The Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) has successfully delivered its first Community Fund event of the year at Loughborough University, bringing together Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and energy specialists from across the UK to explore how to build a fairer and more sustainable energy future.

The event welcomed around 26 participants from across the ERA partnership and institutions spanning from Dundee to Plymouth. It provided a collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment for sharing ideas and exploring the wider impacts of changes to how energy is produced and used, including the effects on people, communities, and society.

Neil Radford, Energy Research Accelerator Skills Manager, said:

“This event provided excellent opportunities to engage with cross-disciplinary ideas combining the social, economic, environmental, and political dimensions of energy transition.”

The workshop, titled Integrating Gender Equity and Inclusive Practices for Just and Sustainable Energy Transitions, featured an innovative and interactive format. Using inclusive approaches alongside an interactive game, participants were encouraged to collaborate and design energy solutions that are not only cleaner, but also fairer and more inclusive.

Discussions throughout the day reinforced the importance of placing people at the centre of efforts to create a cleaner energy future. Ensuring that changes to how energy is generated, distributed, and used benefit all parts of society was identified as a key priority.

The event also highlighted the important role that Early Career Researchers play in shaping future energy systems, particularly through interdisciplinary collaboration and fresh perspectives.

The ERA Community Fund is designed to support Early Career Researchers across partner institutions by providing resources to develop and deliver their own events, fostering collaboration and innovation across the network.

ERA would like to thank all participants and contributors for making this inaugural Community Fund event a success and looks forward to building on these discussions through future activities.