Knowledge Exchange

Dr Simon JackmanHead of Knowledge Exchange

Presentation to Leeds University4 February 2010

Knowledge Exchange

• Engaging businesses – the Green Economy• Living with Environmental Change• Technology Strategy Board• Knowledge exchange mechanisms• Impact strategy and links to RCUK• Impact Plans

The green economy

What is a successful green economy?• Makes optimal use of environmental resources

and processes• Understands environmental constraints and the

process of environmental change• Develops and implements technologies and

solutions that ensure environmental sustainability• Generates wealth whilst preserving social justice

How is this achieved?• Adaptation of existing infrastructure (e.g.

buildings, transport)• Development of existing environmental

sectors (e.g. water, resource extraction, waste)

• Emergence of new technologies and services (e.g. climate services, geoengineering)

The green economy

CCS & sequestration

Renewables

Construction

Water

Wastemanagement

Agri-food

Ecosystemservices

Insurance

Carbonaccountingand trading

Infrastructure Environment/Utilities

ServicesEnergy

Monitoring

NaturalResourceExtraction

Current economy

Oil and gas

Low-carbonmanufacturing

Climate &Information

services

Marine

Nuclear

Transport

CCS &sequestration

+3-4%

Renewables+6-8% to+12.8%

Construction+0.5%

Water+1.4%

WasteManagement

+3-7%

Agri-food+1.3-1.6%%

EcosystemServices+12.5%

Insurance

Carbonaccountingand trading

+7%

Infrastructure Environment/Utilities

ServicesEnergy

Monitoring+1.8%

NaturalResource

Extraction

Future green economy (2015)

Oil and gas

Low-carbonManufacturing

+5%

Climate &Information

Services

Marine

Nuclear

Transport+2.4%

The LWEC partnership brings together 20 UK organisations funding, undertaking and using environmental research to accelerate the delivery of research on environmental change into policy and business.

To provide government, business and society with foresight, knowledge and tools in mitigating, adapting to and capitalising on environmental change

A. To predict the impacts of climate change and to promote sustainable solutions through mitigation and adaptation (NERC, Defra)

B. To manage ecosystem services for human well-being and to protect the natural environment in a changing world (Defra, NERC)

C. To promote human well-being, alleviate poverty and minimise waste by ensuring a sustainable supply of food and water (BBSRC)

D. To protect human, plant and animal health from diseases, pests and environmental hazards in a changing environment (SG)

E. To make infrastructure, the built environment and transport systems resilient to environmental change, less carbon intensive and more socially acceptable (EPSRC)

F. To understand how people respond to a changing environment and develop thriving, cohesive and informed communities (ESRC, ?, ?)

LWEC objectives

A. Climate change– Joint climate research and Integrated climate

programmes– AVOIDing dangerous climate change– Climate economics

B. Ecosystem services and biodiversity– National Ecosystem Assessment– Development of the ecosystem approach (National ecosystem

assessment, Biodiversity and ecosystem service sustainablility, Insect pollinator initiative, Ecosystem services for poverty alleviation, Macronutrient cycles, Ocean acidification, Carbon flux)

Programme developments

C. Sustainable food and water– Ecosystem services for poverty alleviation– Changing water cycle

D. Plant, animal and human health– Insect pollinator initiative– Environmental exposure and health– Environmental and social ecology of human infectious

diseases

Programme developments

E. Resilient infrastructure– Intelligent transport systems and services– Low carbon vehicles– Low impact buildings

F. People and communities– Multi-objective land use decision making– Behavioural change centres

Programme developments

• Business Advisory Board established for LWEC by NERC and TSB

• Provides strategic advice to LWEC partners on business opportunities and challenges

• Role will be to initially look at existing programmes, then identify gaps and challenges

• Mechanism for stronger engagement between NERC and TSB

Engagement – partnershipsLWEC and TSB

• Colin Drummond, Executive Director, Pennon Group plc, Chief Executive, Viridor (Chairman)

• Dr Mike Lant, Global Licensing Manager, R&D, External Partnerships, Syngenta (Agri-food)

• Mr Stephen Wells, Group Strategy and Business Development Director, Costain Ltd. (Construction)

• Mr Mark Fairbairn, Executive Director, Gas Distribution, National Grid Transco (Energy)

LWEC BAB

• Mr David Singleton, Chairman, Global Infrastructure Practice, Arup Group (Environmental Consultancy)

• Dr Dominic Nash, Fund Manager, Director, Credit Suisse Utilities and Climate Change (Financial Services)

• Mr Andrew Torrance, CEO, Allianz UK (Insurance)• Mr Richard Gillies, Director Plan A, Marks &

Spencer (Retail)

LWEC BAB (2)

• Dr Gev Eduljee, Director of External Affairs, SITA UK (Waste)

• Mr Jonson Cox, Deputy Chairman, Anglian Water Group (Water)

• Mr Peter French, Chief Executive, British Maritime Technologies (Marine)

• Dr Matt Perkins, Chief Executive, Surrey Satellites (Instrumentation)

LWEC BAB

Opportunities with TSB

• “Design for Future Climate” competition – Summer 2010 – Low Impact Buildings Innovation Platform

• Agri-food Innovation Platform (started Autumn 2009)

• Water Innovation Platform (proposed 2010)• Energy Generation and Supply Integrated

Delivery Plan

KE Mechanisms

• KE Call• KE Fellows• CASE awards• KTPs• Policy placements• Systematic reviews• Scoping studies

KE Call

• Under review• Recently focussed on a small number of large

projects• Questions:

– Support for individuals– Use of smaller (£100k max.) funds

KE Fellows

• Linking Innovation in NERC initiative• 8 KE Fellows in HEIs across the UK• Focussed on business sectors and maximising

impact• Also scoping networks and activities– marine

industries, energy• Potential to expand to 20 fellows, some

focussed across the research community

CASE awards

• Trialled ring-fencing in 4 sectors for 2010 start studentships

• Future focus on engagement with users, whether in business, policy, regulation or other stakeholders

• Must have a link to use rather than supporting a research collaboration

KTPs

• Approximately 20 KTPs funded• Could be expanded as NERC area is growing,

against national trends• First NERC-sponsored Leeds KTP with Drax

power being reviewed today• TSB increasing all KTPs, including short-term

3-month to 1-year KTPs• How could these be more attractive and

useful?

Policy Placements

3 Current placements:

• DECC and Climate change• DECC and Defra on LWEC and science to policy• Environment Agency and Horizon Scanning

Systematic reviews

• Originated in the medical community with the Cochrane collaboration

• Evidence-based analytical approach to research findings

• Currently being used with construction industry and climate change – working with TSB

• Next round with water, linking to UKWIR, Defra, EA and DCLG

Scoping studies

• Energy• Resources• Waste• Water• Transport• Ecosystem services• Marine

• Climate services• Agri-food• Insurance• Carbon accounting

and trading

Impact Plans

• Name change to “Pathways to Impact”• Secondary criterion for assessment of

proposals within NERC• Harmonisation of communication across RCUK

Storm Surge Protection and Prediction of Extreme Weather Events

• NERC Modelling Safeguards Lives (£31 billion pa): In November 2007 the east coast of the UK experienced the worst storm surge for 20 years. Water levels due to tide and waves were accurately forecast two days ahead by NERC-funded predictive models. This prediction allowed agencies to operate the Thames Barrier and evacuate at-risk areas, so avoiding fatalities and significant financial losses. A similar storm surge in 1953 caused 307 deaths.

• NERC Modelling Safeguards property (£2 billion pa): Environment Agency analysis shows over 300km of roads and more than 500,000 homes are at risk of flooding in the Thames floodplain. NERC predictive modelling enables the relevant authority to raise the Thames Barrier, alleviating much of the risk. The estimated value of property within this area is £200 billion. 1% of this represents £2 billion in property assets.

• Safeguarding London Economy (£2 billion pa in foreign investment, plus £94 million per flood day in avoided costs): Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is worth £42 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to London each year. FDI could be severely curtailed should London be perceived at risk from flooding. Even a 5% fall in FDI due to perceived flood risk would cost the London economy £2.1 billion per annum. In addition, the economic cost of a flood event is estimated at c£94 million in GVA per flood day.

NERC-funded storm surge modelling protects lives, assets and investments.

Economic analysis conducted by DTZ in accordance with HMT Green Book methodology

WEATHER MODELLING BENEFITS THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Attracting global R&D investment : delivering skilled people : safeguarding jobs

NERC modelling improves insurance industry performance (£62-£130m pa)NERC’s catastrophe weather modelling is being incorporated into reinsurance models which help prevent the unexpected accumulation of risk which may lead to large losses. A 5% reduction in average insured losses due to storm damage alone would be worth £62-130m a year to the insurance industry.

NERC attracts private sector investment in research and training (£0.8m pa to date)NERC’s investment in high-resolution climate modelling at Reading University has led to the Willis Research Network entering into a long-term partnership with the University worth more than £0.8m a year for resources including fellows and PhD students tasked with turning academic assets into practical applications for the insurance industry.

NERC safeguards jobs and UK industry (worth £7.2 billion)The UK insurance industry is the largest in Europe and the third-largest in the world: it employs 313,000 people. Creating and exploiting new knowledge in fields such as catastrophe weather modelling helps maintain the UK’s competitive position as a centre for reinsurance and to support the industry’s growth in the future. NERC funding contributes to safeguarding and improving the £7.2 billion insurance sector to the benefit of the UK economy.

Economic analysis funded by NERC, conducted by DTZ in accordance with HMT Green Book methodology