Chemistry's role in energy and sustainability

Some countries have already set targets to reduce emissions; following the 2008 Climate Change Act, the UK government set out its aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% from the 1990 baseline, by 2050, and President Obama’s recent Clean Power Plan promises a 32% drop from the 2005 baseline by 2030.

More broadly, there is a need to reduce both gaseous and particulate emissions because of their direct impacts on human health; the World Health Organisation reported that around seven million people died globally as a result of air pollution in 2012. Chemists have a role in understanding air pollution and developing ways to mitigate against it. Earlier this year, Professor Alastair Lewis of the University of York delivered a public lecture at Burlington House explaining Air Pollution, Past, Present and Future, which is available on our website.

The idea that we can better use waste products as a resource is a key part of Europe’s future plans to develop a more sustainable economy. Later this year the European Commission will be presenting their strategy for a circular economy, aiming to transform Europe into a more competitive, resource-efficient economy.

New and improved technologies

To address the 'energy trilemma' we need to develop low-emission, cost-effective and efficient energy technologies. The chemical sciences have an important role to play in meeting this need, from electricity generation and energy storage to understanding the potential impacts of different energy options. Our community is working towards a host of chemistry solutions, underpinned by advances across catalysis, materials, sensing and formulation and the many interfaces between chemistry and other disciplines such as engineering, biology and environmental sciences.

In July, we were one of 24 organisations to release a communiqué calling on governments to take action and commit to an international response on climate change at the COP21/CMP11 meeting, which starts at the end of November. The communiqué also highlighted the opportunities for innovation and economic growth in tackling the threats posed by climate change, and the far-reaching interconnections between climate change, air, water, food, energy and resource security.

Our new Inspirational chemistry for a modern economy brochure includes examples of advances in energy technologies that are also leading to returns on government investment in science.

An example is transport, which accounts for 27% of UK energy use. Ilika Technologies plc, a spin-out form the University of Southampton, uses combinatorial chemistry to produce large numbers of compounds in a single process, enabling the development of a wide range of materials. These new materials have been used to increase the energy capacity of solid-state lithium-ion batteries, with the technology used in the development of the next generation of Toyota electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Another example is the work of University of Sussex researchers into the effects of radiation on graphite, which is used in nuclear reactors. They used models to examine the structure of graphite and to predict its behaviours under different radiation scenarios. Their work contributed to ensuring that reactor condition was assessed more accurately, meaning the lifetime of current reactors was extended significantly, leading to savings of tens of millions of pounds.

Supporting the community

In July, our Energy Sector Interest Group organised the first Chemistry in Energy conference at Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh. Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism of the Scottish Parliament, gave the plenary address to open the conference. That covered a breadth of energy topics ranging from fossil fuels to nuclear and renewable energy and the conference also provided the opportunity for us to present our 2015 Sustainable Energy Award winner with their medal.

Energy materials was also a theme at our 12th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC12). Delegates discussed advances in perovskite solar cells, high performance supercapacitor electrodes, lithium-ion batteries and energy storage. MC12 showcased the latest advances in materials chemistry from around the world, and sessions like the one on energy materials illustrate the interplay between curiosity-driven research and new solutions to global challenges such as energy.

Looking forward

A transition to a circular economy, with a greater emphasis on reuse and renewal, would create numerous opportunities for chemistry-based innovations, for example harnessing waste as a resource. In November we will host a symposium on Renewable Chemicals from Waste, bringing together chemists, biologists and engineers to discuss ways of developing processes to better exploit waste as a resource.

Another interesting possibility is that of converting CO2 from a waste product to a valuable feedstock, indeed this month we will host a Faraday Discussion on Carbon Dioxide Utilisation. In 2016, we will host a Faraday Discussion on Carbon Capture and Storage that will examine materials for capture and potential future deployment.

In the UK we have also seen increasing calls from the Government to use shale gas, to help secure domestic energy supplies. Extraction of shale gas using the technique known as fracking is already widespread in the USA. Concerns regarding environmental impacts have been raised on both sides of the Atlantic. Our Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division is supporting a joint USA-UK workshop on unconventional hydrocarbons in Washington DC, along with the UK Natural Environment Research Council and the United States National Science Foundation. The aim of the workshop is for researchers from the USA and UK working on potential impacts of shale gas extraction to share knowledge and identify opportunities for further research in areas such as aquifer contamination and fugitive emissions.

As governments strive to tackle inter-related challenges such as energy and materials security, climate change and pollution, the chemical sciences will have a vital role to play in the development of the new technologies required to help tackle global energy and sustainability issues for future generations.

Find out more about our work across energy and sustainability.