Leading academics from the University of Cambridge and Lund University came together for an international research conference on “Knowledge for Sustainable Development: Breaking Barriers to Climate Solutions.”
The event, held in Lund and online, attracted 277 participants from universities, government agencies, and industry to share insights and accelerate climate action. The conference was co-organised by Lund’s Sustainability Forum and Cambridge Zero.
A small delegation of academics from Cambridge travelled to Lund to participate in the conference in-person.
The day opened with a keynote from Prof Lars J. Nilsson (Lund University), who outlined Europe’s deep decarbonisation pathways for carbon-intensive industries such as steel and cement production, and the petrochemical industry.
He highlighted the scale of structural changes required in these hard-to-decarbonise sectors, and the reliance on critical raw materials which are crucial for batteries and other technologies.
The Energy Transition roundtable, co-chaired by Dr Ewa Marek (Cambridge, Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology) and Prof Elna Heimdal Nilsson (Lund), explored how renewable energy and emerging technologies can transform the production of green chemicals and fuels. Discussions focused on how to transition the chemical industry away from reliance on petrochemicals, instead using bio-ethanol and other renewable feedstocks for green chemical production. The roundtable also considered whether it is possible to develop effective bio-fuels that are cost-effective and can work in traditional engines, such as for aviation.