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

Electricity pylons image by Tom via Pixabay

The Energy Dilemma: will even greater consumption lead to more problems?

Prof Gareth Wyn Jones, Bangor University, draws on evidence from physics and biology to economics and political science to explore the effects of greater energy consumption on social and environmental goals.

5 December 2024

Civil and military nuclear programmes: will they be derailed by skills shortages?

Alasdair Beal takes a look at the UK nuclear industry – and finds that the proposed expansion has a workforce problem.

4 December 2024

Tackling global risks in the second Trump era

The return of Donald Trump to the US presidency undermines efforts to tackle urgent global risks such as climate change and the threat of nuclear war. Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, gives an overview of the problems and assesses how best to respond.

14 November 2024

Picture of oily hands holding a miniature football pitch

Oil and gas ‘sportswashing’ now a 5.6 billion dollar industry

A new report uncovers the extent to which fossil fuel corporations use the popularity of sport to promote their ‘brand’, and divert attention away from their highly polluting activities.

27 September 2024

Future War: Will it really be clean and green?

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, summarises the flaws in recent military claims that new arms technologies will markedly reduce civilian casualties or environmental impacts.

10 September 2024

Nuclear power risks rising in Russia-Ukraine war

Dr Philip Webber, SGR, warns that another nuclear power plant is at major risk as the war enters new territory - and this plant includes Chernobyl-type reactors.

22 August 2024

Graph showing unfair carbon budget to 2050

The UK’s fair carbon budget will run out in 2026: here’s the evidence

Dr Ian Campbell shows how, on current trends, Britain’s carbon emissions will exceed its fair share of the limit necessary to hit the 1.5°C Paris target within two years. He outlines the key implications for policy-makers and society as a whole.

5 August 2024

Badvertising: how promoting pollution prevents climate action

Andrew Simms and Leo Murray examine how, if left unaddressed, the manipulation of our behaviour by advertising and fossil fuel industry propaganda will make it impossible to achieve the civilisation-level transformation required for life as we know it to survive the 21st century.

19 July 2024

What should the next UK government prioritise? Views from scientists

Leading SGR figures outline some policy recommendations for the incoming British government on issues including climate change, energy, military and security, and AI.

18 June 2024 (updated)

Issues: Climate change and energy