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The UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Chief Exectutive Dave Delpy has said that more investment and research is needed to develop solutions in order to cut CO2 emissions in shipping and other sectors.

Commenting on the issue, Delpy said “Scientific and engineering research has already brought us fuel cells, marine, wind and solar power solutions, but more investment is needed to develop the capabilities of different solutions if we are to meet our carbon emission targets by 2020 and limit the impact of climate change.”

Emerging solutions to sustainable living funded by EPSRC include a low carbon shipping initiative led by a consortium of UK universities in response to concern that by 2050 emissions from shipping could rise by 20-30 percent.

Tristan Smith of University College London said: “We hope our research will be used to guide regulation development and to decrease carbon emissions produced by the world’s shipping lanes.”

According to Delpy this innovation and others (for other sectors) is only one part of the solution:

“Scientists and engineers in the UK have developed groundbreaking low carbon technologies to help us reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. However, what is now needed is further research into how to deploy these devices in the most efficient and cost effective manner that has the least impact on the natural environment,” said Delpy.

Research Councils UK Energy Programme led by EPSRC is investing more than £530 million in research in the UK to develop low carbon technologies to fight the effects of climate change.

EPSRC is bringing together engineers and scientists with industry partners including E.ON UK, EDF Energy, the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) and many more.