sustainable travel university of birmingham

Matthew Says

Sustainable Travel

Hi everyone! Although the weather has deteriorated in the past few weeks, we are now well on our way to summer and this summer there will be a series of exciting moves with regards to travel in Birmingham that I thought it would be useful to update students on.

Clear Air Zone

First of all, on 1st June, Birmingham City Council is introducing a new ‘clean air zone’ that marks an important step in attempting to improve air quality in the city of Birmingham. Casting my mind all the way back to the #BrumBreathes air pollution event that I organised in collaboration with Sustrans in the first term, it is clear that air pollution is a pertinent and urgent issue that must be addressed; it is estimated that upwards of 900 deaths a year in Birmingham are linked to man-made air pollution. The purpose of the clean air zone is to improve air quality in the very centre of Birmingham to discourage the most polluting vehicles from entering the area, in an attempt to reduce the levels of NO2.

But what does the new clean air zone mean for students?

Well from the 1st of June if you have a particularly polluting vehicle and you drive within the clean air zone at any point, you will face a charge.

The Clean Air Zone encompasses all the roads within the A4550 Middleway Ring Road (but the Middleway itself).  

If you drive into the city centre, check whether your vehicle will be charged at https://www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones or https://www.brumbreathes.co.uk/ where you can also make online payments.

The council have suggested that they might apply short term exemptions from the charges as people adapt to the new zone, but please check out the website to avoid being caught out and facing a fine.

You might also be entitled to a Government grant to upgrade your vehicle to a less polluting one!

The Clean Air Zone represents an important and welcome step by the City Council to seek to address the dangerously high levels of air pollution in the city. If you have any further questions on this, please feel free to drop me a message or an email!

West Midlands Cycle Hire

Some of you may have noticed some of the bike racks that have begun to pop up around campus in the past couple of weeks. In very exciting news, as part of the wider West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme, the University will be welcoming a fleet of bikes to campus on 24th May. Myself, Imogen (Disabled Students’ Officer) and Charlotte (Welfare and Community Officer) have been delighted to support the introduction of these bikes to campus.

Never will it be so easy to cycle to and from campus and off into the wider city of Birmingham and I am thrilled to have supported and engaged with their introduction. There will be a total of 1,500 bikes in the fleet, eight docking stations across campus and bikes that are available to hire 24/7. These docking stations on campus will be situated at: Old Gym, The Guild, Met and Mat, Tennis Courts, Chamberlain, Pritchatts Park Accommodation Village (and some just off campus as well!).  The docking stations can be found at the purple pins locations on this interactive map .

It costs £1 to unlock a bike and then 5p per minute of cycling after that. To give a better idea of what this means, if you were to cycle for 10 minutes that would be £1.50, 20 minutes would be £2.00 and 30 minutes would be £2.50.

With the cycling ‘superhighway’ (the blue cycle path) heading straight from campus to the city centre, I am really hoping this will encourage students to have fun, exercise and travel sustainably all at once. Please cycle safely and be sure to wear a helmet!

To find out more about the bikes in general, please click here or drop me a message.

National Express Portal

Another fantastic step for sustainable travel at the University has been a project that Charlotte (Welfare and Community Officer) and Jules (Education Officer) have been working on, in collaboration with National Express and the University. By following this bespoke portal and registering it is now possible to get reduced bus ticket fares in the local Birmingham area:

The portal offers a range of weekly, monthly and termly and yearly passes specifically for students. If you are a regular user of public transport, check out the range of options for the summer break and the new academic year.

Although National Express do also run national coaches, these discounts will only be for the local bus service.

Voi Scooters

The Voi e-scooters have been available to hire in Selly Oak and wider Birmingham for some time now and they represent a fun and sustainable method of travel!

From the end of May, it will now be possible to travel on Voi scooters on parts of campus and the Vale, which is something myself and Imogen have been consulted on. While it will not be possible to travel through the Green Heart or fully pedestrianised areas on campus, we hope this development will encourage students to travel sustainably via e-scooters! For an idea where you will be able to use scooters on campus please consult this map .

As our campus has high levels of pedestrian traffic and busy buildings, Voi parking will be at fourteen bays across our site (see blue pins on the interactive map). The e-scooters are vehicles and are for riding on the roads, as a result, on campus access will be restricted in busy pedestrian-only areas, and there will be speed limits on busy routes shared by pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders. Voi encourage users to refresh their road knowledge here . It goes without saying that it is important to travel safely on these e-scooters.  To encourage wearing a helmet, Voi are offering savings on scooter hire with helmet selfies! For more information, please click here .

Please remember that when you leave the scooter, you make sure it is not restricting or blocking a pavement, as this can be very difficult for those with accessibility issues. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on the general introduction of e-scooters to Birmingham and if you would like to reach out to our disabled students’ officer regarding any concerns, please drop Imogen an email ( [email protected] ).

An important and ever present caveat to add to this news is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While sustainable travel is important for reducing CO2 emissions and local air pollution, we remain in the midst of a pandemic, so please only travel on public transport when you feel safe and when it is advised by the government.

For more info about how to travel sustainably and safely in Birmingham, please check out the sustainability travel guide produced in collaboration with the University for Go Green Week 2021. Any further questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with myself ( [email protected] ), the University’s Sustainable Travel Officer, Edward ( [email protected] ) or Imogen ( [email protected] ).

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Sustainable travel

Vehicle emissions emit a mix of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and particulates, contribute to climate change, reduce air quality and increase the risk of respiratory diseases. Sustainable travel can make a huge difference to the environment, boost your health, and could relieve the strain on your pocket - find out how below.

Birmingham City Council introduced a Clean Air Zone in 2021. The zone charges the most polluting vehicles to enter parts of the city, in a bid to tackle air pollution.

Find out more about the Clean Air Zone

View our sustainable travel guides

Travelling to City Centre Campus

Travelling to City South Campus

Inter-campus travel map

Download our Travel Plans

The purpose of our Travel Plans are to encourage the use of sustainable transport and anticipate the changes in travel provision and behaviour.

City Centre Campus: Travel Plan (2018-20)

City South Campus: Travel Plan (2018-20)

BCU Travel Action Plan 2018-2020

A staff and student travel survey was planned for March 2020 to input into a Travel Plan for 2020-2022, however this was delayed due to Covid-19. We are currently developing our next full Travel Plans for 2022-2024.

In the meantime, we have developed an  Interim Travel Plan  to ensure that we are still taking opportunities to encourage the use of sustainable transport and build on the impacts that Covid-19 has had on travel, ways of working and studying.

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Inter-campus travel

Go green travel guide.

Sustainable travel can make a huge difference to the environment, boost your health, and save you money.

Check out our Go Green Travel Guide which helps you navigate around our sports facilities in a sustainable way.

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University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham makes a significant contribution to sustainable development, not only in its role as an globally recognised provider of research and teaching, but also in the way it performs as a business engaging positively with the local and wider community. Whether it’s their environmental policies, research into sustainable energies or their schemes to encourage staff and students to travel more sustainably, sustainability is at the core of the University’s activity.

“Our  2020 Strategy  details how the activity of the university will feed in to the SWM roadmap, such as:

• contributing to over £1 billion to the local economy;
• playing a key role in HS2 via the largest railway research group in Europe
• transforming healthcare through Birmingham Health Partners;
• changing the built environment on campus (almost £500 million of projects) with a strong sustainability focus; and
• researching the natural environment with the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, which was funded with a £15 million gift to study the impact of climate and environmental change on woodlands;
• substantial progress made towards delivering our commitment to reduce our carbon foot print by 20% by 2020 based on 2005/06 baseline.”

SWM has worked closely with the university on many activities and upon joining as members many years ago, commented: “Working with SWM gives the University of Birmingham an excellent opportunity to improve the reach, influence and impact of our research. It will help us develop not only a more sustainable campus but also contribute to a thriving and environmentally sustainable region.”

We have many contacts at the University, with our primary contact being Matt Beveridge, Estates Innovation Manager, who is also a SWM Board member.

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Sustainability

This is incredibly important as it forms part of our civic responsibility to measure and reduce our carbon footprint, as well as deliver social impact and value.

Taking the right path

We have a clear commitment to taking a responsible and sustainable path in the way we operate and educate. We actively reduce our waste and energy usage as well as our carbon footprint.

We support and encourage diversity and inclusion and promote understanding and collaboration. We take steps to measure and increase our social impact, which enables us to deliver our civic responsibilities and commitments.

Small changes make a big difference Our role in the University’s sustainable strategy is to deliver responsible events that make a big impact, without costing the earth. Here are just a few ways that we’re helping to make a difference.

Living sustainably.

Encouraging our teams and guests to travel responsibly, using electric vehicles or public networks.

Reducing waste

Serving and merchandising food in a way that meets the need, as well as recycling food and coffee grounds.

Promoting plant based

Offering low carbon, locally sourced and dairy-free alternatives on all event menus.

Reducing plastic

Removing all plastic packaging delivered to site as well as single-use bottles across our retail estate.

Saving trees

Reducing paper consumption through digital event packs and online maps.

Cutting emissions

Reducing client travel with virtual show-rounds and meetings.

Our commitment

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we’re working towards ISO 20121 accreditation. Created by the International Organisation for Standards (ISO), this is a voluntary international standard for sustainable event management. 

Through ISO 20121, we are:

• Learning to manage the associated social, economic and environmental impacts of our events and conferences.
• Working with teams across the University to improve sustainability throughout our entire event management cycle and supply chains.
• Building a better understanding of sustainability to ensure your event is sustainable from start to finish.

Sustainability 

Reducing our carbon footprint.

• Sustainability at University College Birmingham

At University College Birmingham, our areas of environmental impact and influence include our campus, our curriculum and our community. We take sustainability very seriously and will use our position to embed sustainability across our operations and our place in the community and society at large. We welcome student and staff feedback on how to best shape our sustainable practices.

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Our sustainability roadmap

We are working closely with regional sustainability champion Sustainability West Midlands, joining a range of other educational institutions, the wider public sector and businesses to work in partnership towards the West Midlands Sustainability Roadmap to 2030. 

Through this relationship, we have commissioned a study and the development of our own roadmap for sustainability, designed to highlight priority areas we can improve on moving forward, from reducing food waste to sustainable travel. 

Key targets include:

• Gaining ISO Environmental Management Standards
• Reducing our electricity, gas and water consumption
• Building on our recycling and waste initiatives
• Increasing green spaces to support local biodiversity

Lewis Walker, Deputy Head of our Birmingham College of Food, advises on the local food strategy

Student volunteers taking part in a collaborative canal clear-up for Brum Goes Green Week

Kapow! Pupils unmask food 'superpowers' at University for International Chefs Day

Award-winning   Garima Poddar leading food students in making 'wonky veg' dishes for the community

Brum goes waste-free in Victoria Square to support sustainable practices in Birmingham

Birmingham Bike Foundry visiting the University to offer advice on cycle safety and maintenance

Students trying out mini vegan burgers made at the University to promote meat-free alternatives

West Midlands Railway gave out freebies and discounts at our Sustainable Travel Fair

Playing our part

• Lecturers from our Birmingham College of Food are key advisers on the Birmingham Food System Strategy being launched by the Food System Team at the Department of Public Health for Birmingham City Council.
• By partnering with a local company, all of our campus waste is either separated for recycling or treated and processed into energy to assist in providing electricity to around 30,000 local homes.
• We hold and support university and community sustainability drives including Brum Goes Green Week and our own sustainability fairs.
• We provide plant-based compostable cutlery in our take-out eateries and provide students with incentives and discounts for using their own reusable drink cups to help avoid single use items.
• We promote sustainable campaigns from organisations such as Save Soil with our students through our weekly news bulletins.
• We are working with our suppliers to ensure the goods and services we source have the smallest carbon footprint.
• We have started to provide training on sustainability in a higher education environment to inform our sustainability practices.

Rooftop garden at McIntyre House 

Solar panels on the roof of Moss House

Our award-winning Moss House campus

Plans for our Centre for Sustainable Construction at the James Cond building

Campus buildings

Moss House, our newest campus building, was one of just nine buildings in the West Midlands to win at the 2021 regional RIBA awards from the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects. Described as “inventive and experimental”, the building features:

• Photovoltaic solar panels
• Recycling stations
• Smart lighting, sensor and timer taps to minimise water waste
• Landscaped, biodiverse courtyard
• Designated electric vehicle charging points

McIntyre House, which also won a RIBA award, also has these features, plus a top floor terrace with seating, planting and a water feature offering panoramic views across the city centre.

Find out more

Linking to the curriculum

We support sustainability-focused modules within courses, wherever possible. These include Sustainable Aviation Practices through to Gastronomy and Sustainable Food Management. 

Our new engineering and construction course offering is firmly centred around sustainable building practices and features production line technology to renewable energy simulators, rigs and specialist software for training learners in skills that support employers and their supply chains.

The refurbishment of the art deco James Cond building , an historic former print works in the Jewellery Quarter’s Conservation Area, will honour the area’s heritage while providing the city with future skills, employment and training opportunities. (Watch the video to find out more about our plans.)

Our courses

Student trips: Cotswolds sustainable demo farm

To support their Food Manufacture assignments and dissertations, our Food and Nutrition students visited the 107-acre Honeydale demonstration farm in the Cotswolds, an educational farm built around going back to basics with farming and educating the public on sustainability, the environment, the importance of biodiversity in soil and micro farming to feed local communities.

Hearing from the Head of Sustainable Farming about how Brexit and the war in Ukraine are affecting farmers and food supplies, students looked at different wheats and growing them sustainably and how to make honey without harming bees. They also visited the micro dairy, orchards, greenhouses and local veg box growers.

We are well connected to the public transport network in Birmingham with close links to the rail, bus and tram network. We also have:

• Hubs for e-scooter hire outside Summer Row - easy to use and cost-effective, these provide a sustainable alternative to the car that helps reduce traffic congestion, cut harmful carbon dioxide emissions and improve air quality
• Secure cycle parking for staff and students behind Summer Row and The Link. Speak to Finance about accessing the bike racks
• Hybrid fleet vehicles

Information Technology (IT)

We have a roadmap which sets out our approach to provision and use of printers, toners, PCs and other IT/AV equipment to ensure that this is approached sustainably. We have transformed our IT to help meet our sustainability targets as part of a strategic direction to reduce our carbon footprint. Measures include:

• Replacing computers with energy efficient desktops and laptops 
• Phasing out outdated, inefficient machines
• Implementing solutions to reduce printing 
• Recycling all redundant IT equipment   

How can you help the University meet its sustainability targets?

Tips to be more IT-savvy

                                                                                                                                                      Ashlea Mallett: Sustainability Manager

Chair: Jose Lopes (EMT)

Co-chair: Nick Reader (Estates)

Member: Alice Wilby (EMT)

Member: Michelle Callanan (School of Business, Tourism and Creative Industries)

Member: Mark Godwin (School of Health, Sport and Food)

Member: Lewis Walker (Teaching)

Member: Simon Faulkner (Teaching)

Member: James Burgess (Apprenticeships)

Member: Ruth Cartwright (Professional Services)

Member: Bobbie Blair (Professional Services)

Member: Pooran Kumar (Assistant Director, IT)

Member: Rachael Farrell (Catering)

Member: Melanie Hall (Marketing)

Meet our Sustainability Steering Group 2022

Our Sustainability Steering Group supports our commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and waste across all our activities. The group meets quarterly to:

• Drive strategic leadership and guidance to meet Net Zero regional WM2041 and national sustainability targets
• Educate and inform staff and student behaviours
• Make recommendations to the Executive Management Team (EMT)

Chaired by Jose Lopes, the University’s Executive Director (External Engagement), the group is made up of staff and students from across the University, ensuring all views and priorities are represented.

The group is supported by an Environmental and Sustainability Panel, who provide a wider staff voice to areas of sustainability policy or proposals, contribute to working groups relating to sustainability and provide guidance and support to members of the steering group.

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University of Birmingham

In the face of globally increasing plastic pollution, the United Kingdom stands at a crossroads. We urgently need to reimagine our relationship with plastic and the waste generated at its end of life.

From production through to its disposal into incineration or landfill, plastics are responsible for 3.3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with 90% of that resulting from the energy used during its production and conversion . The current linear economy of “make, use, dispose” is evidently unsustainable. We need to replace this with a circular economy model, in which polymeric carbon is valued, and stays as polymeric carbon for as long as possible.

We understand that the environmental and public health risks arising from plastic pollution are of substantial public interest. However, our survey, conducted with YouGov, reveals a stark contrast between public concern and political priorities. The public ranks plastic pollution in their top-three threats to society, alongside war and climate change. However, environmental issues concerning plastics rank lower for Members of Parliament .

There is a clear necessity for policies that align with public sentiment and scientific evidence.

The time for incremental change has passed. The Policy Commission for Sustainable Plastics presents a compelling case for the UK Government to enact bold policies that ensure plastics contribute positively to the economy without compromising the environment. Policy Commission members

As global negotiations to reach an international legally binding plastics treaty continue, there is an opportunity for the UK to play a leading role. We can utilise sustainable plastics policies to accelerate our journey towards Net Zero, as well as to benefit our economy.

Globally, transitioning to a circular plastics economy could produce 700,000 additional jobs by 2040, save the private sector $1.3 trillion, and governments $70 billion, as well as reduce the costs of social and environmental externalities by at least $3 trillion.

Our recent Policy Commission that collated evidence from a wide range of private and public sector experts has laid the groundwork for such urgently required change and presents a series of policy recommendations poised to guide the UK Government towards a future where plastics are used sustainably.

Key Recommendations for Government

Experts from across the plastics value chain gathered to present evidence on the plastics challenge, which was then integrated into a range of recommendations developed by our Commissioners. These recommendations outline the step change required in the following areas:

• Revalorising Plastic Waste : Treating plastic waste as a resource can incentivise  green growth and next-generation recycling technologies.
• Tax System Reforms : Adjusting tax systems to reflect the environmental cost of plastics and promote sustainable alternatives.
• Reducing Incineration and Landfilling: Setting ambitious targets to minimise waste disposal through incineration and landfilling.
• Regulating Bioplastics and Compostables: Implementing stricter marketing regulations on compostable and biodegradable plastics to prevent misleading claims.
• Promoting Sustainable Procurement: Encouraging best practices in public sector procurement through life cycle assessments.
• Building the evidence base: Funding research to understand the full impact of plastics on human health and the environment.
• Establishing a Research Centre: Creating a national sustainable plastics innovation research centre to drive long-term solutions.

Implementing these policies can bolster the UK economy by creating jobs in the green sector and positioning the UK as a leader in sustainable plastic management. Reducing the environmental footprint of plastics will support the functioning of vital ecosystem services, preserving biodiversity and protecting public health and wellbeing.

The time for incremental change has passed. The Policy Commission for Sustainable Plastics presents a compelling case for the UK Government to enact bold policies that ensure plastics contribute positively to the economy without compromising the environment. As the public’s concern grows, so too should the government’s commitment to a sustainable plastic future. With the Policy Commission’s recommendations, the path towards a sustainable plastic future is now clearer; it is time for the UK to lead the way in plastic sustainability.

Featured staff

Professor Dr Stefan Krause

Professor of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry

Professor Andrew Dove

Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry

Professor Fern Elsdon-Baker

Professor of Science, Knowledge and Belief in Society

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Changes to student parking

To promote sustainability on campus and implement a charging structure that is fair to all, charges for student parking have increased for the first time since 2007. 

These changes will be implemented from Monday 1 April so please be aware of these if you’re planning on driving onto campus. 

Monday - Friday  

The daily charge for student permit holders will be £2.50 chargeable from 08:00 – 18:00 in car parks available to students. 

Access to campus car parks after 18:00 will be free of charge. Students who aren’t eligible for a parking permit can apply for free out of hours access only after 18:00, by emailing  [email protected]    

Saturday and Sunday  

The flat rate fee for all students permit holders and non-permit holders will be £2.50 per day 08:00 – 18:00.  Free access after 18:00.   

Please note, Blue Badge users can still get free parking. 

Visit the student parking intranet page for full details including eligibility .  

Alternative travel  

For alternative ways to travel onto campus, we recommend commuting using public transport. For local travel, check out the  Transport for West Midlands website  and our  Sustainable Travel intranet page  where you can find more information on discounts available by bus.  

For further journeys, you may want to check out travelling by coach. Students can get  15% off at National Express  and  10% off at Megabus.   

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Sunlight to Methanol: Revolutionary CO2 Conversion Achieved With Copper and Carbon Nitride

By University of Nottingham March 27, 2024

Researchers have developed a sunlight-powered process using copper and nanocrystalline carbon nitride to efficiently convert CO2 into methanol, marking a significant step towards sustainable fuel production and CO2 reduction. The picture above depicts the reactor where the catalyst is tested for turning CO2 to methanol. Credit: University of Nottingham

Researchers have successfully transformed CO 2 into methanol by shining sunlight on single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels.

An international team of researchers from the University of Nottingham ’s School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham , University of Queensland, and University of Ulm have designed a material, made up of copper anchored on nanocrystalline carbon nitride. The copper atoms are nested within the nanocrystalline structure, which allows electrons to move from carbon nitride to CO 2 , an essential step in the production of methanol from CO 2 under the influence of solar irradiation. The research has been published in the Sustainable Energy & Fuels journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The Challenge of Efficiency and Selectivity

In photocatalysis, light is shone on a semiconductor material that excites electrons, enabling them to travel through the material to react with CO 2 and water, leading to a variety of useful products, including methanol, which is a green fuel. Despite recent progress, this process suffers from a lack of efficiency and selectivity.

Carbon dioxide is the greatest contributor to global warming. Although, it is possible to convert CO 2 to useful products, traditional thermal methods rely on hydrogen sourced from fossil fuels. It is important to develop alternative methods based on photo- and electrocatalysis, taking advantage of the sustainable solar energy and abundance of omnipresent water.

Nanoscale Control for Improved Catalysis

Dr Madasamy Thangamuthu, a research fellow in the School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, who co-led the research team, said: “There is a large variety of different materials used in photocatalysis. It is important that the photocatalyst absorbs light and separates charge carriers with high efficiency. In our approach, we control the material at the nanoscale . We developed a new form of carbon nitride with crystalline nanoscale domains that allow efficient interaction with light as well as sufficient charge separation.”

The researchers devised a process of heating carbon nitride to the required degree of crystallinity, maximizing the functional properties of this material for photocatalysis. Using magnetron sputtering, they deposited atomic copper in a solventless process, allowing intimate contact between the semiconductor and metal atoms.

Surprising Efficiency Gains

Tara LeMercier, a PhD student who carried out the experimental work at the University of Nottingham, School of Chemistry, said: “We measured the current generated by light and used it as a criterion to judge the quality of the catalyst. Even without copper, the new form of carbon nitride is 44 times more active than traditional carbon nitride. However, to our surprise, the addition of only 1 mg of copper per 1 g of carbon nitride quadrupled this efficiency. Most importantly the selectivity changed from methane, another greenhouse gas, to methanol, a valuable green fuel.”

Professor Andrei Khlobystov, School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, said: “Carbon dioxide valorization holds the key for achieving the net-zero ambition of the UK. It is vitally important to ensure the sustainability of our catalyst materials for this important reaction. A big advantage of the new catalyst is that it consists of sustainable elements – carbon, nitrogen, and copper – all highly abundant on our planet.”

This invention represents a significant step towards a deep understanding of photocatalytic materials in CO2 conversion. It opens a pathway for creating highly selective and tuneable catalysts where the desired product could be dialed up by controlling the catalyst at the nanoscale.

Reference: “Synergy of nanocrystalline carbon nitride with Cu single atom catalyst leads to selective photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to methanol” by Tara M. LeMercier, Madasamy Thangamuthu, Emerson C. Kohlrausch, Yifan Chen, Craig T. Stoppiello, Michael W. Fay, Graham A. Rance, Gazi N. Aliev, Wolfgang Theis, Johannes Biskupek, Ute Kaiser, Anabel E. Lanterna, Jesum Alves Fernandes and Andrei N. Khlobystov, 6 March 2024, Sustainable Energy & Fuels . DOI: 10.1039/D4SE00028E

This work is funded by the EPSRC Programme Grant ‘Metal atoms on surfaces and interfaces (MASI) for sustainable future’ www.masi.ac.uk which is set to develop catalyst materials for the conversion of three key molecules – carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and ammonia – crucially important for economy and environment. MASI catalysts are made in an atom-efficient way to ensure sustainable use of chemical elements without depleting supplies of rare elements and making most of the earth’s abundant elements, such as carbon and base metals.

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UK-Germany applied research collaboration on green energy and sustainable resources

University of birmingham and fraunhofer umsicht renew partnership.

Press Release / March 26, 2024

The University of Birmingham and Fraunhofer UMSICHT are renewing their partnership addressing the practical challenges of delivering green energy and renewable resources – looking to broaden their collaboration.

Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) at the University of Birmingham, and Professor Matthias Franke, Director of Fraunhofer UMSICHT Institute Branch Sulzbach-Rosenberg, today (26 Mar) confirmed a four-year extension to the original 2017 partnership agreement.

Since 2020, there have been 28 co-authored papers between the University of Birmingham and Fraunhofer UMSICHT – largely in energy, environmental science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Engineering, and Agricultural and Biological Sciences. With the  To-Syn-Fuel  and FlexJet projects on biofuels from residual and waste materials, two joint research projects in the HORIZON 2020 programme were successfully processed.

The partnership’s scope has already grown from its original focus on energy and waste management, with future  collaborative works  involving  carbon capture and utilisation ,  renewable energy, heat storage, hydrogen production and utilisation, critical elements and materials, and polymers recycling/chemical recycling.

Signing of the partnership in Sulzbach-Rosenberg town hall 

Speaking after the special signing ceremony at Sulzbach-Rosenberg town hall, Germany,  Professor Robin Mason commented : »We are proud of the great work achieved by our partnership. As our global community consumes ever-increasing amounts of energy, collaborative research that helps to deliver green and sustainable energy becomes ever-more important. We look forward to aligning the University of Birmingham’s flair for research innovation with Fraunhofer UMSICHT’s applied research expertise to extend our partnership across a range of areas of shared interest that will help to change people’s lives for the better.«

Professor Matthias Franke commented : »Renewable energies, but also the transformation to sustainable, emission-free raw materials, especially carbon - these are the challenges facing the industry today. Our application-orientated research in the fields of carbon conversion, recycling, biofuels and CCU / CCUS dovetail perfectly with the cutting-edge research in Birmingham to meet these demands.«

The practical outcome of the partnership can be seen, for example, at Tyseley Energy Park, where the University of Birmingham is active as a development partner. A research plant based on Fraunhofer UMSICHT technology is operated there. It converts biogenic residues into liquid energy carriers and chemicals. 

Sulzbach-Rosenberg Mayor Stefan Frank  commented: »The collaboration between Fraunhofer UMSICHT Sulzbach-Rosenberg and a global Top 100 university demonstrates that application-oriented research can be successful in rural areas. One reason for this is certainly that it is possible to demonstrate innovative technologies on a large-scale, which can sometimes be challenging to do in an urban environment.«

The University of Birmingham’s research links to Germany are strong and since 2018 has also had a partnership with Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) - a senior scientific and technical federal institute with responsibility to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany. The University and BAM share wide-ranging research interests relating to Energy, Additive Manufacturing, Chemistry & Materials, Life & Environmental Sciences, and Engineering.

Information on the University of Birmingham and Fraunhofer UMSICHT 

The  University of Birmingham  is one of the top 100 universities in the world. Its work brings people from all over the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teaching staff and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries. 

The  Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT  is part of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft based in Germany, the world's leading organization for applied research with more than 30,000 employees. Fraunhofer UMSICHT conducts research in the fields of circular economy, carbon management, green hydrogen and decentralized energy systems. It develops industrially feasible technologies, products and services and brings them to application. At three locations in Germany, Fraunhofer UMSICHT generates a turnover of over 57.8 million euros with 608 employees. 

The  Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft , based in Germany, is the world's leading organization for application-oriented research. With its focus on future-oriented key technologies and the utilization of results in business and industry, it plays a central role in the innovation process. As a trailblazer and driving force for innovative developments and scientific excellence, it helps to  in shaping our society and our future. Founded in 1949, the organization currently operates 76 institutes and research facilities in Germany. More than 30,000 employees, most of whom are trained in the natural sciences or engineering, work on the annual research volume of 2.9 billion euros. Contract research accounts for 2.5 billion euros of this total.

Last modified:  March 26, 2024

Research lights up process for turning CO2 into sustainable fuel

Researchers have successfully transformed CO 2 into methanol by shining sunlight on single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels.

An international team of researchers from the University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, University of Queensland and University of Ulm have designed a material, made up of copper anchored on nanocrystalline carbon nitride. The copper atoms are nested within the nanocrystalline structure, which allows electrons to move from carbon nitride to CO 2 , an essential step in the production of methanol from CO 2 under the influence of solar irradiation. The research has been published in the Sustainable Energy & Fuels Journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

In photocatalysis, light is shone on a semiconductor material that excites electrons, enabling them to travel through the material to react with CO 2 and water, leading to a variety of useful products, including methanol, which is a green fuel. Despite recent progress, this process suffers from a lack of efficiency and selectivity.

Carbon dioxide is the greatest contributor to global warming. Although, it is possible to convert CO 2 to useful products, traditional thermal methods rely on hydrogen sourced from fossil fuels. It is important to develop alternative methods based on photo- and electrocatalysis, taking advantage of the sustainable solar energy and abundance of omnipresent water.

Dr Madasamy Thangamuthu, a research fellow in the School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, who co-led the research team, said: "There is a large variety of different materials used in photocatalysis. It is important that the photocatalyst absorbs light and separates charge carriers with high efficiency. In our approach, we control the material at the nanoscale. We developed a new form of carbon nitride with crystalline nanoscale domains that allow efficient interaction with light as well as sufficient charge separation."

The researchers devised a process of heating carbon nitride to the required degree of crystallinity, maximising the functional properties of this material for photocatalysis. Using magnetron sputtering, they deposited atomic copper in a solventless process, allowing intimate contact between the semiconductor and metal atoms.

Tara LeMercier, a PhD student who carried out the experimental work at the University of Nottingham, School of Chemistry, said: "We measured the current generated by light and used it as a criterion to judge the quality of the catalyst. Even without copper, the new form of carbon nitride is 44 times more active than traditional carbon nitride. However, to our surprise, the addition of only 1 mg of copper per 1 g of carbon nitride quadrupled this efficiency. Most importantly the selectivity changed from methane, another greenhouse gas, to methanol, a valuable green fuel."

Professor Andrei Khlobystov, School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, said: "Carbon dioxide valorisation holds the key for achieving the net-zero ambition of the UK. It is vitally important to ensure the sustainability of our catalyst materials for this important reaction. A big advantage of the new catalyst is that it consists of sustainable elements -- carbon, nitrogen and copper -- all highly abundant on our planet."

This invention represents a significant step towards a deep understanding of photocatalytic materials in CO 2 conversion. It opens a pathway for creating highly selective and tuneable catalysts where the desired product could be dialled up by controlling the catalyst at the nanoscale.

This work is funded by the EPSRC Programme Grant 'Metal atoms on surfaces and interfaces (MASI) for sustainable future' which is set to develop catalyst materials for the conversion of three key molecules -- carbon dioxide, hydrogen and ammonia -- crucially important for economy and environment. MASI catalysts are made in an atom-efficient way to ensure sustainable use of chemical elements without depleting supplies of rare elements and making most of the earth's abundant elements, such as carbon and base metals.

The University of Nottingham is dedicated to championing green and sustainable technologies. The Zero Carbon Cluster has been set in the East Midlands to accelerate the development and deployment of innovation in green industries and advanced manufacturing.

• Energy and Resources
• Organic Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Sustainability
• Global Warming
• Geochemistry
• Energy and the Environment
• Activated carbon
• Scanning tunneling microscope
• Common ethanol fuel mixtures
• Nanoparticle
• Hydrogen-like atom
• Electroluminescence
• Solar power

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Nottingham . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Tara M LeMercier, Madasamy Thangamuthu, Emerson C Kohlrausch, Yifan Chen, Craig Stoppiello, Michael W Fay, Graham A. Rance, Gazi N Aliev, Wolfgang Theis, Johannes Biskupek, Ute Kaiser, Anabel E. Lanterna, Jesum Alves Fernandes, Andrei Khlobystov. Synergy of Nanocrystalline Carbon Nitride with Cu Single Atom Catalyst Leads to Selective Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Methanol . Sustainable Energy & Fuels , 2024; DOI: 10.1039/D4SE00028E

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Research lights up process for turning CO₂ into sustainable fuel

R esearchers have successfully transformed CO 2 into methanol by shining sunlight on single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels.

An international team of researchers from the University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, University of Queensland, and University of Ulm have designed a material made up of copper anchored on nanocrystalline carbon nitride.

The copper atoms are nested within the nanocrystalline structure, which allows electrons to move from carbon nitride to CO 2 , an essential step in the production of methanol from CO 2 under the influence of solar irradiation. The research has been published in the Sustainable Energy & Fuels journal.

In photocatalysis, light is shone on a semiconductor material that excites electrons, enabling them to travel through the material to react with CO 2 and water, leading to a variety of useful products, including methanol, which is a green fuel. Despite recent progress, this process suffers from a lack of efficiency and selectivity.

Carbon dioxide is the greatest contributor to global warming. Although it is possible to convert CO 2 to useful products, traditional thermal methods rely on hydrogen sourced from fossil fuels. It is important to develop alternative methods based on photo- and electrocatalysis, taking advantage of the sustainable solar energy and abundance of omnipresent water.

Dr. Madasamy Thangamuthu, a research fellow in the School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, who co-led the research team, said, "There is a large variety of different materials used in photocatalysis. It is important that the photocatalyst absorbs light and separates charge carriers with high efficiency. In our approach, we control the material at the nanoscale. We developed a new form of carbon nitride with crystalline nanoscale domains that allow efficient interaction with light as well as sufficient charge separation."

The researchers devised a process of heating carbon nitride to the required degree of crystallinity, maximizing the functional properties of this material for photocatalysis. Using magnetron sputtering, they deposited atomic copper in a solventless process, allowing intimate contact between the semiconductor and metal atoms.

Tara LeMercier, a Ph.D. student who carried out the experimental work at the University of Nottingham School of Chemistry, said, "We measured the current generated by light and used it as a criterion to judge the quality of the catalyst. Even without copper, the new form of carbon nitride is 44 times more active than traditional carbon nitride."

"However, to our surprise, the addition of only 1 mg of copper per 1 g of carbon nitride quadrupled this efficiency. Most importantly, the selectivity changed from methane, another greenhouse gas, to methanol, a valuable green fuel."

Professor Andrei Khlobystov, School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, said, "Carbon dioxide valorization holds the key for achieving the net-zero ambition of the UK. It is vitally important to ensure the sustainability of our catalyst materials for this important reaction. A big advantage of the new catalyst is that it consists of sustainable elements—carbon, nitrogen, and copper—all highly abundant on our planet."

This invention represents a significant step towards a deep understanding of photocatalytic materials in CO 2 conversion. It opens a pathway for creating highly selective and tunable catalysts where the desired product could be dialed up by controlling the catalyst at the nanoscale.

More information: Tara M LeMercier et al, Synergy of Nanocrystalline Carbon Nitride with Cu Single Atom Catalyst Leads to Selective Photocatalytic Reduction of CO 2 to Methanol, Sustainable Energy & Fuels (2024). DOI: 10.1039/D4SE00028E

Provided by University of Nottingham

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