August 2023 – NEPC responds to a consultation on the Strategy and Policy Statement for Energy Policy in Great Britain
Drawing on the National Engineering Policy Centre’s existing programme of policy work on decarbonising the electricity system, we respond to the DESNZ consultation on the Strategy and Policy Statement for Energy Policy in Great Britain.
January 2023 - Publication of summary report of NEPC workshop exploring the system impacts of aviation fuel switching
This report summaries the findings of a workshop convened by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) on Tuesday 14 September 2021 to discuss how plans for a decarbonised aviation sector via ‘fuel switching’ may impact on wider energy, transport and environmental systems. By examining the implications of fuel switching in these wider systems, the aim was to assist officials and others considering options for decarbonising flight by identifying impacts, key interdependencies, systemic risks and potential opportunities for efficiency and speed in decarbonising aviation.
November 2022 - Joint event with the UK Energy Research Centre and the Energy Institute on UK Energy Resilience: Prices, Emissions and Supply this Winter
Second of the two joint events with the UK Energy Research Centre and the Energy Institute on the current energy crisis. This event looked into the impact of the government’s recent policy announcements on consumers this winter and the UK’s emissions, and also responses from other European economies and areas for collaboration.
November 2022 - NEPC respond to Ofgem's Open Letter on the next network price control review process
Working with the Institution of Engineering and Technology, we produced a cross-engineering response to and open letter to Ofgem on the next network price control review process
October 2022 - Response to Chris Skidmore's independent review of net zero delivery
Drawing on the National Engineering Policy Centre's existing programme of policy work on decarbonisation, we responded to Chris Skidmore's independent review of net zero delivery by 2050.
September 2022 - Publication of our report on the future of hydrogen in the net zero energy system
This report from the National Engineering Policy Centre explores:
- Hydrogen's value as an energy vector
- Potential roles of hydrogen in a net zero energy system
- Low-carbon hydrogen production methods
- Policy recommendations for government to ensure the benefits of hydrogen for a net zero energy system are realised
May 2022 - Joint event with the UK Energy Research Centre and the Energy Institute on UK energy resilience
In response to the current energy crisis, we teamed up with the UK Energy Research Centre and the Energy Institute to present ‘UK Energy Resilience: Looking to Next Winter and Beyond’ to consider how the UK can best to respond to the energy crisis in both the short and long term.
April 2022 - Decarbonising the built environment event
As a follow on to the our report on decarbonising construction, the NEPC, the Net Zero Infrastructure Industry Coalition and the cross-sector group who published Our Vision for the Built Environment jointly hosted an online panel to discuss the growing impetus and top priorities to decarbonise the built environment.
March 2022 - Sustainability in shipping event
Co-hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering and BAE Systems, this panel event consisting of leaders in industry and research discussed the top priorities for achieving a sustainable shipping sector.
November 2021 - Launch of our Getting to Net Zero video series
We have launched our series of five short films launched ahead of COP26 as part of the Academy’s Engineering Zero campaign. These videos explore and communicate the complexity, urgency and opportunity of climate policy across Energy, Transport and the Built Environment and why a whole-system perspective should shape the engineering contribution to reaching more sustainable societies and inclusive economies.
November 2021 - Publication of our low regrets report
This report provides a framework to identify and build confidence in making and implementing low regrets decisions that need to be made now to put us on a pathway to net zero. It also applies this framework to example areas of low regrets policy for net zero policy
September 2021 - Publication of our decarbonising construction report
This report takes a whole-systems view at the changes needed from the various actors with influence across the life-cycle of assets within the built environment in order to decarbonise construction and the wider built environment. In total the report makes over 20 recommendations addressed at government, industry and the engineering profession organised according to what is required ‘now’, ‘next (before 2025)’ and ‘In the future (beyond 2025)’.
September 2021 - Workshop on decarbonising aviation
The project brought together officials from the Department for Transport with experts from research and industry to better understand the systemic challenges and impacts of ‘fuel switching’ on wider energy, transport and environmental systems.
August 2021 - Response to a consultation on net zero governance
The project has submitted a response to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee inquiry into net zero governance, examining the leadership and co-ordination which will be needed by government to deliver on the UK’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050
June 2021 - Foundation for Science and Technology: Developing a systems approach to reaching net zero
Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, Academy President, and Dervilla Mitchell CBE FREng, Chair of the NEPC Net Zero working group, discussed systems approaches to net zero at a prestigious event held by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FST).
May 2021 - Engineering in the climate emergency: how can technology work towards a just transition?
Chaired by Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President, Royal Academy of Engineering, this event brought together engineering and policy perspectives to discuss questions like:
- Can we rely on technology to fix the climate?
- How can science and engineering work with politics and society to crease a just transition to net zero?
- Are we kidding ourselves about how big a challenge we face to decarbonise the economy?
April 2021 - National Engineering Policy Centre's comments on government's new interim carbon target
Commentating on the anticipated government pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, Professor Nilay Shah OBE FREng, Vice-Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre net zero working group, says:
“The engineering community welcomes this ambitious and necessary target of 78% emissions reduction by 2035. It is vital both for the planet and for our success in reaching the ultimate goal of net zero that we eliminate the large majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade. It is encouraging that the Prime Minister recognises this and is setting out strong targets in advance, giving society, industry and government time to work together towards them.
However, the UK is still not on track to meet even its previous carbon targets, and this new goal of 78% emissions reduction by 2035 will not be reached without sweeping energy efficiency measures and ensuring that all government policies actively and coherently contribute to achieving this target. In the run up to COP26, government should publish a detailed and flexible plan for each high-carbon sector of the economy, and account for the connections between them and the social or behavioural basis for change using a systems approach. Engineers from every discipline will design, build, retrofit, operate and make safe the infrastructure and technologies for a decarbonised UK to be fully achieved, and we will play our part to build a net zero UK.”
February 2021 - Response to a consultation on the role of hydrogen in achieving net zero
The project has responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry into the role of hydrogen in achieving net zero
January 2021 - Critical conversations: Tough decisions on net zero - what do engineers think?
As part of the Royal Academy of Engineering's Critical Conversation online series, Academy CEO, Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, discussed decision-making for net zero in the face of uncertainty with special guests Dervilla Mitchell CBE FREng, board member of Arup, and Professor Nilay Shah OBE FREng, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London.
November 2020 - Publication of our report on laying the foundations for a net zero recovery from Covid-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this report outlines five foundations accompanied by actions for government, industry and the engineering profession to help enable positive change and set the UK on a decisive pathway to net zero territorial emissions.
August 2020 - Op-ed: Build back better? No, let's build back smarter and take carbon out of construction
Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre's net zero working group, Dervilla Mitchell CBE FREng, writes on how to make sure a new housing boom doesn't compromise the UK's climate ambition
May 2020 - Publication of project launch paper "Net Zero: A systems perspective on the climate challenge"
The National Engineering Policy Centre has started a programme of work to explore, inform and advise policymakers on some of the hardest cross-cutting challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed to meet net zero by 2050. We set out how we plan to do this in this launch paper.