30 January 2020 – The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and the University of Cambridge Whittle Laboratory hosted a meeting for HRH The Prince of Wales, aviation business leaders, senior government officials and academics to announce the university’s ambition to develop the world’s first zero carbon flight.
During the meeting the University revealed its plans for the new National Centre for Propulsion and Power which will be housed by the Whittle Laboratory and is due to open in 2022 with funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute.
CISL will work with new Centre to accelerate the innovations required to decarbonise the aviation sector to net zero by 2050, supporting the investment ambition of the Centre and engaging senior leaders in industry and government to support higher ambition decarbonisation policies.
The Centre aims to revolutionise technology development, making the process at least 10 times faster and cheaper, enabling rapid development for ultra-low emission aircraft and low carbon power generation, and covering around 80 per cent of the UK’s future aerodynamic technology needs.
This new facility has the potential to have a galvanising effect on a global industry and policy-makers around the world, in pursuit of rapid solutions to the challenge of aviation-related emissions, ensuring that the UK remains a world leader in the field.
The University of Cambridge launched its Cambridge Zero initiative in 2019 to bring together its research, policy and private sector engagement activities on climate change. The Whittle Laboratory and CISL are partners in that initiative, and exemplify the impact academia can have in working with government and the private sector on the critical issue of our time.