Energy, Productivity and Wellbeing
CUSP researchers Tim Jackson and Simon Mair at the University of Surrey receiving ESRC project funding to explore links between energy, wellbeing and the UK’s productivity puzzle
May 2019
Energy—generated from both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources—is a central factor in economic productivity across all industries. The UK has increasingly less access to high grade energy and this has a significant impact on economic productivity. Associated problems are further complicated by climate change and the need for renewable energy.
CUSP researchers Prof Tim Jackson and Dr Simon Mair have secured funding for two new projects, that will be mapping the existing evidence bases on UK productivity growth; building on two streams of research with our system dynamics theme: links between energy and productivity, and links between wellbeing and productivity. The projects will use a combination of literature reviews and participatory systems mapping—a method that sees a group of stakeholders work together to develop maps through workshops.
The focus of the energy project will be on understanding how changes in the energy basis of the economy might explain the declining growth rate of UK productivity over the last few decades. The wellbeing project will focus on the ways in which attempts to grow productivity have impacted wellbeing. The aim is to produce in depth literature reviews and innovative graphics that can inform policymaking across various institutions and future ESRC funding in this area.
Professor Tim Jackson said: “All economic activity involves the use and transformation of energy. The quality of energy resources is declining—we’re having to work harder to get the energy we need to power the economy. One of the areas we’ll be exploring is whether this could have contributed to the UK’s declining productivity growth.”
Dr Joanna Boehnert from Loughborough University and one of the co-investigators of the project, added: “Since energy is central to sustainable futures, I am excited by the potential of this research to not only document the evidence base but potentially reveal spaces for interventions for sustainable transitions.”
Other researchers on the project include Prof Matt Leach and Dr Shimaa Elkomy from the University of Surrey.
