Responsible Science

Climate change and energy

SGR produces a range of outputs on the issue of 'Climate change and energy'. This covers climate change science, technological and policy responses to climate change, energy supply technologies (especially renewable energy and nuclear power), energy use and energy efficiency (including in transport and buildings), and related policy and lifestyle issues.

Climate change: an introduction to SGR's work

An introduction to SGR's concerns and activities on climate change.

Latest update: 28 August 2020

The mirage of zero-emissions flying

Finlay Asher, Safe Landing, assesses the technical obstacles to the decarbonisation of aviation - and finds they are substantial.

29 April 2022

Encouraging a culture of climate activism in universities

Dr Emily Heath, SGR, shares 9 tips based on her experience of leading and supporting sustainability campaigns within the UK higher education sector.

19 April 2022

Are the UK’s professional science organisations putting their money where their mouths are?

Dr Liz Kalaugher details progress on SGR’s latest investigation into the financial links between professional bodies and the fossil fuel and arms industries.

14 April 2022

How the UK can learn from countries climbing out of gas dependence

In light of UK energy policy failings, Andrew Simms and Freddie Daley, Rapid Transition Alliance, look at where, even before the rapid shift in EU energy policy triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, huge leaps were being made in other countries to transition away from dependence on polluting gas.

18 March 2022

Does climate change cause war? Or does war cause climate change?

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, examines the evidence of whether climate change causes war or vice versa - and looks at some of the implications.

17 March 2022

Solving the UK’s energy crisis: Heat pumps and insulation for peace?

Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK's home energy bills were shooting up, catapulting millions more into fuel poverty. But there are solutions which tackle this poverty, reduce carbon emissions, and in the longer-term insulate us from some conflicts, argues Dr Philip Webber, SGR.

15 March 2022

The threat from nuclear winter

As the threat of a nuclear war grows, Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, outlines the catastrophic climatic consequences should nuclear weapons ever be used - based on the latest academic research.

10 March 2022

COP26, peace and the carbon bootprint of the military

In light of the agreements at COP26, Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, looks at the controversial role of the military in climate issues, including the latest data on military carbon emissions, and how demilitarisation programmes offer more potential for reductions than low carbon weapons systems.

29 January 2022

From arms, planes and racing cars to ventilators: industrial conversion during the Covid-19 crisis

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, assesses the UK’s crash industrial programme to scale up production of medical ventilators during the pandemic – and what lessons can be learned for conversion away from fossil fuels & arms.

10 December 2021

Issues: Climate change and energy