Research Highlights and Insights

Too often, policy recommendations in climate-related research are either an afterthought or stray too far into advocacy, a major new analysis has found. Researchers led by the University of Cambridge conducted a systematic review of over 3000 scientific papers focused on climate change mitigation, and found that recommendations of how to turn scien…

A study involving the University of Cambridge has found that 187,000 hectares of forest were lost to mining activity in Africa between 2001 and 2020 - an area roughly equivalent to the country of Mauritius.Using satellite imagery and statistical modelling, researchers found that for every hectare (10,000 square metres) of active mine site in Africa…

Researchers have uncovered new details about how a promising sodium-ion battery material changes while charging, offering a potential route to longer-lasting batteries for storing renewable energy.The work, carried out in collaboration between the Cavendish Laboratory - Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge and University of Cambridg…

The Iberian exception: What was the cost of distorting electricity markets during the 2021–23 European energy crisis? Highlights Results suggested that the Iberian Exception (IE) successfully lowered the gas plant bids. Iberian Exception distortions were large: power flows to Morocco and Andorra increased, and Iberia subsidised their power prices.…

Critical minerals are essential to the future decarbonisation plans of any country in a range of sectors including clean energy transition and defence. The ability for countries to secure this demand into the future is becoming a key concern of policymakers. Despite this concern, it is still unclear how much and when critical minerals will be requi…

Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor to break down hard-to-recycle forms of plastic waste – such as drinks bottles, nylon textiles and polyurethane foams – using acid recovered from old car batteries, and converting it into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals. The reactor, developed by researchers from the University…

As prices rise and the UK Government considers energy bill help once again, a new study warns that the country’s approach to energy support is structurally geared towards short-term crisis response rather than long-term solutions. A Cambridge-led study traces the evolution of British energy policy support since World War II up to reforms announced …

Researchers have developed a new kind of nanoelectronic device that could dramatically cut the energy consumed by artificial intelligence hardware by mimicking the human brain. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, developed a form of hafnium oxide that acts as a highly stable, low‑energy ‘memristor’ — a component designed to mimic t…

Data2BEM’ framework cuts modeling time by 90%, accelerating the path to net-zero buildings.by Jie Luresearch-highlight-image-1-feb-2026-455x239.jpg The building sector is a giant in global energy consumption, accounting for approximately one-third of the world’s energy use. To reach net-zero targets, improving the performance of existing buildings …

The UK’s drive to net zero won’t succeed on wind turbines and solar farms alone. The real bottleneck is moving that clean electricity from remote fields and offshore platforms to the homes, cities and industries that need it. However, a report co-authored by researchers from the University of Cambridge highlights a technology that could change the …