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| Centre for Low Carbon Futures | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre for Low Carbon Futures |
| Established | 2009 |
| Type | Research centre |
| Location | Nottingham, England |
| Affiliations | University of Nottingham; University of Sheffield; Nottingham Trent University; University of Derby |
Centre for Low Carbon Futures The Centre for Low Carbon Futures is a UK-based research consortium focused on decarbonisation, hosted in Nottingham and engaging institutions such as the University of Nottingham, University of Sheffield, Nottingham Trent University, and the University of Derby. The centre links academic research to policy and industry through engagement with bodies like the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the Research Councils UK, the European Commission, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Energy Technologies Institute. It supports interdisciplinary work spanning engineering, social science and environmental studies via networks including the Knowledge Transfer Network and the Carbon Trust.
The Centre for Low Carbon Futures operates at the intersection of applied research and regional development, collaborating with institutions such as the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Economic and Social Research Council to translate evidence into practice. Its remit connects to major initiatives like the UK Climate Change Act 2008, the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and industry programmes led by Siemens, Rolls-Royce, BP, Shell, and National Grid plc. The centre engages with policymakers from entities including Committee on Climate Change, House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and regional bodies such as the East Midlands Development Agency.
Founded in 2009 with partners including the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the European Regional Development Fund, the centre built on regional precedents set by organisations like the Nottingham Energy Partnership and research groups from the School of Geography, University of Nottingham and the Institute for Energy Systems. Early advisory boards featured individuals from the Carbon Trust, Acclimatise, Energy Saving Trust, Centre for Sustainable Energy, and the International Energy Agency. The centre's trajectory intersects with landmark events such as the 2008-2009 global recession, the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, and UK policy shifts under administrations led by Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
Research themes encompass low carbon technologies and socio-technical transitions, engaging projects linked to smart grid pilots, carbon capture and storage, and low emission transport trials with partners including Jaguar Land Rover, Network Rail, Hitachi, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Airbus. Social science strands connect to work by scholars associated with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, ESRC programmes, and the Leverhulme Trust. Programs address buildings retrofitting with inputs from the BRE, Building Research Establishment, and the Passivhaus Institut, while industrial decarbonisation intersects with research at Diamonds Light Source, Cavendish Laboratory, and collaborations with Sheffield Hallam University.
The centre has formal and informal partnerships across academia, industry and civic society, including collaborative links with University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London, University of Oxford, LSE, University of Manchester, University of Leeds, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Warwick, Cranfield University, University of Birmingham, Queen Mary University of London, Newcastle University, Swansea University, Cardiff University, University of Southampton, University of Bristol, Durham University, King's College London, University of York, University of Bath, Open University, University of Exeter, and technical partners like Siemens Energy, ABB, Schneider Electric, GE Renewable Energy, and Vestas. Civic and third-sector engagement includes collaborations with Friends of the Earth, WWF-UK, Greenpeace UK, UK Green Building Council, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and local authorities like Nottingham City Council and Derby City Council.
Funding sources have included national bodies such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Innovate UK, the European Regional Development Fund, and philanthropic support from trusts like the Nuffield Foundation and the Rothschild Foundation. Corporate funding has come from energy firms including BP, Shell, EDF Energy, and technology firms such as Siemens and Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. Governance drew on advisory expertise from organisations including the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Committee on Climate Change, and regional development agencies such as the East Midlands Development Agency.
The centre contributed to policy briefings used by the Committee on Climate Change and informed consultations for the UK Climate Change Act 2008 amendments and UK submissions to the UNFCCC and European Commission climate dialogues; outputs were cited alongside reports from the IPCC and the Committee on Climate Change. Its applied work influenced pilot schemes involving Nottingham Energy Partnership, Nottinghamshire County Council, and projects supported by the Carbon Trust; academic outputs appeared in journals associated with Nature Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environmental Research Letters, and conferences such as the International Energy Agency meetings and the World Energy Council. The centre's initiatives contributed to regional low carbon strategies adopted by bodies including East Midlands Chamber of Commerce and influenced business programmes run by Local Enterprise Partnerships.
Hosted within university campuses in Nottingham and linked laboratories, the centre leveraged facilities including the Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, the Nottingham Geospatial Institute, the Institute for Aerospace Technology, and access to national infrastructure such as Diamond Light Source, National Physical Laboratory, and supercomputing resources at the ARCHER UK National Supercomputing Service. Specialized testbeds and demonstrators were developed in partnership with facilities like the BRE Innovation Park, Nottingham Energy Park, and industry demonstrators supported by Innovate UK and the Energy Technologies Institute.