Annual Report 2014

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Artist’s impression of the Urban Sciences Building on Science Central, which is due to open in 2017

Sir Joseph Swan Centenary at the Literary and Philosophical Society Library

Smart Grid Laboratory at Newcastle University

Laboratory work for the NUFEB – Frontiers in Engineering Biology project

Dr Nick Baker presenting a demonstration at the John H. Holmes Memorial Lectures

Smart Grid Laboratory at Newcastle University

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WelcomeFrom the Director, Professor Phil Taylor2014 was a great year for academics working in sustainability research in which we’ve seen the fruition of efforts to refine the focus of the Institute in 2013. In January, we launched our extremely successful funding calls. Our most popular call was focussed on Early Career Researchers, launching a long-term commitment to support these researchers and their potential to impact the growth of research capacity at Newcastle University. We held our inaugural Annual Conference (page 8) in November, celebrating and showcasing the high quality, interdisciplinary research being supported by the Institute.In 2015 the Institute will continue to help raise the funding, profile and impact of researchers in sustainability at Newcastle University. We have a number of new and emerging initiatives around urban health and the environment, and the research to policy interface. In addition we will continue to run our funding calls, work with our Partnerships Committee (see page 2) to enhance the Institute’s external profile, and develop Newcastle University’s Internationalisation Strategy.

Professor Phil Taylor, Director of Newcastle University Institute for Sustainability

Contents

Find usInstitute for SustainabilityDevonshire BuildingNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneNE1 7RU

E-mail: sustainability@ncl.ac.ukWebsite: www.ncl.ac.uk/sustainabilityBlog: sustainabilityncl.wordpress.com

@NCLSustainable

SustainabilityNCL

Societal Challenge Themes 2Partnerships Committee 2Research Challenges 3Areas of Research Excellence 3Research Highlights 4Demonstration Projects 6Outreach and Engagement 8

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Societal Challenge ThemesAs part of Newcastle University’s overall focus on research excellence with impact, selected Societal Challenge Themes were chosen to ensure that our research helps to address key global issues.The three Societal Challenge Themes are: Ageing, Social Renewal and Sustainability.

The Ageing theme brings together, under the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, world-leading research and engagement to address both social and health challenges and opportunities for an ageing society. More information on the Institute for Ageing can be found at www.ncl.ac.uk/ageing

Ageing

Social RenewalThe Newcastle University Institute for Social Renewal supports research across the University relating to how individuals, communities and organisations adapt and thrive in times of rapid, transformational change.More information on the Institute for Social Renewal can be found at www.ncl.ac.uk/socialrenewal

Sustainability

The Institute for Sustainability provides leadership and innovation in sustainability research and demonstration with a focus on research excellence, interdisciplinarity and practical, engaged solutions to real-world sustainability issues. A hallmark of the Institute’s activities is to bridge boundaries and be highly collaborative within the University, and work with industry, academia, policymakers and communities both in the UK and internationally. Find out how you can get involved at www.ncl.ac.uk/sustainability

Our Partnerships Committee consists of representatives from industry, policy and the not-for-profit and voluntary sector, who offer guidance on the Institute’s mission and contribute to its five year strategic plan, giving important feedback essential to improving our interaction with organisations beyond Newcastle University. At our most recent Partnerships Committee meeting, researchers with work funded by the Institute were given the opportunity to present their research and gain valuable feedback.Partners work together with the Institute to help raise its profile and identify emerging areas where Newcastle University research in sustainability can make the greatest impact. Partners represented on the committee include Armstrong Energy, Defra, Gateshead Council, IBM, Newcastle City Council, Northumbrian Water, Siemens and WWF-UK. For a full list of our partners please see: www.ncl.ac.uk/sustainability/partners/external

Partnerships Committee

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Our three global research challenges are underpinned by the concept of Justice and Governance which cuts across all sectors and areas of policy and is at the centre of the Institute’s work in sustainability. Concerns about justice and governance go beyond corporate social responsibility and include the wider principles of fairness.

Newcastle University is leading research that supports the rights of all people to environmental benefits and that safeguards communities from environmental burdens, including pollution and climate risks.

WaterReducing water scarcity by improving water harvesting technologies and forecasting heavy rainfall induced by climate change. Demonstration projects at Newcastle University, such as NUFEB and EdenDTC, are developing solutions to water pollution, water shortage and wastewater treatment. The Institute also supports interdisciplinary research in the natural and social sciences on implementing good governance practices to manage water resources and sanitation for all.

Earth Systems EngineeringAddressing the analysis, design, engineering and management of environmental systems. This includes improving drought and flood predictions as well as informing policy for sustainable land use and water catchment management worldwide. Through the Iwokrama demonstration project, researchers are addressing the vulnerability and resilience of rainforests to land use and climate change.

EnergyLeading research in energy infrastructure such as smart grids and storage, but also smart ways to reduce energy demand. Demonstration projects at Newcastle University, such as Science Central, Cockle Park Farm and the Customer-Led Network Revolution, are building the future for how people use, distribute, generate and store energy in urban and rural environments.

FoodExploring ways to prevent food waste, develop sustainable food manufacturing, eliminate people’s exposure to food contaminants and increase food resource efficiency. The Institute supports a wide range of projects such as Food Newcastle, which is dedicated to creating a healthier food culture across the city. Researchers also specialise in enhancing nutrient use efficiency in crops, sustainable livestock production and integrating conservation measures in urban areas.

TransportMaking vehicles greener and implementing the infrastructure necessary to deliver low carbon transport. Researchers are working on ways to improve the safety of road transport through the Compass4D demonstration project and investigating the impacts of electric vehicles through Switch-EV. They are also addressing transport poverty to better understand the impact it has on mobility in cities, and finding digital solutions for electric vehicle infrastructure.

For more information about the Research Challenges and Areas of Research Excellence, see our website: www.ncl.ac.uk/sustainability/research

Areas of Research Excellence

Research ChallengesThese research challenges have been selected because they are globally important, fit with our areas of research excellence and are contextually relevant to regional, national and international communities.

The Institute for Sustainability supports the following five areas of established research excellence at Newcastle University which make it well placed for tackling the above global research challenges in the field of sustainability:

Integrated Infrastructure SystemsThe Institute seeks to transform methods used to design, implement and manage the world’s transition towards infrastructure systems that integrate food, water, transport and energy to better serve the needs of society and ensure positive interactions with the environment.

Production and ResourcesThere is a growing need to make significant changes to how the Earth’s natural, economic and engineering resources are sustained, distributed, protected and managed. Through innovative research we aim to develop ways to maximise production efficiency, reduce our ecological footprint and conserve natural resources.

Consumption and WasteThe Institute is supporting new research at Newcastle University to significantly reduce resource consumption, minimise waste in food, energy, transport and water systems, and lessen the effects of pollution on whole ecosystems.

Justice and Governance

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Research Highlights

Investigating the link between environmental contaminants and liver diseaseProfessor Matthew Wright, Institute of Cellular Medicine, is leading a multidisciplinary team of toxicologists, environmental scientists and clinicians to uncover a potential link between the prevalence of an autoimmune liver disease known as Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) and contaminants within the environment. Historic data has inferred that communities who live close to toxic waste disposal sites have higher incidence of this disease, but a direct link has never been established between disease incidence and specific environmental contaminants. Funding from the Institute allows Matthew and his research team to test environmental samples taken from a case study area close to a historic area of heavy industry and an active landfill site, to identify a potential mechanism for PBC, that if found could lead to strategies to reduce it.

Improving food security for Maroon communities in Jamaica Dr Diana Paton, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, is researching ways to boost food security for the Jamaican Maroon communities whose way of life is threatened by high post-harvest crop losses. Traditional food preservation methods plus a more cooperative system of farming could help secure food supplies for the Maroon communities and preserve their heritage. A field trip funded by the Institute assisted Diana and colleagues Dr Barbara Sturm and Helen McKee in documenting the traditional preservation methods of the Maroon communities to help prevent them from becoming extinct.

Understanding the effectiveness of protected areas in safeguarding natural habitatsResearch funded by the Institute led by Professor Mark Whittingham, School of Biology, with Dr Ailsa McKenzie, School of Biology, investigates the largest protected area network in the world, Europe’s Natura-2000, to see whether it is proving effective in protecting natural habitats both at the European and national scales. While methods exist for evaluating the effectiveness of Protected Area management, there is a lack of analysis as to whether they are meeting their conservation objectives, such as preservation of natural habitats and biodiversity.

Energy neutral anaerobic treatment for municipal wastewaterDr Jan Dolfing, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, is investigating a less energy-intensive way to treat wastewater through low temperature anaerobic treatment using microorganisms adapted to the cold, reducing the need for aeration to treat wastewater. In the UK about 3% of all electricity generated is used by the water industry, and about half of that is used for aeration. Funding from the Institute is allowing Jan and his research team to explore and potentially demonstrate the feasibility of treating municipal wastewater using cold adapted microorganisms collected from permanently cold environments, such as the Arctic (see photo left), potentially shaving 1% off the UK electricity bill.

Examples of interdisciplinary research at Newcastle University funded by the Institute for Sustainability

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Examples of Newcastle University research impacts in sustainabilityAssessing the impacts of extreme weather on infrastructure and resourcesNewcastle University research from the CONVEX project led by Professor Hayley Fowler, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, in modelling extreme weather hazards, has revolutionised capabilities and practice in the design and planning of resilient infrastructure systems adapted to future climates. The robust assessments developed by researchers model heavy rainfall, drought and wind storms for present and future climates. They include damage from flood, failure to water supply and damage to infrastructure from multiple environmental hazards. These assessments inform plans and designs to adapt infrastructure systems to future climates. The modelling approach for rainfall developed by researchers is now used by companies in the UK water industry to formulate water resource management planning. Rainfall models have also been developed for the Willis Research Network, useful for the international insurance and re-insurance industries.

Shaping policy and practice for sustainable water resource management Newcastle University research in the management of flooding and agricultural pollution, led by Professor Esteban Castro, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, has informed national and international policy, providing national guidance to government bodies on best practice using demonstration sites. Researchers have provided evidence for natural flood management in water catchments throughout the UK, and have installed flood defence solutions that have protected communities at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional flood defences. They have also developed approaches to water resource modelling in nine Nile-based countries in Africa, enabling a shared approach to catchment management. Integrated approaches to national water management have been established for Latin American countries, combining science, management and policy.

Increased productivity and sustainability for soil-based greenhouse productionNewcastle University research into improving commercial soil-based greenhouse productivity, led by Professor Carlo Leifert, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, has led to an increase in profitability (due to higher yields and lower costs) and a significant reduction in the negative environmental impacts of commercial, organic and other soil-based greenhouse crop production systems in Europe (UK, Greece and Crete). The research has led to improved profits for UK organic tomato farmers, estimated to be up to £100,000 per ha/year and has allowed large scale organic glasshouse production to be a viable option to meet the demands of the UK organic market. In Greece, increased profits are estimated at €25,000 per ha/year and in Crete the estimated value of reduced soil disease control and pest management is €110,000 per ha/year.

Strengthening policy for coral reef restoration in the face of climate change The provision of internationally-adopted guidelines on best practice research at Newcastle University between 1993 and 2008 has impacted how coral reefs are managed by industry, government, marine park authorities and communities. The research, led by Professor Alasdair Edwards, School of Biology, has addressed knowledge gaps which hindered coral reef restoration and then communicated findings to decision makers to change policy and improve the success of restoration projects. In the face of climate change, a key impact has been to expose the risks of failure of short-term active interventions and the cost-effectiveness of longer term management approaches that increase the resilience of coral reef ecosystems.

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Demonstration Projects

Science CentralThe perfect environment for exploring digitally enabled urban sustainability and for demonstrating how sustainability research from Newcastle University can benefit the local region.Science Central is a major urban sustainability initiative founded through a partnership between Newcastle University and Newcastle City Council to develop a smart, sustainable, resilient city which links energy, transport and digital infrastructure in an urban context. The site went live in November 2014 with the opening of The Core (pictured). This £11.2 million building, funded through the European Regional Development Fund 2007-2013 (ERDF), Regional Growth Fund and Newcastle City Council, provides contemporary office space for firms working on a range of future city challenges. At opening, the Core was 90% pre-let to tenants specialising in urban consultancy, sensor technology, transport and energy sectors. The Core also hosts big data research projects through the Cloud Innovation Centre with industry partners Red Hat and Microsoft. The Urban Sciences Building (pictured), scheduled to open in 2017, will host a suite of additional ground-breaking, new projects including: the creation of a unique £2 million grid-connected energy storage test bed in collaboration with Siemens; the Urban Observatory which will collect a diverse set of data from across the city of Newcastle; and the Decision Theatre which will use data from the Urban Observatory to facilitate public and stakeholder engagement around urban sustainability. A unique feature of this building is that computer science plays a key role tying together these aspects of urban sustainability research that would otherwise be isolated. To make this vision a reality, the School of Computing Science with all its research groups and teaching facilities is relocating to the building. New projects and research collaborations using digital technologies for sustainability challenges are already starting up as a result of this initiative. www.ncl.ac.uk/sciencecentral

Examples of projects that demonstrate sustainable solutions to global problems

Customer-Led Network Revolution (CLNR)CLNR enables energy customers to have more of a choice in how they use and generate electricity with the aim of speeding up the adoption of low carbon technologies in the UK.The customer trials involved 11,000 domestic and 2,000 small-medium sized enterprises. Electrical Energy Storage (EES) and other smart grid technologies were tested in 200 trials. The project concentrated on learning outcomes including profiling customers’ load and generation characteristics, customer and network flexibility, resolving network restraints, and identifying the most effective means to deliver solutions to customer, supplier and distribution networks. Research findings have been published in a variety of formats in an open resource library on the CLNR website, and have also been presented in a set of five learning outcome reports. The CLNR project has had considerable exposure to policymakers including the opportunity for two researchers of the CLNR project team to give evidence in front of the UK Parliament Energy and Climate Change Committee on smart-meter rollout and electricity, and demand-side measures using results drawn directly from the CLNR project. An energy policy briefing by Professor Phil Taylor led to invites to debates at the Houses of Parliament and the Labour Party Conference, along with considerable media publicity. www.networkrevolution.co.uk

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Cockle Park Farm and Nafferton FarmCockle Park Farm and Nafferton Farm are rural ‘living laboratories’ led by Newcastle University, dedicated to demonstrating solutions to rural sustainability. Cockle Park Farm is a working farm located north of Morpeth in rural Northumberland. It incorporates mixed-arable land, together with pig, cow and sheep livestock units. The project joins together farming practice, landscape management and rural enterprise with cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research in agriculture. Three interlinked demonstration projects at Cockle Park Farm in rural energy, web-based GIS and energy storage have been funded by the Institute for Sustainability. These projects will help make Cockle Park Farm a nationally and internationally recognised centre of excellence for agricultural research. Nafferton Farm is located 12 miles west of Newcastle. It is a working farm producing milk and arable crops. Half of the farm is used for conventional farming while the other half is certified organic, making it a unique research facility to compare and improve upon both farming systems. A 5-year EU collaborative project at Nafferton Farm led by Newcastle University finished in 2014 on integrated livestock breeding (LowInput Breeds) and management strategies to improve animal health and product quality, along with another 5-year project (NUE-Crops) funded by the European Commission on reducing the environmental impact of crop production. Nafferton has recently been selected as DEFRA’s Sustainable Intensification Platform (SIP). Results of research completed in 2014, including work on tillage and green manures and organic pig production, are available on Nafferton Farm’s website.www.ncl.ac.uk/afrd/farms/cockle-parkwww.nefg-organic.org

IwokramaThe project aims to show that rainforest resources can be used sustainably to generate economic benefits through traditional and scientific knowledge and management. The project has successfully facilitated integrated research involving multiple disciplines in the areas of climate, water, soil, biodiversity and cultural heritage.The research includes collaboration with 23 indigenous communities from the vulnerable rainforest-savannah boundary of the Guiana Shield. The project is working in close partnership with the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (ICC) in Guyana, and its wide network of national and international research partners and non-academic stakeholders. Researchers have carried out cutting-edge scientific research that demonstrates the vulnerability and resilience of the rainforest and forest-savannah boundary to land use and climate change. A project recently funded by the Institute will investigate the coupled responses of humans and the environment to climate change in Iwokrama Forest, to find strategies to enhance their resilience. research.ncl.ac.uk/iwokrama

NUFEB – Frontiers in Engineering BiologyNUFEB is a £5.6 million interdisciplinary research platform funded by the EPSRC. It aims to gain a new understanding of the rules that determine the growth and dynamics of complex biological communities in engineered applications for the environment, energy, materials and health. This project bridges the current gap between the ideas and reality of biological systems using mathematical models and scientific principles backed by state-of-the art, distributed computing power. Rather than working in the laboratory, research is carried out in real-world environments, allowing the team to work with species of bacteria that don’t grow in the lab, as well as ensuring that the results are directly applicable in industry.research.ncl.ac.uk/nufeb

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Outreach and EngagementJohn H. Holmes Memorial LecturesIn January, the Institute collaborated with Public Lectures for the annual John H. Holmes Memorial Lectures for Children, of which the focus in 2014 was sustainability. The lectures aim to provide school children aged 10-14 with a greater understanding of a specific topic in a relaxed and fun environment. Taking place over three evenings, the lectures focused on three themes: water, energy and food; and featured presentations and interactive demonstrations.For further details about Public Lectures at Newcastle University, please see: www.ncl.ac.uk/events/public-lectures

Sir Joseph Swan CentenarySir Joseph Swan was an inventor, pioneer and scientist, as well as an icon of the North East. May marked the centenary of his death, and to celebrate his outstanding contribution to modern technology, a number of events took place around the North East.Swan’s family travelled to visit a special exhibition at Cragside, as well as a presentation at Newcastle’s Discovery Museum showing a commemorative plaque, and a public lecture that took place at the Literary and Philosophical Society Library in Newcastle.For further details please see the Sir Joseph Swan Centre for Energy Research’s website: www.ncl.ac.uk/energy

Labour Party Conference Fringe EventProfessor Phil Taylor attended Newcastle University’s Labour Party Conference Fringe event in September.The event brought together policymakers, academics, industry representatives and campaign groups to discuss what was required to create an affordable, secure and sustainable energy market.

Smart Grid Laboratory LaunchNewcastle University’s Smart Grid Laboratory was launched in September. Jointly funded by Siemens Energy Automation Division and the University, the £2m laboratory will allow experts to test future worst-case scenarios, such as simulating power cuts due to severe weather, in real-time without any risk to customers. The lab at the University’s campus is part of a larger Smart Grid Project which includes a grid-scale energy storage test bed being developed at Science Central.Further details can be found on the Science Central website: www.ncl.ac.uk/sciencecentral

Institute ConferenceThe Institute’s first annual conference took place in November. The conference celebrated high quality, interdisciplinary research being carried out by Newcastle University researchers and supported by the Institute.Newcastle University Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Nick Wright opened the conference, which featured an overview of Institute activities as well as presentations from researchers at Newcastle University showcasing their research.

Photography creditsWith many thanks to the following for supplying images used throughout this report: Ben Salter, British Gas, FaulknerBrowns Architects, Hawkins\Brown Architects, Ingram Images, Dr Isabella Bovolo, James Adshead, Dr Jan Dolfing, John Parker Lee Photography Ltd, Mike Urwin Photography, Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University Institute for Social Renewal, Dr Russell Davenport, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Transport Operations Research Group (TORG), Zander Photography

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Smart Grid Laboratory launch

An original Sir Joseph Swan bulb on display as part of the Discovery Museum’s Swan exhibition

Professor Phil Taylor attending Newcastle University’s Labour Party Conference Fringe event

L-R: Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Minister for Universities, Science & Cities, and Professor Chris Brink, Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University, at the official launch of Science Central. The Core building, behind, opened in November 2014.

Sir Joseph Swan Centenary at the Literary and Philosophical Society Library

Dr Ian Edwards, delivering his presentation for the Swan Centenary at the Literary and Philosophical Society Library

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