People and Partners
Meet the Team
Our work is driven by a diverse, interdisciplinary team of researchers and collaborators, bringing together expertise from across universities, policy and practice to address the complex challenge of transforming production and consumption.
Dr Kat Lowe
Impact and Engagement Manager
Brendan Silcock
PhD researcher
Dani Adourian
Visiting Research Fellow
Funders
UKRI
PACT is an important investment for UKRI, fitting well with our mission statement. It will advance our knowledge – giving a whole systems understanding of the production and consumption emissions landscape. The project aligns with the net zero ambitions of EPSRC themes Sustainable Manufacturing and Clean Energy and of cross UKRI priority programmes in Clean energy and Advanced Manufacturing. The project is working to improve lives and address government priorities by developing just, resilient, prosperous and sustainable pathways and informing policy for the transition to net zero. This project supports green growth by enabling companies to understand their emissions and for them to develop their own path to reducing emissions.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Centre is co-funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the UKRI’s Physical Science and Engineering Research Council (EPSRC) through contributions of £1m and £2.2m respectively.
Funding PACT in association with the EPSRC has fostered a collaboration between Government and academic experts with a history of independent world class research in the space of production and consumption, who are intended to act as an independent ‘critical friend’ to Government.
Whilst PACT will work closely with Government on strategic priorities, it will operate independently and retain autonomy to produce and publish research that does not represent Government policy and/or positions, and Government retains its right to choose which recommendations put forward by the PACT centre to endorse and pursue.
Research by PACT will expand the evidence base and support effective policy making by providing Government with crucial, actionable insights into production and consumption emissions, and the circular solutions that will enable to UK to meet its climate goals whilst also enhancing resource and energy security. It is particularly important to understand how production changes can enable ongoing growth of the UK economy and investment in UK industry, whilst also being socially just and ensuring worker protection.
Professor Emily Shuckburgh, Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said:
“It is fantastic to see universities from across the country coming together through the PACT research centre to tackle some of the most complex challenges on our path to net zero.
“I particularly welcome its role as an independent voice which will act to strengthen our approach and helping us to go further and faster.
“This kind of collaboration and innovation will be vital as we seek to capture the benefits of net zero as the economic and industrial opportunity of the 21st century.”
Academic Partners
Our truly interdisciplinary team will combine cutting-edge research with practical action to help accelerate the shift away from a linear model of production and consumption, supporting the transformative change needed to meet our climate ambitions.
The University of Leeds have worked with the UK Government for many years to develop the UK’s consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions accounts and explore how resource efficiency can contribute to climate mitigation. This research has highlighted the significant potential for emissions reductions. The next step is to understand how these opportunities can be realised through broader system-wide change.
Contributing to a better understanding of system transformation, the University of Sussex brings comprehensive expertise in the political, institutional, and cultural factors that shape decision-making. Its research helps identify where competing interests and barriers exist across the entire system, from production to consumption, and explores how these challenges can be addressed.
In addition, colleagues from the University of Manchester bring extensive experience of working with both the UK Government and the Climate Change Committee. Using deliberative approaches, such as informed discussion and reflection, they examine how policies and interventions affect people’s everyday lives and perceptions of fairness. Their work also helps ensure that people are actively involved in decision-making processes, supporting the development of more inclusive and effective policies.
Advisory Board
PACT is supported by an independent Advisory Board comprised of leading experts from government, industry, academia and civil society. Acting as a critical friend, the Board provides strategic guidance, constructive challenge and insight to help shape the direction of the Centre and maximise its real-world impact.
Chaired by Professor Nick Eyre (University of Oxford), the Advisory Board brings together extensive experience across policy, research and practice. Their collective expertise ensures that PACT’s work remains relevant, robust and closely connected to the practical challenges of delivering the UK’s transition to net zero.
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