News

Today is energy day at COP26, when the main negotiations will turn to energy related topics. UKERC Director Rob Gross is in Glasgow attending the event.

Two main items are on the agenda are powering past coal, a coalition that the UK has been active in for several years, and the green grids initiative. UKERC has been actively supporting work on green grids, with UKERC researcher Dr Will Blyth providing analytical support in the COP Unit on a UKERC secondment.  A joint endeavour with India, One World One Sun One Grid is part of this, which was launched on Tuesday and we expect more details later today.

Watch a video of Rob and Will at COP26 discussing energy day and the green grids initiative  below. You can also read a blog by Will about this here.

The UK Presidency is placing much of its aspiration around a number of campaign themes that seek to build a coalition of the willing, to push faster than the minimum targets set in the negotiations. COP Unit Deputy Director Simon Sharpe explains this in our latest podcast, which you can listen to here.

UKERC is also supporting UKRI in their outreach work at COP where for energy day they are featuring the role of research in tacking energy challenges. You can register to visit the UKRI virtual platform here.

Next week, to coincide with science and innovation day we will also be launching report on key issues in electricity market design and policy, exploring what might be needed to ensure continued growth in renewables.