Work programme

A POSTnote on screen time in young people will review the evidence on children and young people’s use of devices with screens, examine the links between screen time and poor health outcomes, and present policy implications.

A POSTnote on 3D printing in medicine will review the latest medical applications of the technology, such as the production of printed tissue and biologically active scaffolds. It will examine the regulatory issues that such approaches raise.

A POSTnote on autism will update our work from 2008. It will outline changes in awareness and research and examine the extent to which these have improved service provision for people with autism.

A POSTnote on sustainable cooling will look at how we can sustainably cool homes and goods in a warming world. It will review UK preparedness, balance cooling needs against electricity demand and carbon goals, and explore solutions.

A POSTnote on the international treaty on plant genetic resources, will look at optimising crops for agriculture. It will examine how regulating information from selective breeding and 'omics' technologies, could promote sustainable and fair crop production.

A POSTnote on climate change and aviation will look at the carbon footprint of commercial flights. It will review potential technical solutions and other policy options including carbon offsetting and ways to reduce flight demand.

A POSTnote on bioenergy and carbon capture and storage will summarise the technology. It will explore the magnitude of bioenergy carbon capture and storage needed to mitigate climate change and the land pressure and other challenges that arise.

Three new POSTnotes were approved during the latest POST Board meeting on June 12, 2019. The POST board has approved three new POSTnotes. A global deal for nature, Resilient food supply chains, and Non-custodial sentencing.

A POSTnote on alternative sentencing will examine how alternatives to imprisonment might help reduce prison overcrowding and re-offending. It will present current alternatives as well as alternatives being trialled internationally.

A POSTnote on a global deal for nature will summarise the link between climate change and biodiversity loss. It will explain why experts are calling for formal protection for 30% of the Earth from human activities, to go alongside the Paris Climate Agreement.

A POSTnote on resilient food supply chains will explain how new techniques could help track food. Such developments could help consumers, businesses, and policy makers understand the environmental impact of food imports and build more sustainable food systems.

A POSTbrief on Food waste, will identify and evaluate the evidence base for food waste prevention interventions from farm-to-fork. It will look at broader food security and resilience goals in the context of the Brexit Agriculture Command Paper.

A POSTnote on heat networks will explore to what extent they could replace conventional heating systems, such as boilers, within individual homes. It will outline how heat networks work, how they could contribute to decarbonisation, and current regulation.

A POSTnote on regulating germline therapies will look at new genome editing techniques and how they could be used to edit human eggs, sperm, or embryos. It will examine current definitions, applications, alternatives, and concerns surrounding germline therapies.

Use of drones (unmanned aircraft) is rising for both recreational and commercial applications, with the British Airline Pilots Association recording 117 near misses between aircraft and drones in the UK between January and November 2018. This POSTnote will update PN 479 on Civilian Drones. It will consider current and future uses of drones as well as their regulation. It will consider the role they could play in enforcement and look at anti-drone technologies and their associated technical challenges.