Addressing climate change is a major challenge of the 21st century, with the UK aiming to achieve net zero by 2050. Engineers are a crucial part of the solution and the profession must come together on net zero and play its role.
We work to advance and promote the crucial contribution engineers can make in response to the need for urgent action on climate change.
Explore recent related work
Enabling a decarbonised electricity system
Explore the NEPC (National Engineering Policy Centre) programme on decarbonising electricity in Great Britain.
The role of hydrogen in a net zero energy system
A comprehensive understanding of how low-carbon hydrogen could contribute to achieving net zero.
Decarbonising construction
The construction industry plays a vital role in the economy but must decarbonise if the UK is to meet net zero by 2050
Latest related news and blogs
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Engineers 2030 shows engineering is more than a career, and essential for positive and urgent change
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International collaboration is essential if the Academy is to meet its strategic goals
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Engineering stories
What will a net zero world of 2050 look like? How will engineering help us get there?
Ask the engineers
A series of webinars putting questions to engineering experts on skills, hydrogen, and the role of COP events.
Getting to net zero
A series of video explainers exploring how to take a systems approach towards energy, transport and the built environment to reach net zero.
Explore Academy publications on engineering a green future
Read our reports from 2010 onwards on this policy area.
The role of hydrogen in a net zero energy system
September 2022
A report published by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), a partnership of 42 professional engineering organisations led by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The report highlights risks associated with rapid scale up of low-carbon hydrogen production that must be managed to make the most of hydrogen’s potential to contribute to net zero, such as fugitive emissions from fossil fuel extraction and key dependencies on requisite technologies including carbon capture and storage (CCS), renewable electricity and electrolysers.
Decarbonising construction: building a new net zero industry
September 2021
The UK construction sector should decarbonise more urgently in line with the national emission reduction targets of 68% by 2030 and 78% by 2035 says the NEPC (The National Engineering Policy Centre). This report calls on both government and the construction industry to set challenging but clear targets that will deliver the net zero transformation at pace and at scale.
Rapid ‘low regrets’ decision making for net zero policy
November 2021
The NEPC publishes a ‘low-regrets’ framework to guide government decisions on tackling carbon emissions across the UK. The framework will assist with identifying policy options to help put the country on a pathway to net zero.
Greenhouse gas removal
September 2018
A joint Academy report with the Royal Society said greenhouse gas removal technologies could have a role to play in counteracting emissions from aviation and agriculture, outlining a scenario in which a portfolio of GGR technologies could be implemented together to achieve carbon removal across the world by 2100 to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Sustainability of liquid biofuels
July 2017
An Academy review of the sustainability pros and cons of biofuels concluded that they have a role to play in meeting the UK’s commitments to climate change mitigation, especially so-called second generation biofuels made from wastes and by-products of other sectors.
A critical time for UK energy policy
October 2015
The Academy conducted a seminal report for the Council for Science and Technology saying time was rapidly running out to make the crucial planning decisions and secure investment to keep the UK on track to deliver a reliable, affordable and decarbonised energy system to meet future emissions regulation.
Wind Energy: implications of large-scale deployment on the GB electricity system
April 2014
the Academy flagged that managing wind energy on the GB electricity grid would become increasingly difficult beyond about 20% of supply and called for long-term planning decisions to be made in order to fully decarbonise the UK’s energy system.
Counting the cost: the economic and social costs of electricity shortfalls in the UK
November 2014
the Academy warned that the economic impact of a severe and widespread power outage could run into billions of pounds, with the risk set to increase with increasing dependence on electricity for heating and transport.
Future ship power options: Exploring alternative methods of ship propulsion
July 2013
an Academy review of ship propulsion said shipping had great potential to reduce its environmental impact through new and modified propulsion technologies – but there was no single or simple answer that could meet every need or could be applied to every type of vessel.
GB electricity capacity margin
October 2013
the Academy highlighted the increasing risk of power cuts if the capacity margin of the GB electricity system continued to fall over the next five years as old generating plants reached the end of their life. This report was undertaken for the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and it led the BBC 10 o’clock news on 16 October.
Heat: degrees of comfort? Options for heating homes in a low carbon economy
January 2012
The Academy warned of the scale of the challenge to decarbonise home heating, saying that even with the most modern gas boilers and state-of-the art insulation, heating so many homes by natural gas was incompatible with the 80% cut in emissions laid down in the Climate Change Act 2008.
Generating the Future: UK energy systems fit for 2050
March 2010
The Academy warned that a massive programme of investment and social change would be required to meet the 80% carbon emission reductions required at the time by 2050. All four scenarios developed in the report for decarbonisation required significant demand reductions through a combination of increased efficiencies and behavioural change.
Electric Vehicles: charged with potential
May 2010
The Academy said electric vehicles would only be as ‘green’ as the electricity that charges their batteries, identifying the serious challenge of ensuring that the electricity supply system can cope with charging tens of millions of vehicles while still reducing carbon emissions from power generation.
Explore more of the Academy's work to engineer a green future
Rapid low regrets decision making for net zero policy
Making confident decisions in the face of uncertainty
Sustainable living places
Case study for how systems dynamics can be usefully applied to policymaking
System impacts of aviation fuel switching
Read the summary of a National Engineering Policy Centre workshop exploring the needs and impacts of a range of aviatio…