Area of investment and support

Area of investment and support: Energy and decarbonisation theme

The energy and decarbonisation, and manufacturing and the circular economy themes invest in research and innovation critical to the discovery, development and deployment of technologies and solutions to:

increase the speed of the deliverability of net zero
shift us away from environmentally detrimental industries and processes to more sustainable and circular systems

This includes pioneering new technologies and the rapid scaling and evolution of current technologies.

The themes play an integral role in the EPSRC Engineering Net Zero mission inspired priority outlined in the current EPSRC strategic delivery plan 2022 to 2025.

Partners involved:: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

The scope and what we're doing

The energy and decarbonisation theme aims to position the UK to meet its energy and environmental targets and policy goals through investing in world-class research. It leads the UKRI energy programme on behalf of all research councils, bringing strategy to UK energy research in support of government targets.

The overarching goal of the energy and decarbonisation theme is to invest in research and innovation to secure a low-carbon future, through the creation of reliable, economically viable energy systems while protecting the natural environment, resources and quality of life.

Our aims are to realise the benefits from past research and to focus our resources and build our portfolio in areas with the potential to meet the UK’s 2050 climate change and net zero targets.

The energy and decarbonisation theme promotes multidisciplinary partnerships between researchers, industry, funders and government departments, and has a current portfolio in excess of £500 million.

Research areas

Each research area covered by the energy and decarbonisation theme is listed below:

Our approach

EPSRC has been actively managing its portfolio since 2004 to enhance the UK’s international standing in energy and decarbonisation research.

Working with the UKRI energy programme Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) we have updated the energy programme’s priorities, which are followed by the EPSRC energy and decarbonisation theme priorities.

Our inputs included the UK government’s Clean Growth Strategy, the work of the Net Zero Innovation Board and wider feedback on strengths and future priorities following community engagement undertaken by EPSRC’s energy and decarbonisation team.

Key engagement activities

Using the UKRI energy programme priorities to commence discussions, the EPSRC energy and decarbonisation theme engaged with a variety of stakeholders through a series of activities including:

formal, structured activities: for example, workshops, regular meetings of the Energy programme SAC and the cross-research council programme coordination group
less formal discussions with: academic and industrial stakeholders, UKRI partners, and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

We meet regularly with the SAC to review areas directly associated with energy and decarbonisation research, as well as those from across EPSRC’s portfolio that may potentially have some bearing on energy and decarbonisation research.

We also routinely engage with a number of key stakeholders in energy and decarbonisation across the research and innovation landscape, including policymakers, academia and businesses.

We drew heavily on these relationships to ensure the national research priorities for energy and decarbonisation in the UK are well supported.

Why we're doing it

Research is the key to achieving an affordable low carbon energy system while conserving our natural resources, the environment and our quality of life.

To help combat climate change the UK has a target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, an enormous task requiring changes to every sector of energy generation, supply, use and regulation, and the decarbonisation of sectors across the UK. These reductions need to be delivered while creating a secure energy system for the UK:

providing affordable energy
enabling continued economic growth
limiting impact on scarce natural resources and the environment

Challenges

The key short-term challenge is to rapidly accelerate the deployment of green energy technologies that decarbonise our energy supply and increase energy efficiency in buildings, industry and transport sectors. There is also an opportunity to develop existing networks and infrastructure to support the changing energy and decarbonisation landscape, such as through carbon capture and storage and large-scale deployment of renewables.

Research for our future

It is only through fundamental research focused on addressing these challenges that truly transformative changes to our energy future beyond 2050 can occur. The energy and decarbonisation theme, working with UKRI partners, is uniquely positioned to provide policymakers with guidance about the development of potential energy scenarios and their impact on citizens, the economy and the environment. This demands understanding of behaviour change, environmental systems analysis and technological innovation.

View evidence sources used to inform our research strategies.

Opportunities, support and resources available

You can apply for funding to support an EPSRC research proposal in the area of energy and decarbonisation at any time under any open EPSRC scheme, including: