Climate change and other environmental as well as social impacts of energy exploration and consumption are pushing societies to transition from the current use of fossil fuels to renewable and other cleaner and sustainable energy sources that will bring global carbon emissions to zero. Promoting research therefore in how to achieve this transition is critical. The economic and social implications of this transition need to be well researched to provide evidence-based information that will feed into policy formulations to drive the transition agenda. Renewable energy and other sustainable energy forms that can drive the agenda require in-depth research.

Research on energy storage has always been important and more so now in the global push for a transition to renewable energy resources. Electrical energy generated may need to be stored for future use. Renewable energy sources such wind and solar which are weather dependent can only help push the energy transition agenda if the energy generated using these sources can be stored for future use. Therefore, research is needed in the area of energy storage for innovative ways of energy storage that reduce losses with minimum environmental effects. Research into how to treat storage devices at the end of life in a sustainable fashion is also critical.

Energy is required to drive societal development, and energy consumption by society affects the environment. The environmental impact from energy consumption can have negative impacts on societies, i.e. social impact. There is a linkage between energy, societies and the environment. Research into these linkages is vital to promote sustainable energy access for development and in a sustainable environment.

Energy exploration and consumption are not the only sources of environmental stressors. Human activities in general, production and consumption patterns, tend to affect the health of the environment, polluting and degrading it. The Centre therefore believes that research into the general environmental health is critical towards identifying environmental stressors and how to minimise or treat these stressors to promote a healthier environment.

It is an established fact that humanity’s activities affect the environment, usually in a negative way. However, humanity needs a healthy environment to support life. In this regard, research into the structure and functions of the systems in the environment, how humanity relates to the environment and how to manage this relationship so that the environment remains in good shape support life is critical. Such research is critical to inform the formulation of policies and systems that are required to achieve a sustainable environmental management.

Climate scientists have linked severe droughts, flooding and other extreme weather conditions to climate change. Global warming due to increased levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere has resulted in climate change. Climate research is thus important to promote environmental sustainability. Research on how to reduce, if not eliminate, anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of climate change on the environment and people in terms of finances, health and wellbeing, and how to mitigate these impacts is critical. Contextualising climate research is also critical to finding mitigation and adaptation measures that work best for the local context is important.