The report from the South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre (SYSC) - a partnership led by Sheffield Hallam University with the University of Sheffield and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) - found that almost 20,000 houses must be retrofitted annually to align with the 2050 target. This figure rises to around 32,000 per year to meet the region's more ambitious 2040 net-zero goal.
The SYSC, the first centre of its kind in the UK, launched in 2023 to connect world-leading research from both Sheffield universities with local businesses, public sector organisations and charities to address regional sustainability challenges.
Among its detailed findings, the report warns that surging demand from electric vehicle charging and heat pumps could overload half of the region's more than 6,000 electricity substations, potentially forcing shutdowns to prevent overheating or fires. Upgrading this infrastructure to handle the load would cost approximately £470 million, which equates to roughly £940 per South Yorkshire customer.
Additionally, SYSC found that using a "smart" digital system to reroute traffic more equitably across Sheffield - rather than motorists simply taking the fastest route - could reduce air pollution (nitrogen dioxide) by 21 per cent. This shift would significantly improve air quality while increasing average journey times by just 20 seconds.
Aimee Ambrose, Professor of Energy Policy at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University: “SYSC is a great example of the two Sheffield universities working together with policy and practice partners across the region to move South Yorkshire more rapidly towards a sustainable future.
“Sheffield Hallam's contribution has, amongst other things, helped ensure that fairness and inclusivity are at the heart of the project. We've focussed attention on communities who lost out in previous transitions, voices rarely heard in debates about our future, such as children, and we've explored how the history of places in South Yorkshire shape aspirations for a more sustainable future. We're pleased to see a record of SYSC's contributions to date captured in this report."
Professor Will Eadson, Professor of Urban and Regional Studies at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University, said: "A thriving South Yorkshire is only possible through achieving a sustainable future that also brings opportunity for all.
"Our report shows how this can be achieved through regional partnership and commitment to including the voices of our region’s communities. The report is itself a demonstration of this commitment, showcasing how cross-sector collaboration can provide us with the knowledge, understanding and purpose to achieve real change.“
Rachael Rothman, SYSC Academic Director and Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, said: “Our report showcases the full depth of our findings, laying out priorities for South Yorkshire to pursue decarbonisation pathways that are faster, fairer and rooted in local evidence.
“Decarbonisation can have immediate benefits for residents: more affordable and warmer homes, cleaner air, increased food security and high-quality jobs in green industries.
“Against a backdrop of global volatility, the need to collaborate with partners across the region and beyond is greater than ever. Only through genuine cross-sector collaboration can we build a sustainable future that benefits our communities for generations to come.”
The report focuses on several key regional challenges, including residential energy, transport, sustainable food systems and the decarbonisation of heavy industries like steel and glass making.
In the food and drink sector, valued at around £434 million and supporting around 9,000 jobs, researchers found widespread support for the formation of a South Yorkshire Food Network to coordinate regional sustainability challenges, boost the economy and tackle diet-related ill health.
Dr Hongwei Zhang, Director of the Advanced Food Innovation Centre (AFIC) at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “AFIC is pleased to contribute to the SYSC’s work in strengthening South Yorkshire’s food system. Our research has highlighted both the scale of opportunity and the pressing challenges within the region’s food and drink manufacturing sector, from supporting SMEs to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions, to identifying practical pathways for decarbonisation and sustainable growth. Working alongside local businesses, policymakers and community partners, we are helping build a more resilient, low‑carbon and inclusive food system for South Yorkshire. It’s encouraging to see these findings reflected in the report, and we look forward to continuing this collaborative effort to drive positive change across the region.”
The report also lays bare the challenges in decarbonising heat intensive heavy industry in the region, such as steel, ceramics and glass making. Extensive consultation with key regional stakeholders revealed challenges and opportunities of decarbonisation through electrification and hydrogen. While hydrogen adoption is currently hindered by high costs and policy uncertainty, the region’s strengths in research and manufacturing position it as a potential national leader in the sector.
Central to the report is the ethos of a ‘just’ transition to net zero. This ensures that the shift to sustainable technologies and policies is equitable and does not exacerbate existing inequalities. The SYSC argues that for this transition to be successful, the region must ensure the shift toward green energy creates equitable opportunities - upskilling the workforce and ensuring that economic growth benefits every community, rather than exacerbating existing inequalities.
Key recommendations include:
- Residential Energy Systems: Solutions are needed to mitigate future electricity grid overload in residential areas caused by electric vehicle charging and the electrification of heating - regional trials should be commissioned to understand the potential of novel storage and control technologies, smart grid technologies and workplace EV charging offers.
- Retrofit: For all house types, a "fabric-and-system" (encompassing insulation and internal systems) retrofit approach should be adopted and large, pre-1920s properties should be prioritised to maximise carbon savings and to manage grid stability in high demand areas.
- Transport: In contrast to demand-driven models, public bus services should be provisioned to directly address inequalities in transport accessibility and introduce a simplified distance-based fare structure to eliminate the financial penalty of transferring between services.
- Building Sustainable Food Systems: Local authorities should adopt a "Right to Grow" model to grant community groups access to underused land for local food production and landscape resilience.
- Hydrogen and Industrial Decarbonisation: Build on South Yorkshire’s existing strengths to emerge as as a national leader in the technologies and components that underpin hydrogen production (i.e. catalysts, storage tanks and pipeline materials) and ensure that this transition captures value for the region as a whole, providing pathways to good and inclusive work, and benefitting the region’s SME base.
- Just Transition: Establish a ‘Regional Just Transition Commission’ to develop a just transition delivery framework that can be used to embed just transition principles and actions into key economic development programmes so that investments create tangible benefits for workers, SMEs, and all residents.
Explore the report
