On Resilience: policy solutions for a more resilient UK

The United Kingdom is vulnerable to global events and over reliant on other countries for essential resources - but there are policy choices which could significantly lessen this exposure, a new report makes clear. On Resilience , a collection of articles drawing on research from University of Manchester academics, examines a range of solutions to strengthen our national resilience. Matthew Paterson, Professor of International Politics, writes that the war in Ukraine "has underscored how crucial geopolitical dynamics are to thinking about the future of energy." He makes a series of policy recommendations to maintain the Government's transition to net zero "while focusing on those elements that minimise geopolitical risks." These include a drive to reduce energy demand with an emphasis on weaning the UK economy off its dependence on natural gas, which the conflict in Ukraine has graphically highlighted. Professor Paterson argues that decarbonising housing through heat pumps and electric cooking can also strengthen national resilience and advocates new policies to shift the population away from private car use in favour of public transport, coupled with additional investment in road transport electrification "to minimise exposure to oil price volatility." And he makes the case for domestic renewable electricity generation to be accelerated, commenting: "There is significant untapped potential both for onshore wind and solar, which have largely been hampered by regulatory blockages that need reversing." Timothy Foster, Senior Lecturer in Water-Food Security, advises the UK to learn from countries with water scarcity pressures in order to address water risks faced by the domestic agricultural sector.