The South West England and South Wales region has a wide and varied geography and economy, ranging from energy-intensive industries with an urgent drive to decarbonise, to companies using our unique geography to produce renewable energy and technologies. Many areas within our region are vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, but we also have the resources needed to help rapid decarbonisation and build climate resilience.
Working with local/regional target audiences and using a data-driven understanding of how people live, we run research projects that are relevant to the needs of communities locally, nationally, and internationally. As the climate crisis compounds existing structural inequalities, we target high-impact research areas, working with urban and rural groups that are disproportionally impacted by climate change and its cascading effects. We will cut the time lag between research findings being available and being adopted, making our research relevant, understandable, and implementable to policymakers, civil society groups and industry.
launch of UK’s first Hydrogen ecosystem map for south west and south wales
South West England and South Wales is to become the UK’s first Hydrogen Ecosystem to lead the development of low carbon energy to help reach climate change goals.
The GW4 Alliance in partnership with Western Gateway have unveiled a new vision for why the area is ready to turbocharge the development of a Hydrogen Ecosystem. This is accompanied by a brand new interactive online map which demonstrates the breadth and scale of hydrogen activity, and how this could power green and inclusive growth.
Case Study: Climate Education Research Network
The Climate Education Research Network (CCERN) brings together researchers working on project that link climate change and education. The network has established a bidirectional relationship with local educators. As part of co-producing teaching materials, academics share relevant academic research requested by practitioners, and teachers themselves join the research process.
The network, originally set up through GW4 funding, also creates a space for researchers across the GW4 institutions and beyond to develop effective climate change education approaches and share learning.
