Beyond industrial energy efficiency: defining the multiple roles that businesses can play for climate positive action

In the last three decades, significant research and policy attention across OECD countries has focused on how to encourage greater energy and resource efficiency in industry. This has been justified on the basis of cost, energy and emissions savings, and productivity improvements that can accrue to both large enterprises and SMEs. However, with the increasing urgency of climate change and in response to the energy crisis which has affected millions of businesses, there is a need to look beyond efficiency and consider the multiple roles that businesses can (and must) play in accelerating the transition towards net-zero. In focusing on efficiency, researchers and policymakers have tended to frame industrial organisations primarily as (1) consumers of energy and resources, with interventions to reduce these whilst maintaining output (productivity). There has also been a focus on ‘eco-innovation’ policies that address a second role that businesses play in energy transitions, as (2) enablers of low-carbon consumption (e.g. developing green products and services). Using findings from a two-year research study on the governance of SMEs and climate change, including 76 interviews with industry stakeholders, expert workshops, and a narrative literature review, we discuss the effectiveness of these dominant role-framings, and highlight three additional roles that warrant attention and analysis: businesses as (3) adopters of critical low-carbon technologies and services including demand-side flexibility; (4) citizens with the power to influence policy agendas and contribute towards local placemaking efforts; and (5) social influencers, creating and embedding social norms around consumption choices and environmental responsibilities. This paper seeks to widen the discourse of industrial decarbonisation, challenging researchers and policymakers to reconsider their assumptions about the role of business in the energy system, and to forge new approaches which capitalise on their potential for climate-positive action

Where next for SMEs and net zero?

This report addresses the question where next for SMEs and net zero?, It provides insights from a comprehensive review of policies and business support initiatives across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as interviews with 83 governance stakeholders acting at the national, regional and local levels and 30 interviews with SMEs

Recent Findings on Phosphorus Digestibility of Feed Ingredients in Broilers

Accurately meeting the dietary P needs of broilers is critical to ensure optimal bird performance, health, and welfare without causing undue environmental burdens associated with excess dietary P excretion. Phosphorus is commonly supplied in broiler diets from inorganic phosphates derived from non-renewable sources, but it has been estimated that peak P production will occur between 2030-2040 and that the global supply of P could be depleted within this century (Cordell and Drangert, 2009; Nest and Cordell, 2012). To address these concerns, inorganic P use in agriculture, including use in broiler diet formulation, requires careful stewardship. To this end, the dietary inclusion of animal protein meals can help reduce or eliminate the need for inorganic phosphate use, especially when paired with phytase (van Harn et al., 2017). However, the proportion of P available to the bird within commonly used inorganic phosphate and animal protein sources is often not well-defined.With increasing adoption of ileal digestibility of P in feed formulation, additional data are needed to develop robust databases for commonly used and important sources of P. Therefore, the aim of this study was to generate values of AID and SID of P for different inorganic phosphates and meat and bone meal sources using the direct method. In addition, relative P digestibility of these sources was determined using monosodium phosphate as the reference ingredient to provide a basis for comparing quantitative digestibility results with relative values

Energy Superhub Oxford: final report

Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) is a £41m demonstration project delivering innovation in smart local energy systems. As countries around the world embark on energy transitions to decarbonise their economies, decentralised and digitised solutions are increasingly important in delivering power, heat and mobility to users. Exploring options for smart local energy systems is a key UK priority. ESO is one of three large demonstrator projects part-funded by the UK government under its “Prospering from the Energy Revolution” (PFER) programme. Work began in April 2019 and ran until March 2023. ESO’s main focus has been on investment in infrastructure for energy storage, electric vehicle charging, low carbon home heating and developing innovative, smart ways of generating benefits from these for users, investors and society at large. This report has been produced by the University of Oxford team and draws on their research findings spanning each of the major work packages: transport (including private wire and Superhub construction), decarbonising heat, and the transmission grid connected battery, its operation and carbon impact. It also includes a chapter on consortium working practices and concludes with overall learnings from the project

How many neutrophils are enough (redux, redux)?

Many chemotherapeutic regimens produce neutropenia, which predisposes to microbial infection. However, not all neutropenic individuals develop infections, so the ability to predict this outcome would be a powerful clinical tool. In this issue of the JCI, Malka et al. describe a dynamic system model of neutrophil bactericidal activity that confirms and extends the concept of critical neutrophil concentration. The authors demonstrate that when the neutrophil concentration approaches the critical concentration, bacterial populations in contact with them exhibit bistability. Their experimental findings raise the intriguing possibility of greater variability in bactericidal activity of neutrophils from healthy adults than heretofore recognized; their model predicts that this could have life-and-death consequences

Neuroprotection in a Novel Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis

The authors acknowledge the support of the Barts and the London Charity, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, USA, notably the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research, and the Wellcome Trust (grant no. 092539 to ZA). The siRNA was provided by Quark Pharmaceuticals. The funders and Quark Pharmaceuticals had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Inhibition of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase signaling leads to hypercholesterolemia and promotes hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance

Adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates multiple signaling pathways involved in glucose and lipid metabolism in response to changes in hormonal and nutrient status. Cell culture studies have shown that AMPK phosphorylation and inhibition of the rate‐limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl (HMG) coenzyme A (CoA) reductase (HMGCR) at serine‐871 (Ser871; human HMGCR Ser872) suppresses cholesterol synthesis. In order to evaluate the role of AMPK‐HMGCR signaling in vivo, we generated mice with a Ser871‐alanine (Ala) knock‐in mutation (HMGCR KI). Cholesterol synthesis was significantly suppressed in wild‐type (WT) but not in HMGCR KI hepatocytes in response to AMPK activators. Liver cholesterol synthesis and cholesterol levels were significantly up‐regulated in HMGCR KI mice. When fed a high‐carbohydrate diet, HMGCR KI mice had enhanced triglyceride synthesis and liver steatosis, resulting in impaired glucose homeostasis. Conclusion: AMPK‐HMGCR signaling alone is sufficient to regulate both cholesterol and triglyceride synthesis under conditions of a high‐carbohydrate diet. Our findings highlight the tight coupling between the mevalonate and fatty acid synthesis pathways as well as revealing a role of AMPK in suppressing the deleterious effects of a high‐carbohydrate diet

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London