A new joint research centre to tackle key challenges in decarbonisation and climate repair is to be launched by Imperial College London and Hitachi.
Imperial College London, Hitachi Ltd and Hitachi Europe Ltd have signed an agreement to create the Hitachi and Imperial Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions, to collaborate in fundamental and applied research to drive the transition to net zero pollution.
The organisations will work together on selected research projects, reports and white papers on the technologies needed to achieve net zero and will help train the next generation of net-zero scientists and engineers.
"This joint research centre will bring together world-leading scientists and innovators in decarbonisation and climate repair to develop new technology and solutions to the climate emergency." Professor Mary Ryan Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise)
Initial research projects will focus on carbon management, the decarbonisation of energy and transport, carbon dioxide removal and biodiversity, with a focus on new technologies and nature-based solutions.
Projects will be guided by senior representatives from Imperial and Hitachi, including Professor Mary Ryan, from Imperial's Faculty of Engineering, Dr Mirabelle Muûls, from Imperial's Business School, and Dr Kazuyuki Sugimura, Chief Technology Officer of Hitachi Europe Ltd.
Professor Ryan, who leads Imperial's Transition to Zero Pollution initiative, said: "There is greater urgency than ever before to tackle global pollution, of which CO2 is one of the biggest sources.
"This joint research centre will bring together world-leading scientists and innovators in decarbonisation and climate repair to develop new technology and solutions to the climate emergency.
"Imperial and Hitachi will work closely together to make significant advances in developing cleaner energy and this new centre will accelerate our work towards a zero-pollution future."
Through the Transition to Zero Pollution initiative, Imperial aims to build new partnerships between research, industry and government – from fundamental science and engineering, systems thinking, human health, new business models, and policymaking – to bring about a sustainable zero pollution future.
Environment Vision
Hitachi is committed to realising a decarbonised and resource-efficient society through its Environment Vision initiative, with the company joining the United Nations Race to Zero Campaign and acting as a principal partner of the COP26 climate change conference in recent years.
Dr David Green, collaboration centre lead for Hitachi and Head of the Sustainability Laboratory in the European R&D Centre of Hitachi Europe Ltd, said: "Limiting greenhouse gas emissions and reaching Net Zero is crucial.
"Yet even in a net zero world we will still face serious societal and environmental challenges caused by high residual levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
"We are excited to open our new centre with Imperial which builds on previous collaborations and harnesses their expertise in scientific research, business and policy."
