Guides and databases: Energy and Sustainable Environment: Grey Literature

Grey Literature - an Overview

Grey literature refers to any information source that is not commercially published. As these sources are dispersed and not collected by centralised publishing platforms, they are sometimes difficult to find and can be tiresome to search.

What counts as grey literature?

Internal reports, such as government white papers
Meeting minutes and notes
Conference abstracts, papers
Theses and dissertations
Pre-print or unpublished research
Clinical trial data
Patents and technical standards information, such as British Standards (BSO) or International Standards (ISO)

Why use grey literature?

Often good quality information produced by experts in their field, e.g. white papers are commissioned by the government from a body of subject specialists
Providing important insights into the 'reality' of research, e.g. clinical trial data that is not published because the study was not successful and therefore not commercially beneficial
Reflects the expertise of individuals not associated with academia e.g. independent think tanks; charities representing oppressed groups or individuals; other industry experts (for example, in business or technology).

Grey Literature for Energy and Sustainable Environment

Below are some useful sites for finding grey literature relating to Energy and Sustainable Environment topics. Some links will take you to databases which UCL Library Services subscribes to. These require that you authenticate with your UCL user ID and password. Be sure also to check all relevant subject guides for subject-specific sources of grey literature.

IBISWorld Country specific and Global Industry / Business research reports providing key analysis on performance, industry outlook, markets, competitive landscape, major companies, operating conditions and key statistics.
Overton On access users should follow the link and Browse the site or create an account and Login to to save searches, set email alerts, tags and bookmarks and set up key sources lists. Overton is the world’s largest collection of policy documents, parliamentary transcripts, government guidance and think tank research
Policy Commons Access to more than 24 million pages of curated, high quality policy reports, briefs, analyses, working papers, and datasets from thousands of policy organisations including IGOs, NGOs and think tanks. Please view this short video introducing the platform and features.
OECD iLibrary Index of publications from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Formerly SourceOECD.
Sustainable Views (FT) Access for UCL students and staff only. Username and password required for login, request this via the Contact the E-Resources Team form. Sustainable Views covers information on developments in ESG policy and regulation, the impact of sustainability metrics on capital markets, and the transition to a green and just economy.

Additional Sources for Grey Literature

Professional organisations and research bodies can be a very useful source for grey literature such as policy, research publications, standards and guidance, data and more. Here is a selection of some organisations in Energy and Sustainable Environment.

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (UK) DESNZ aims to deliver security of energy supply, ensuring properly functioning energy markets and encouraging greater energy efficiency seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries
European Environment Agency EEA provides valuable insights on the state of Europe's environment. Thanks to reliable data collected from our extensive network, we actively support Europe's environment and climate policies.
International Energy Agency (IEA) IEA works with governments and industry to shape a secure and sustainable energy future for all
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) IRENA is a lead global intergovernmental agency for energy transformation that serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, supports countries in their energy transitions, and provides state of the art data and analyses on technology, innovation, policy, finance and investment. IRENA drives the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, and energy security, for economic and social resilience and prosperity and a climate-proof future.
UKGBC (UK Green Building Council) UKGBC is the membership-led industry network radically transforming the sustainability of the built environment. Powered by 700+ members, UKGBC is at the forefront of positively influencing policy, identifying the pathways to propel the sector forward sustainably and driving the solutions to transform our buildings, communities, cities and infrastructure so that people and nature thrive.
World Energy Council The World Energy Council is the oldest independent and impartial energy community, connecting leaders, industries, governments and innovators across the world. With a presence in over 100 countries, our national Member Committees, partners, programmes and Future Energy Leaders are driving impact and meeting whole energy system challenges.