Climate Change and Environmental Innovation at Imperial White City
The current complex, generational challenges of climate change, energy, water and food and health security
provide unprecedented opportunities for Imperial College London’s academic leadership, innovation and
entrepreneurship. London features a rapidly evolving technology and entrepreneurship scene embedded in the
UK’s pre-eminent status in finance, commerce and stable governance. Imperial is well-placed to provide leadership
in the coordination, development and promotion of research, education and innovation related to climate change
and environmental sustainability. Annual Green Economic growth of 11% with a current market value of $5 trillion
further highlights this generation-changing opportunity. These developments can be maximised through a plan of
integration for Imperial’s leading actors in climate change, low carbon energy and environmental sustainability
including (but not limited to):
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The Centre for Environmental Policy – a Department undertaking research and teaching on environmental
and energy sustainability, climate change and innovation
The Grantham Institute – looking at the science and translation of climate change, climate innovation and
enterprise creation
The Energy Futures Lab – focused on the decarbonisation of our energy supply including through
technology leadership
Through these institutions and networks, Imperial has invested considerable resources in leadership of climate
change and environmental sustainability research, education and innovation. Noting the world’s new “2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development” the newly-minted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (2030 SDGs) offer the
blueprint for a low-carbon environmentally sustainable future driven in part by institutional and individual innovation
and entrepreneurship. It is our collective ambition to engage and inspire key influencers and institutions in
catalysing environmentally sustainable, low carbon innovation throughout society at home and around the globe.
The Provost has asked us to develop this vision into a world-leading hub for understanding and translating the
challenges of climate change, environmental sustainability and low carbon innovation for real world impact.
The Five Point Vision
Consistent with the 2030 SDGs and our College Strategy, Imperial’s vision is for a world-class facility to:
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Promote and enhance climate change, energy and environmentally sustainable research, education,
innovation and entrepreneurship;
Lead a forum and international network to engage and inspire current and future influencers and
institutions in order to produce real world evolutionary impacts and innovations;
Provide a safe haven for testing and integrating creative, blue skies knowledge and ideas into positive
disruptive innovation for societal including commercial entrepreneurship and advancement;
Catalyse leading academic science and technical research and education into business and other practical
solutions consistent with Climate-KIC and other Imperial College partnerships and programmes;
Act as a major national and international focal point for consensus building around the delivery of
innovative science, technology, commercial and governance solutions in a 2030 SDG context.
Why Co-Locate at Imperial White City?
For Imperial, the co-location of climate, low carbon energy and environmentally sustainable innovation activities are
a bold, logical next step in realising this vision. Our three respective institutions and network of colleagues across
the College that share in and deliver The Vision have a track record of world-class innovation, excellent research,
skills training, technical and commercial translation and engagement with a wide range of external stakeholders in
these fields. Co-location will strengthen our respective capabilities in the coordinated delivery of The Vision thus
stimulating and accelerating new relationships both within and beyond the College. The Vision and Co-location at
Imperial White City are co-existential in their sustainable innovation and research mission. As well, the near-future
transport hub for the UK at our immediate Old Oak Common neighbour, provides an unparalleled location for
drawing national expertise into an international conversations right on our doorstep. As the College’s new campus
for research translation, Imperial White City already has forerunners for advancing sustainable commercial
innovation in climate change and energy techno-economic scenario analysis, environmentally-driven health
management, environmental management of plastics, environmental security at Fukushima and entrepreneurship
in the food security space. Together at Imperial White City we will deliver an integrated focus to these and further
climate change and environmental innovation activities working side-by-side with key external players under one
roof. The outcome for Imperial will feature an enhanced international reputation, placing us in the slipstream of 21st
Century innovation for a sustainable, low carbon world.
Martin Siegert, Richard Templer, Jo Haigh (Grantham Institute), Zen Makuch (Centre for Environmental Policy)
Tim Green (Energy Futures Laboratory), 21 October 2015