How can we build a low carbon economy in Leeds?
Dr Tom Knowland, Head of Sustainable Energy and Climate Change at Leeds City Council, completed a 12-month secondment with the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) at the University of Leeds. Dr Knowland and his colleagues in SRI developed and shared knowledge in two areas of key importance to the city of Leeds: developing a low-carbon economy, and supporting low-carbon, high-quality lifestyles.
The secondment has had a far-reaching impact across the city of Leeds and has resulted in the development of significant relationships between academia and industry.
We need to build a resource-efficient, climate-resilient city, which will be a better place to live for all of us, but will also make us more competitive and better able to ride out future economic shocks. Partnerships between the University and the City Council could be a profitable way to tackle these issues close to home, as well as producing research outcomes that are of global benefit.
– Dr Tom Knowland
Impact
- Climate policy impact: developed Leeds Committee on Climate Change (LCCC) to advise local decision-makers on carbon emissions targets, support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate change.
- Local collaboration: knowledge exchange with Leeds City Council, which led to over 11 additional partnerships across Leeds.
Key information
- Major funders: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA)
- Partners and collaborators: Leeds City Council
- Disciplines: sustainability, construction, climate change adaptation
- Investigators: Dr Tom Knowland, Professor Alice Owen.
Building a better city
The secondment enabled SRI's expertise on decarbonisation to be deployed into the city of Leeds. The research identified six priority areas in which to develop major projects:
- energy behaviour change
- new-build housing
- transport
- bioenergy
- energy storage
- air quality.
Partnerships were created across the city, including furthering relationships between the Faculty of Engineering, the School of Earth and Environment, the Institute for Transport Studies and the School of Geography at the University of Leeds with over 11 departments within Leeds City Council. The development of these partnerships has brought a diverse range of benefits to those living and working in Leeds.
This secondment led to more than 25 new collaborative project ideas and 12 new research proposals. Two significant pieces of research have since begun in the city: 'Transformational Routemapping for Urban Environments' (under the RCUK Urban Living Partnership), which is a multi-sector consortium that investigates interrelated urban challenges; and the 'EPSRC National Facility for Innovative Robotic Systems', a £4.3 million national facility which gives researchers and industrial partners access to a suite of technologies for robot design and construction.
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
A further outcome of the secondment was the development of the Leeds Committee on Climate Change (LCCC). The broad aim of the LCCC will be to advise local partners and decision-makers on carbon emissions targets and prepare progress reports on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change.
The LCCC acts as a focus for measures such as those identified in the Mini-Stern Review for the Leeds City Region, by helping to make the economic case for project development, implementation and investment in low carbon and climate resilience projects in the city.
Specific projects were either progressed, completed or developed to the point of implementation during the secondment, bringing substantial benefits to a diverse range of interests such as air quality, bioenergy, energy storage technologies, energy use in social housing, smarter travel solutions, major vehicle fleet analysis, sustainable design and construction.
Professor Alice Owen, Director of the Sustainability Research Institute, said:
There’s such a wealth of expertise at the University and it is very rewarding to find ways to apply that expertise in ways that improve the city we live and work in. Through this secondment we opened up a range of new research routes and positive research relationships.
Joint funding for projects has been pursued, with successes in both attracting funding for specific projects (for example approximately £10,000 for Energy Use in Social Housing), funding for projects being developed in the city (for example about £3 million for Smarter Travel Solutions and Energy Storage Technologies) and numerous examples of in-kind support from existing research resources.
Additionally, the secondment led to extensive learning about the processes and capacities required to ensure effective alignment of University research expertise with Council strategic priorities. Recommendations were developed to put in place improved liaison processes between both organisations.
Overall, the secondment has had a far-reaching impact across the city of Leeds and has resulted in the development of significant relationships between academia and industry.
Dr Tom Knowland said: "This secondment took place at a time when both Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds have a mutually shared interest in achieving successful collaboration between both organisations.
The experience of embedding a Council employee inside the University has been shown to be a vital catalyst in driving collaboration, building up levels of trust within both organisations, establishing networks, increasing communication and creating the environment within which effective collaboration is more likely to succeed.
This project was sponsored by the UKRI Impact Acceleration Account.