shifts accompanying climate change adaptations. Whether its building a new home or the evolving relationships and interactions between people and products, effective policymaking needs to systematically and intrinsically account for such transitions and ensure that they are aligned with net-zero targets. This policy brief delves into the employment of social science theories such as Reflexive Governance, Actor Network Theory, and Ecologies of Participation to understand these transitions.

Emerging from a placement at the Office for Product Safety and Standards, UK, the study underscores the importance of reflexive, flexible, inclusive and interactive policymaking that integrates public engagement and considers the intricate relationships between social, technologic

The transition to sustainable travel within large organisations presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Within this, the management of staff travel, particularly parking policies, emerges as a focal area for sustainability intervention. Based on a placement with Englands National Health Service (NHS) Net Zero Travel and Transport team, this Energy SHINES policy brief explores the implications of adopting fair and sustainable travel policies, focusing on the management of staff parking, in line with the requirement to reduce private car use to meet emission goals.

The brief discusses the contextual nuances of staff travel choices and the potential of policy interventions to encourage sustainable travel modes. Through a detailed review of NHS parking policies and broader academic literature on transport practices. It underscores the need to develop comprehensive trave

The escalating demand for water places additional strains on energy required for its provision and treatment, encompassing abstraction, purification, pumping, distribution, and wastewater management. This policy brief explores the critical role of water services in the UKs energy consumption and carbon emissions, highlighting the importance of integrated water-energy conservation strategies. It underscores the need for innovative strategies to enhance water efficiency and reduce energy demand across water supply and treatment processes.

Through a case-study of Yorkshire water, staff interviews, examination of its current practices and insights from academic literature, the brief identifies opportunities for reducing energy use in water management. It underscores the need to enhance public awareness of water-energy interdependencies, emphasising shared responsibility for environmen

Digital healthcare technologies (DHTs) have the potential to both reduce and increase the carbon footprint of healthcare systems. As healthcare rapidly digitises, leveraging technologies from electronic records to AI, it faces the challenge of balancing the environmental costs of digitalisation against the benefits of reduced emissions from traditional healthcare activities.

This policy brief explores the dual nature of DHTs in contributing to and mitigating healthcares carbon footprint. Focusing on Englands National Health Service (NHS), the study delves into how the adoption of digital technologies could either reduce or exacerbate the healthcare sectors carbon footprint, raising critical questions for the NHSs digital transformation efforts.

The analysis reveals that while DHTs offer avenues for reducing emissionssuch as telehealth reducing the need for patient and cl

The shift towards a circular economy is vital for reducing household waste and achieving net zero goals. Based on a placement with a county council in England, this policy brief examines the role of local governance in promoting waste minimisation using a practice theory approach. By drawing on waste data from the county council, external and internal stakeholder interviews and academic literature, it explores the transition towards a circular economy by providing insights on the challenges faced by local governance in promoting waste minimisation.

The brief highlights innovative practices in prevention, repair, and recycling that can transform waste management systems, while acknowledging their interconnected complexities across practices. It underscores the need for local authorities to take a whole-system and cross-sectoral approach, empowering them with resources and policy fr

Modern Methods of construction (MMC) offer a promising avenue towards sustainable housing development that have the potential for positive environmental and social impact. Addressing the current challenges faced by the UK construction industry, this policy brief assesses the potential of MMC in enhancing construction efficiency and sustainability. Based on an extensive literature review as part of a placement at the RIBA, it demonstrates that by emphasising prefabrication and off-site construction, MMC has the potential to significantly reduce waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions, lower costs and improve the quality and energy efficiency of buildings.

Despite these benefits, barriers such as regulatory gaps, cultural inertia within the construction sector, and lack of consumer awareness hinder MMCs widespread adoption. In light of current challenges, the study underscores the imp

This policy brief provides a short case study of Bristol City Leap as an example to showcase a novel finance and public procurement model for delivering citywide net zero across a local authority. Alongside Project LEO in Oxfordshire, and CommuniPower in the south-east of England, this is one of three case studies of the research project 'Finance and Public Procurement for Net Zero.'

Sharing energy research data is good practice for responsible research and many funders now require it as a condition to receive grant funding. However, it is still often seen as a burden and many projects fail to fully deliver on FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data sharing commitments. This workshop will bring together key stakeholders in the whole research lifecycle to develop recommendations to improve the level and quality of data sharing within the energy community.

This briefing note brings together the current state of policy and activities that CREDS and UKERC have undertaken to support data sharing.

A CREDS/UKERC Data Sharing Workshop held in October 2023 gathered system stakeholders together to discuss how to improve data sharing in the energy research community.

This workshop was a joint event organised by CREDS and UKERC Sarah Higginson, Catherine Jones, Kate Kwok, Marina Topouzi, Mike Fell, Gesche Huebner and facilitated by Mike Colechin

In our annual Review of Energy Policy 2023, we highlight key areas of energy policy that a new government should address during their first 100 days in office.

This report presents findings from a survey of over 2,000 respondents regarding their views on the future of low-carbon heating, with a focus on heat pumps, district heating and hydrogen. Participants were asked about their awareness of, and support for different technologies, trust in institutional actors, and views on different policy options.