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

Institutional gaps between words and action on climate science: Royal Society calls for low-carbon finance but still invests in fossil fuels

With the Royal Society holding a conference on green finance, Andrew Simms, SGR, looks at the gap between the institution's words and actions.

22 July 2021

Space tourism: environmental vandalism for the super-rich

As billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson launch the first flights of their space tourism corporations, Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, takes a look at the climate impacts.

20 July 2021

What if we treated the climate emergency as seriously as we treated COVID–19?

Prof Alice Larkin, University of Manchester, argues that, if our society were really serious about tackling climate change, we would put much greater priority on social and economic change - as shown by the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

29 June 2021

More fight, less fuel: the military approach to climate change

As NATO publishes its new climate plan, Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, questions whether the current military interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is serious.

15 June 2021

The carbon bootprint of the military (June 2021)

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, looks at the latest data on military carbon emissions, both in the UK and internationally - revealing the actual extent of the 'carbon bootprint'. He also outlines the threat to the climate from nuclear weapons.

3 June 2021

Cumbrian coal mine: SGR objection

SGR's objections to the proposals for a huge new deep coal mine in West Cumbria, UK.

28 May 2021

Brexit Britain’s security policy: cutting aid to spend on weapons

Britain’s security and defence priorities in the wake of Brexit emphasise high tech military equipment such as robotic and nuclear weapons, while overseas aid is slashed and action on climate change remains inadequate. Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, assesses the situation.

11 May 2021

The military carbon bootprint and arms conversion

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, outlines how the military fuels climate change - and thus how there is an urgent need for arms conversion. He summarises the latest data on the 'military carbon boot-print' and looks at examples of arms conversion, from the 1976 Lucas Plan to the 2020 Ventilator Challenge.

23 April 2021

Three quarters of SUVs are sold to urban households

‘Polluter elite’ should be UK climate policy target: Cambridge Commission on Scaling Behaviour Change

The Cambridge Sustainability Commission on Scaling Behaviour Change says we should target the UK’s polluter elite for sustainable behaviour shift. Andrew Simms, SGR, reports.

13 April 2021

Issues: Climate change and energy