The UK needs 694,000 new workers in the low-carbon energy economy by 2030, and this centre will train the doctoral-level leaders to fill those jobs. The problem is that simply developing new renewable energy technologies is not enough. The UK also faces challenges in securing critical materials, adapting to climate change, and ensuring the transition to Net Zero is equitable—not just a swap of one energy source for another. Existing training often produces specialists who lack the broader skills to navigate investment, regulation, and public engagement. ReNU+ fills this gap by training "Doctoral Carbon Champions" who combine scientific excellence with systemic thinking. If successful, these graduates will become the high-skill workforce for industry, policy, and government, converting challenges in energy resilience and social equity into economic opportunities. The programme is co-designed with national and local government, multinational companies, and charities, ensuring its graduates meet real-world needs. The result could be a faster, fairer, and more secure shift to Net Zero, with benefits for the UK’s energy grid, supply chains, and public health.
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The ESPRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities Plus (ReNU+) is a transformative programme that will train a new generation of Doctoral Carbon Champions (DCCs) who are characterised by scientific and engineering excellence and capable of interdisciplinary systemic thinking to accelerate Net Zero. The outcome from ReNU+ will be that DCCs will meet critical needs in high-skill employment across industry, policy, education and government and convert key challenges in resilience and equity into economic opportunities for the United Kingdom. This will be achieved through a professionally accredited training programme in a thriving environment of research excellence led by Northumbria, Newcastle and Durham universities. The 2023-2035 energy landscape sets a compelling context for ReNU+ and in particular, the need for future leaders in this space in the United Kingdom. Locally generated renewable energy will provide the UK with increased energy security and critically important additions in electricity capacity to meet domestic and industrial demands. This is only one piece of the landscape however, which also includes sustainability (e.g. critical materials supply), resilience (e.g. climate change mitigation) and an equitable transition to Net Zero, which offers both economic and health benefits. The absorptive capacity for ReNU+ DCCs is partly evidenced by the forecast of 694,000 new UK jobs in the low carbon and renewable energy economy by 2030 (source: UK Local Government Association). The ReNU+ training programme has a core focus on developing key skills that facilitate understanding of and engagement with the wider Net Zero system including investment, regulation and end-user engagement. It will become a reference for high-skill training in Net Zero that redefines the role of scientists and engineers as critical catalysts for decarbonisation who deliver impact well beyond technology. ReNU+ identifies a critical link between equality, diversity and inclusivity and decarbonisation and includes key innovations to leverage this link. Consequently, DCCs will also develop societal and citizenship values as they become living examples of the future workforces to enable an equitable and sustainable transition to Net Zero. This approach has been validated by our partners who have co-designed and will co-deliver the ReNU+ training programme. This support includes national and local Government, multinational companies, small-to-medium enterprises and charity organisations.
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