The Carbon Vision programme supports research underpinning the development of tomorrow's low carbon technologies. It aims to help the transition to a low carbon economy by identifying, harnessing and expanding research capabilities to create new knowledge and low carbon intellectual property which business can commercialise and exploit.

The Carbon Vision Partnership is a collaboration between EPSRC and the Carbon Trust, working with NERC and ESRC, set up to add value over and above the research programmes carried out individually by these organisations. The Carbon Trust works with UK business and the public sector to cut carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies.

Carbon Vision is bringing together and building top quality R&D capability relevant to the low carbon technologies which offer commercial opportunities for the UK. We encourage innovation and promote co-operation between the research community, industries and other stakeholders engaged in the commercial up-take of low carbon technologies.

Carbon Vision Buildings
The first Carbon Vision research programme, Carbon Vision Buildings, started in autumn 2004. Uses of energy in buildings, domestic and non-domestic, are responsible for about half of the nation’s energy consumption and about half the releases of carbon. The building stock is therefore a prime target for cuts in emissions. The £5.4 million, four-year research programme aims to demonstrate how carbon emissions from the stock can be reduced by 50% by 2030. Three integrated research projects have been funded:

• Carbon reduction in buildings
• Technology assessment for radically improving the built asset base
• Building market transformation

The programme will also act as a catalyst for action to achieve these savings. An Engagement Group has been established, bringing together government departments, local authorities, professional bodies, consultancies and the property sector. The group will provide guidance on the best ways of commercialising research outputs in this area and help to identify and promote priority research areas.

Industrial Process Efficiency
Research aimed at stimulating a step-change carbon reduction in the lifetime carbon footprint of basic products and their associated manufacturing processes started in January 2005. The Carbon Vision Industrial Process research consortium is led by the University of Surrey and has funding of £1 million over 3.5 years.

Unlocking Low Carbon Potential
A research consortium led by the University of Bath (£0.8 million over 3 years) is investigating why energy-saving technologies are not always widely used in industry. It aims to find ways to enable greater take up of these technologies.

Carbon Vision Leadership Programme
The leadership programme aims to enable outstanding scientists and engineers to become world leaders in low carbon research. Two awards will be made, starting in autumn 2006.