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The UK Government is seeking views on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible. Government is asking for views on: 1. the phase out date, 2. the definition of what should be phased out, 3. barriers to achieving the above proposals, 4. the impact of these ambitions on different sectors of industry and society, and 5. what measures are required by government and others to achieve the earlier phase out date. UKERC and other research groups have undertaken a range of research relevant to this inquiry over the last few years. The predominant focus has been the longer term transformation of the transport-energy system with particular focus on the electrification of light duty vehicles. This response takes a 'systemic' approach across the transport and electricity systems to how long term goals might be met and uses this to inform analysis of decisions on short to medium term targets. This consultation and impending publication of the 'Transport Decarbonisation Plan' mean now is a good time to consider the implications of a 'net zero' world that requires emissions to decrease faster and further than before.

AbstractRecent work in embodied cognition has proposed that representations and actions are inextricably linked. The current study examines a developmental account of this relationship. Specifically, we propose that children's actions are foundational for novel representations. Thirty‐two preschoolers, aged 3.4 to 5.7 years, were asked to solve a set of simple gear‐system problems. Participants' motions and verbalizations were coded to establish the strategies they used. The preschoolers initially solved the problems by simulating the turning and pushing of the gears. Subsequently, most participants discovered a new representation of the problems: the turning direction of the gears alternates. Results show that the number of actions that embodied alternation information, during their simulation of the system, predicted the later emergence of the higher‐order representation (i.e. that the gears alternate turning direction). Thus, it appears that the preschoolers discovered a new representation based on their own actions. These results are consistent with the developmental embodiment hypothesis: actions are central to the emergence of new representations.

The beneficial role of companion animals on human health and wellbeing across the life span is well documented in the rapidly expanding multi disciplinary body of literature known as human animal interactions (HAI). Social workers practice at the interface of people and their diverse environments. The presence of human animal bonds (HAB) within client systems, between people and companion animals in particular, are increasingly acknowledged and valued by social workers. Additionally, some social workers incorporate animals in their practice through animal assisted interventions (AAI). However, there is a paucity of empirical literature on social workers' knowledge about and experiences with the inclusion of animals. We conducted a survey across three prairie provinces in Canada, replicating a study that was first implemented nationwide in the U.S. and later in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The survey explored social workers' knowledge of HAI in social work. The results, similar to the Nova Scotia and U.S. findings, suggest that s social workers have general knowledge about HAI and the HAB, and that some do incorporate animals in practice. Social workers seem to have increasing knowledge and skills about HAI. While this is a positive trend, there is nonetheless a need for specialized education and training on the beneficial impact that companion animals can have on social work practice. In this paper, the application of zooeyia within social work is adopted as one approach to understanding HAB. Important implications for human health and wellbeing and social work practice at the practitioner and organizational levels are discussed.

Floating wind foundations could unlock offshore wind power generation in deeper and more remote waters. This report examines how quickly floating wind is progressing towards becoming a key contributor to the global electricity supply mix. It contains a special focus on developments in the UK and Scotland, uncovering challenges that could undermine the growth of floating wind, as well as policy recommendations to overcome these. The floating wind market is growing steadily, expanding from almost zero installed capacity in 2008 to 57 MW in 2018. Looking forward, there is an impressive pipeline of projects for future deployment. By 2030, global capacity of floating wind could be as high as 4.3 GW. Deployment of installed capacity has to date been dominated by the UK and Japan, and the vast majority of these foundations have been designed and developed by companies in Norway and Japan. New entrants, most notably the USA and France, are expected to challenge for leadership in both deployment and design. Whilst SMEs have played a central role in driving growth in the sector, multi-national energy firms are investing heavily in floating wind deployment and design. These include: (1) oil and gas majors; (2) energy utilities; and (3) Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Floating wind rated turbine capacity more than tripled and hub height almost doubled between 2008–13 and 2013–18. However, the majority of projects remain single-turbine demonstration projects, with just one array deployed. During the same period, the projects' distance from shore has doubled to average 11km but their depth has increased by just 7%. However, at an average depth of 65m, projects are operating in waters deeper than most bottom-fixed foundations are economically capable of. The UK is the world leader in floating wind deployment, with 56% of global capacity. Retaining this future lead will, however, be likely to depend on it retaining an open trading relationship with the EU, a relationship that it has depended on heavily to deliver its ...

LAY SUMMARY The new practices of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and state-run psychedelic services need trained facilitators. This article aligns the role of peer support in both the psychedelic and the Veteran communities, displaying core competencies and current practices, while also highlighting further needs in training and supervision. Continued work with peer support in the legal facilitation of psychedelic experiences will deepen understanding of psychedelic peership (i.e., when someone with previous firsthand experience with psychedelics facilitates the psychedelic therapy session of another).

This discussion paper, is the result of an overall effort undertaken by the Sustainable Mobility for All partnership, in conjunction with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) Programme. It questions whether the Global North's approach to electromobility is suitable for countries in the Global South, particularly Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It complements two other policy papers by the SuM4All partnership: (i) The Digital toolkit for Energy and Mobility, which provides useful resources to integrate policy measures toward sustainable mobility; and (ii) Sustainable Electric Mobility: Building Blocks and Policy Recommendations on policy barriers to electromobility and essential building blocks for public policy in this area. Released under the Global Roadmap of Action series (GRA)ii, these papers contribute to a deeper understanding of the comprehensive policy framework required to transition to sustainable mobility. The series intends to stimulate an informed discussion on policy choices in transport and position the SuM4All partnership more prominently in the run-up towards COP26 and beyond. This will contribute to the debate on transport decarbonization, while considering the other goals of sustainable mobility: universal access, efficiency, and safety. The SuM4all partnership outlined this comprehensive policy framework in the GRAiii, which is now being piloted in South Africa. This paper shows that the model for transitioning to electromobility in the Global North will not work for all countries, and therefore new, innovative approaches are needed so that countries in the Global South are not left behind. Many countries understand the issue and are willing to transition but the poorest countries often face demanding technological, financial, and social pressures. These current circumstances make this transition extremely difficult or not timely. The Global North has a responsibility, as the historic high emitter of carbon, to help these ...