JUST-Systems Project Secures a share of £10M UKRI Grant to Tackle Decarbonisation and Fuel Poverty
JUST-Systems is one of two projects benefitting from a share of nearly £10M investment by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to accelerate decarbonisation while addressing societal challenges of fuel poverty, sustainable local economies, wellbeing, and social justice in the UK.
Dr Jennifer Dickie, Senior Lecturer in Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Stirling and Co-Lead of the Decarbonising Heat theme, and core members of the JUST-Systems Project team initially came together at an Alliance networking residential event, led by the Alliance’s Sustainable Households theme. The team reconvened at a dedicated co-creation workshop funded by the Alliance, providing valuable time and space for collaboration, idea development, and significant progress on their proposal.
Dr Dickie notes that the “Support from the Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes and Livelihoods was instrumental in the success of this grant”.
The five-year project will take a ‘whole system’ approach to developing community aspirations for sustainable and resilient places. Led by Professor Tavis Potts, Dean for Environmental Sustainability and co-coordinator of the University of Aberdeen’s Just Transition Lab at the University of Aberdeen, the project aims to understand how systems approaches can unlock Net Zero solutions at scale, break down the barriers to action, and empower communities to take ownership of solutions that support their development.
“For Net Zero to succeed it must support and deeply engage with people and places. JUST-Systems will develop novel systems approaches that link community engagement with state-of-the-art energy systems modelling” said project lead Prof Tavis Potts.
Dr Jen Dickie explains, “JUST-Systems will bring together novel and state of the art ways of understanding, engaging and exploring future options around Net Zero. Transdisciplinary approaches and co-creation are at the heart of JUST-Systems; by combining systems modelling with deep engagement with communities, civil society, business, local authorities and Governments, we aim to enact positive change on fuel poverty, local development, infrastructure and healthy and sustainable places.”
Director of the Alliance, Professor Mette High adds that “the Alliance was set up to be a catalyst for cross-sectoral, collaborative research centred on this societal challenge. And already, at this early stage, we are seeing results! The Alliance is successfully bringing people together across institutions and sectors, supporting them in creating competitive and compelling research projects that will help bring about an equitable net zero future. So far, we have turned each £1 of Alliance funding into £40 for collaborative research on the ground – that’s a remarkable feat and enables researchers to make a real difference!”
Congratulations to all involved!
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