Skip to main navigationSkip to main content
The University of Southampton
Clean Carbon

About us

Our 6 research themes

The CONSEQUENCES of climate change, whether driven by natural or anthropogenic influences, are already having a direct impact on humans, challenges to whose health, food production and energy consumption are likely to increase unless mitigation or adaption is undertaken. Immediate, substantial and sustained efforts are required to REDUCE 80% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2051. Society’s heavy and increasing dependence on the power, industrial and transportation sectors requires more sustainable technologies to be developed to reduce emissions. Until the scientific, technical and social challenges surrounding sustainable technologies are overcome, fossil fuels and carbon-intensive industries will continue to dominate for decades to come. CO2 CAPTURE is a crucial contributor to the decarbonisation plan for power generation and industrial applications with the International Energy Agency (IEA) recommending it contributing ~20% emission reduction by 2052. Understanding the complexities surrounding natural, biological and man-made SEQUESTRATION processes is essential, particular challenges include scale-up, identification and characterisation of geological formations, secure storage, public attitudes and policies. Converting CO2 for UTILISATION across synthetic fuel, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical industries offers a promising long term alternative; potentially enhancing the economic value of capture CO2. Ultimately however, influencing human BEHAVIOUR, and government policies towards climate change remains one of the greatest hurdles, and there is a lack of economic and social context to drive future energy and climate change mitigation policies. Projections already indicate the highly ambitious 1.5 °C target set by the IPCC COP21 could be reached by 2030 so to look to the longer term view of 2.0 °C target requires an interdisciplinary approach capable of bridging traditional disciplinary boundaries, thus encompassing a broader appreciation of the evolution and impact of creative and innovation solutions at an earlier stage.

At Southampton, we have recognised that the CO2 challenge falls into the six interconnecting categories highlighted in the foregoing paragraph: 

We have a large community of researchers that spans across many academic units, including Chemistry, Engineering, Ocean and Earth Science, Sociology, Biology, Social Policy, and Mathematics. Coupling our expertise with our world-class computational and experimental facilities in sustained ocean observing, mapping and survey; and the data management, and scientific advice provided by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) at Southampton, we aim to make headway toward establishing a clean carbon cycle.

 

 

Clean Carbon Contact

If you have any questions, please contact Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong

Find out more

Become a member

Is your work or interest related to reducing atmospheric carbon? Why not join the Clean Carbon USRG - all are welcome whether you are a researcher, students or from outside the University.

Privacy Settings