UCL ENERGY INSTITUTE. UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources

Transcription

1 UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources

2 Some stylised facts The current human population is around 7 billion. Barring catastrophe it will rise to 9 billion by 2050 The vast majority of the relatively poor want to live like rich consumers in Europe, North America and other currently rich countries, while the relatively rich in those countries want to get still richer Large populations in relatively poor countries now have the human and technical capacity to get richer There will be a considerable increase in resource consumption, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and destruction/degradation of ecosystems Science (IPCC, MEA) is suggesting that environmental degradation is already beyond safe limits

3 What are the options? Do very little: average global warming of 6 o C (2100); the perfect storm of simultaneous crises of food energy and water (2030) Rich countries give up the desire for further economic growth (steady state economy) or even go for degrowth, reduce resource use and environmental impacts; poor countries grow with less resource use and environmental impact Rapid moves towards a green economy for all countries

4 What are the implications for everyone of continuing on an unsustainable growth trajectory? It s unsustainable, i.e. it will not/cannot continue Thailand floods: GDP declined 9% in the three months through December [2011] from a year earlier. (Bloomberg Finance) Sustained heat, above 38 o C never before endured in 130 years of record keeping caused fires in Russia which destroyed over a quarter of Russia s crops, took 1% off GDP ($15 bn), destroyed 50 villages (with a rebuilding cost of $400m - 1 billion) and took 15,000 lives. (BBC, Daily Telegraph, Bloomberg, Aug.2010) The worst drought in the US in at least half a century has destroyed one-sixth of the country s expected corn crop in a month threatening a surge in global food price inflation. (Financial Times, 10/8/12) This is with less that 1 o C average global warming. What about 6 o C? An unprecedented planetary emergency, Billions will starve Prof. Stephen Emmott, Ten Million, Royal Court Theatre, London, 2012

5 What about Prosperity without growth or degrowth? Attractive to the green middle classes in developed countries, but not to anyone else Politically unrealistic Problems of economic stability, macroeconomic management and funding public services

6 That leaves the Green Economy for all countries Need to harness the forces of capitalism and innovation to set off a green race Factor 10 improvement by 2050 across a wide range of environmental and resource issues is required This is not unprecedented for ozone depletion, local air and water pollution, and waste recycling It has not yet been achieved for GHG emissions and must be The Low-Carbon Energy Transition is the Green Economy s single greatest priority

7 What role for the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources? Created in 2012 through an initial donation from BHP Billiton, the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources (ISR) supports cross-disciplinary, problem-oriented research into the sustainable use of the Earth s resources. Vision A world of globally sustainable resource use. Mission To generate knowledge by supporting high-quality cross-disciplinary research to promote the globally sustainable use of natural resources, with resources defined broadly to include: Abiotic, non-renewable resources, such as minerals and petrochemicals Biotic and potentially renewable resources, such as water, soils, forests, land and sea, and the food they provide, and the underpinning natural environment and resource base that produces the whole range of ecosystem goods and services; Taking full account of the relationship between people, communities and resources; And drawing on the full range of UCL expertise in areas such as energy, waste, environmental engineering, climate change, corporate responsibility, international law, and development in the Global South.

8 UCL ISR research programme DEFINITIONS AND INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABILITY Resource depletion, air/land/water pollution, competing land uses, community impacts GREEN ECONOMY Infrastructure, innovation, policies for different economic sectors and localities, countries and the global economy PROGRAMME RESOURCE AREAS BIOTIC RESOURCES Water, soil, forests, food, habitats, biodiversity, ecosystems ABIOTIC RESOURCES Fossil fuels, metals, non-metallic minerals SPACE Land, Sea RESOURCE EFFICIENCY Technologies, innovation, institutions, governance, policies

9 Doctoral Training The UCL ISR is developing a Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in the Sustainable Use of Resources & the Environment (SURE) to train the next generation of leaders in sustainable resource management. The BHP Billiton agreement provides for 20 funded studentships over five years. Our students will follow a four-year programme with the first year comprising a cross-disciplinary taught MRes. They will work alongside experienced researchers from across UCL in a dynamic environment which provides a cross-disciplinary training environment. The UCL ISR hand-picks the best students from around the world for first-class training and prepares them to hit the ground running, as the sustainability pioneers of tomorrow.

10 2012 PhD studentships Lessons in Sustainable Waste Management From An Ancient Maya Salt Production Centre In Belize Supervisors: Prof. Elizabeth Graham, UCL Institute of Archaeology; Dr. Julia Stegemann, UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering Student: Lindsay Duncan This project will study the association between intensive salt production, short-term environmental degradation, and long-term enhancements in cultivability, biodiversity and shoreline stability at a site of Mayan salt production on Ambergris Caye, an island off the coast of northern Belize. Recovery of Nutrients from Wastewater for Sustainable Fertiliser Production Supervisor: Dr. Luiza Campos UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering Student: Teresa Camarero Esparza This project will explore the potential for nutrients in human waste to be developed as an alternative source of fertiliser nutrients as traditional sources are energy intensive and face potential supply constraints. Energy Efficiency barriers in Africa s copper industry Supervisor: Dr. Neil Strachan, UCL Energy Institute Student: Bernard Tembo This project seeks to identify the key barriers to improving energy efficiency across sub-saharan Africa, with the aim of better informing political decision making to reduce energy dependency and promote sustainable development. Sustainability of manufactured water : Comparative political ecology of desalination plants in London (UK) and Chennai (India) Supervisors: Dr. Sarah Bell, UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering; Dr. Pushpa Arabindoo, UCL Geography Student: Niranjana Ramesh This project will investigate the similarities and differences in policies between the global North and South, by comparing the cases of two desalination plants. Towards sustainable and risk free gas production from an unconventional source Supervisors: Prof Juergen Thurow, UCL Earth Sciences; Prof Philip Meredith, UCL Earth Sciences; Dr Neal Skipper, London Centre for Nanotechnology, Student: Jabraan Ahmed This project addresses one of the most controversial and publically debated energy sources in use today, shale gas.

11 2013 PhD studentships Two clusters: Sustainable resource use: what is it in respect of different resources? How can it be measured? What targets should be set over what timescale? What policies will close any sustainability gap between current and sustainable resource use? Potential PhDs in the areas of Air emissions, inc. carbon footprint, GHGs (PhD1) Fresh water use and quality, water footprint (PhD2) Non-renewable resources fossil fuels, metals, non-metallic minerals, material footprint (PhD3) Land/space, terrestrial biomass food, fuel, fodder, fertiliser (PhD4); ecosystems/biodiversity land footprint (PhD5) Marine biomass/ecosystems/water quality sea footprint (PhD6) Solid waste recycling, circular economy (PhD7) Sustainable cities urban metabolism (PhD8) Energy and materials (steel, concrete, other [inc. rare earth metals]) for the energy transition (PhD9) Modelling the green economy in Asia. Four studentships will be offered to outstanding students from leading research institutions in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

12 European FP7 projects Environmental Macro-Indicators of Innovation (EMInInn) EMInInn will assess the environmental impacts associated with innovation. Choosing Efficient Combinations of Policy Instruments for Low-carbon development and Innovation to Achieve Europe s 2050 climate targets (CECILIA2050) The CECILIA2050 project will undertake the qualitative and quantitative assessments necessary for designing an optimal policy instrument mix for achieving the necessary GHG emissions reductions by 2030 to put the EU on a pathway towards a low-carbon economy by mid-century, with emissions at least 80 per cent below 1990 levels. Policy Options for a Resource-Efficient Economy (POLFREE) UCL ISR is leading this eight-institute project, which will construct a theoretical framework for the analysis of resource efficiency, with detailed comparison of the trends and policies at EU and Member State level, and an analysis of business barriers to resource efficiency, thereby developing an enhanced understanding of the drivers of inefficient resource use. Paul Ekins is a member of the European Resource Efficiency Platform and Vice- Chairman of the DG Environment Commissioner s Group of Economist Experts on Resource Efficiency

13 Events and outreach In addition to supporting research and training across UCL, the ISR will host a series of public events including lectures, seminars and workshops to engage all stakeholders in the sustainable resource debate. This events programme will include the annual BHP Billiton UCL Grand Challenges Symposium series to bring together key academics, industrialists, government figures, policymakers and civil society figures to explore issues relating to sustainability, the environment, resources, responsible planning, human rights and other topics. Paul Ekins is also Chair of the first UCL Policy Commission, the UCL Green Economy Policy Commission, running over UCL ISR will organise from 2013 an annual photo competition within UCL to illustrate aspects of (un)sustainable resource use.

14 Structure within UCL Sister Institute to and working closely with the UCL Energy Institute The two Institutes are a School within the Bartlett (UCL s Faculty of the Built Environment) Close relationship with the UCL School of Energy and Resources (Australia), and its International Energy Policy Institute (also funded by BHP Billiton)

15 Staff Director: Paul Ekins, Professor of Resources and Environmental Policy Deputy Director: Katherine Welch POLFREE researcher: Dr Teresa Domenech EMInInn researcher: Will McDowall Support staff from the new School (shared with UCL Energy Institute) To be appointed: BHP Billiton Chair of Sustainable Global Resources Senior/Lecturer in Environmental and Resource Economics (to help deliver MSc in The Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment (EPEE), with the UCL Energy Institute, from Sept.2013) Research Associate in minerals and energy system modelling CECILIA2050 researcher Further researchers for POLFREE, EMInInn, CECILIA2050

16 Partnership The UCL Energy Institute: shared offices, support staff, research staff, models, methods, social events, sense of humour Other UCL Faculties: shared PhD supervision, research projects and events (Academic Engagement Group) Business Engagement Board: cross-sectoral group of resource-providing and resource-using companies to support research and provide insights

17 Contact For further information on the UCL ISR please contact: Paul Ekins (Director): Katherine Welch (Deputy Director): Tel: +44 (0) Or see