New research published in Nature Climate Change explains why 18 countries, mainly in the EU, have managed to peak and then decline their CO2 emissions from fossil fuels over the past decade. There are three main reasons why: a declining relevance for fossil fuels, a fall in energy demand, and strong national policy frameworks. To […]
Of the start ups showcasing their ideas at the Technoport 2019 conference in Trondheim, the tech capital of Norway, one stood out as offering both a potentially disruptive innovation and potential emission reductions. Invertapro breeds black soldier flies and mealworm beetles for use as protein substitutes in both human and animal food chains. Although they […]
They are according to Simon Thompson, a principle researcher of artificial intelligence at BT Adastral Park. Hazel Pettifor attended The Tommy Flowers Institute Conference on the Future of Transport on 5th March 2019. This annual conference brings together academics, research institutions and industry practitioners with a common interest in innovation, this year it was the turn of the transport sector. A key take home from the conference came […]
Norwich recently became the first city in the UK to join the Sharing City Alliance, which is a global network of cities which enables knowledge-sharing. Together, the cities in the Sharing City Alliance can share experiences of the opportunities and challenges of the sharing economy. The sharing economy challenges the model of private ownership, and promises to contribute to a more sustainable model of consumption through […]
Written by Emilie Vrain Trying to captivate non-specialist audiences with research can sometimes been tricky for academics, having to avoid jargon and maintain interest. A competition was developed called the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) to encourage researchers to summarise and clarify the background of their research and present their findings in an intelligent and engaging […]
SILCI researcher Mark Wilson recently attended the SISA 3 (Systems Innovation towards Sustainable Agriculture) workshop, which was held in Riga and organised by the European Society for Rural Sociology. He presented a poster on how consumers can use digital innovations to reduce their food-related greenhouse gas emissions. The SILCI project is exploring end-user innovations which aim to reduce food waste, encourage dietary change, or support local food networks, all of which have the potential to […]
SILCI researcher Hazel Pettifor recently presented the results from a major study to the Global Sustainability Institute (GSI) in Cambridge. In March 2018, the SILCI team ran a series of workshops with over 65 residents of Norwich. These focussed on gaining an understanding of the important attributes of low carbon innovations that appealed to potential consumers. This work is part of a wider program to explore the mechanisms that […]
SILCI Bulletin on Disruptive Consumer Innovations and Climate Change December 2018 As the nations of the world gather in Poland for the latest round of climate change negotiations, the imperative to reduce emissions grows ever stronger. Disruptive consumer innovations have an essential part to play – from shared mobility and smarter homes to peer-to-peer […]
The SILCI project has recruited two new members. Dr Emilie Vrain has joined as a Senior Research Associate from the University of East Anglia’s Environmental Science department. Emilie will be conducting research on the social networks of early adopters of disruptive low carbon innovations. She also has a strong interest in smart homes and appliances […]
The Government’s goal to have autonomous vehicles in use by 2021 is moving towards reality. Mobile network operator O2 has signed up to provide what is expected to be Europe’s largest ‘smart road’ to support trials in the West Midlands. It is due to be launched in 2020. This will enable smart vehicle monitoring, data […]