The University of Exeter at COP26

University of Exeter at COP26 1

Join Us to Take Action Against Climate Change Climate change is the greatest risk facing us all. After decades of rising carbon emissions and global temperatures, the impacts of climate change are being witnessed across the world through intense storms, wildfires and flooding, polluted cities, damaged ecosystems, and displaced communities. But despite these devastating impacts, there is hope.

2019, the UK’s economy grew by 78%, while emissions decreased by 44%, showing the potential for a future of clean, green growth.

We are making progress, but not quickly enough.

With many of the world’s communities and natural habitats now in need of urgent protection, the international community must work together on the green solutions that will ensure the Paris Agreement’s ambitious, but necessary, target of reducing global emissions to 1.5 degrees stays within reach. As more than 190 world leaders and tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens gather in Glasgow for twelve days of talks, COP26 is a chance for the international community to drive the collaboration needed to create a greener future for generations to come.

Advances in tackling climate change are helping to reduce carbon emissions in innovative ways, produce green energy and infrastructure, and prepare communities to adapt to future risks. Around 70% of the world’s economy is committed to reaching net zero emissions, with all G7 countries dedicated to achieving this level by 2050. Solar and wind are now cheaper than new coal and gas power plants in twothirds of the world’s countries. Between 1990 and

2

The University of Exeter is proud to be at COP26, helping address this urgent issue by working with others and across an ecosystem of disciplines, voices, and solutions. We are home to the UK’s five most influential climate scientists and – with environmental expertise that spans all our academic Colleges – are constantly working on the solutions to deliver the impactful, transformative change that will help us reach net zero.

We have a diverse range of specialist institutes, where our academics conduct their world-leading research into different aspects of the environmental and climate challenge. The Environment and Sustainability Institute develops innovative responses to environmental change; the Global Systems Institute generates solutions across global networks; the Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence leads the way nationally in developing smarter environmental intelligence. We have many other centres of excellence in areas such as biodiversity, conservation, natural capital, environmental economics, renewable energy, clean mobility, responsible mining, rural and agricultural policy, circular economy and sustainable finance.

The University’s Environment and Clean Growth team – based in Exeter’s Innovation, Impact and Business (IIB) Directorate – support our worldleading climate and environmental scientists in working with businesses, government bodies, and other external organisations through partnerships, research, innovation, and project management. We aim to develop solutions to the climate emergency and ecological crisis by accelerating impact and forging relationships that transcend disciplines and sectors. We thrive on working with organisations to achieve a green future based on science, evidence, and experience.

As a world-leading university in environmental sustainability and climate change, we are working hard to identify progressive solutions and stimulating research to help achieve the UK’s 2050 net zero climate goal. Our Green Futures campaign brings this together and showcases the work our experts are taking to COP26, alongside the many environmentally impactful projects and programmes based at the University of Exeter.

We forge pioneering collaborations, joint research projects, and strong working partnerships with a wide range of organisations, including the National Trust, the Met Office, CEFAS, and South West Water. By growing our network of regional, national and international partners, we help policymakers and businesses create informed decisions that have a positive environmental impact and speed our transition to a net zero future.

We welcome enquiries from people who share our ambition of creating a clean, green future. If you would like to work with us, please contact us at greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk.

The Green Futures Network is a new gateway to all of the University of Exeter’s environmental and climate work.

Discover the latest research, and what it could mean for your organisation. Learn about the free resources being developed and how to put them into practice. Take advantage of the opportunities for collaboration with our academics, students and professional staff.

To find out how to access free events, communities of practice, briefing updates and more, please contact Peter Lefort.

3

There are a wide range of outstanding University of Exeter academics at COP26.

Here, we showcase some of the work and insight they are bringing to the climate summit.

4

Shaping Global Decision Making in the Shift Towards Low Carbon Energy

Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) is a £4million government-funded programme led by Dr Jean-Francois Mercure from the Global System’s Institute at the University of Exeter. An international endeavour, EEIST is a collaboration of leading experts in complexity economics, systems thinking, and energy policy from Brazil, China, India, the UK and the EU.

options. Instead of only counting identified costs and benefits, ROA involves mapping both risks and opportunities. That means considering all the potential effects of a policy that might be important, even if a number cannot be put on them.

On 4th November at COP26, EEIST will introduce their innovative new framework through their flagship stakeholder report: ‘The New Economics of Innovation and Transition: Evaluating Opportunities and Risk.’ Included within are concrete, international examples of transformative energy policy initiatives with the risk opportunity analysis framework applied to them. By exploring these different outcomes, there is the potential to transform how governments across the world make climate policy decisions for years to come.

This innovative programme develops cutting edge complexity-based modeling solutions to support policymakers and governments in decision making, aiming to facilitate a rapid low-carbon transition that benefits the economy.

Making decisions on climate policies can lead to structural change in our economies. Yet, the traditional tools we use to make investment decisions are only designed to deliver marginal gains to the existing system. The future is uncertain; therefore, analysis rooted in present assumptions will very likely mislead. The key to low carbon innovation does not lie in policy appraisal that seeks to guess the future based on the confines of present knowledge; it requires a bold and intelligent assessment of how to maximise opportunities whilst minimising risks.

The report will be followed by a policy discussion led by international experts, who will discuss new innovation, decision-making techniques and modelling tools which support climate change related decision-making that benefits the economy.

If you would like to find out more about how the EEIST project is helping the global low carbon transition, please contact greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk or the Environment and Clean Growth Team.

To support this, EEIST has designed an innovative Risk Opportunity Analysis (ROA) framework, which provides an alternative approach to assessing policy

5

Understanding the Climate by Integrating Environment Data with Artificial Intelligence Environmental Intelligence is a new field of knowledge that integrates environmental and sustainability research with data science, artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge digital technologies. It creates solutions to the most critical challenges facing society today.

Climate Impacts, Mitigation, Adaption and Resilience (CLIMAR) framework. This tool allows policymakers, businesses, and individuals to visualise and understand the climate risks relevant to them. These climate risks are determined by how vulnerable we and our surroundings are when exposed to climate-related hazards.

World-class researchers from the University of Exeter and the Met Office have formed a revolutionary collaboration to explore Environmental Intelligence through the Joint Centre for Excellence in Environmental Intelligence (JCEEI).

CLIMAR uses Data Science and AI to integrate multiple data sources, quantifying the dangers of climate change on populations, infrastructure and the economy.

This tool creates decision-ready information for policymakers, industry, and the public to achieve net zero and adapt to protect communities and natural habitats.

Led by the University of Exeter’s Professor Gavin Shaddick and Dr Kirstine Dale from the Met Office, the JCEEI is pioneering the use of Environmental Intelligence. Through this, they provide new insights into the complex relationships between humans and the environment and create solutions for a green future.

The ability to integrate data and information from multiple, inter-related sources provides a stepchange in our understanding of the complex interactions between the environment, climate, natural ecosystems, human social and economic systems, and health. In turn, this allows better holistic decisions to be made in solving today’s biggest challenges.

The JCEEI tackles climate change, extreme weather events, and poor air quality and health across three programmes: Research, Development and Application; Infrastructure and Data Engineering Research; and Capital Building and Skills Development. This work aims to improve decision making, inform risk management, and plays a crucial role in leading us towards a sustainable interaction with the natural environment while supporting COP26 goals.

CLIMAR will feature at COP26 on the JCEEI’s virtual space as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change main exhibition within the Blue Zone. Professor Gavin Shaddick is also presenting work on CLIMAR at the Met Office Academic Partnership Research Advisory Panel in the Science Pavilion, Blue Zone, on the 10th November.

The JCEEI understands that there is a growing public and political awareness of our vulnerability to environmental challenges. As a result, they created the

To work with us, please contact greenfutures@exeter. ac.uk or the Environment and Clean Growth Team.

6

Analysing the Urgent Risks of Climate Change in the UK

The Third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3) outlines the severity of the climate emergency. This detailed report proves that measures to improve the UK’s resilience to climate change are failing to keep up with the effects of global warming. It aims to influence policymakers and inform change.

and infrastructure, along with risks to the UK from climate change impacts developed from the rest of the world. Across the UK, nearly 60% of risks were allocated the highest urgency score.

The assessment also outlines the concerns around greenhouse gasses building up in the atmosphere.

Without action, this could lead to the planet’s temperature increasing by 2°C to 4°C by the end of this century. The impact of which would be severe, affecting not just the UK but the whole world.

The assessment was led by the UK Government’s Independent advisors on climate control, the Climate Change Committee (CCC). This agency works to inform the UK, and other developed governments, on emissions targets, reporting to Parliament on the progress that has been made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By sharing their evidence-based research, they are preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

It is clear action needs to be taken. This analytic report will inform the Government’s third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3 Government Report) and the next UK and devolved National Adaptation Plans, in the hope to raise awareness around priority climate change risks and opportunities for the UK.

Over 450 experts from 130 organisations were involved in the creation of the CCRA3. Professor Richard Betts MBE, a member of the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute and Head of Climate Impact Research at the Met Office Hadley Centre, took the lead on the detailed 1500-page CCRA3 Technical Report, a major component of the Independent Assessment.

Professor Richard Betts will is speaking at several COP26 events, including: • Climate Risk and Adaptation: How We Understand and Respond to Climate Change Hazards (8th November).

• Climate adaptation: through infrastructure risk resilience and governance – a global perspective (10th November).

If you wish to work with us or find out more about Richard’s work and expertise, please contact greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk or the Environment and Clean Growth Team.

This Technical Report accumulates the latest evidence, highlighting the dangers climate change poses to the UK. It has assigned an urgency score to over 60 risks and opportunities across every aspect of life in Britain. This includes threats to ecosystems, society, health, industries,

7

How Can We Communicate Climate Change More Effectively?

A panel of diverse voices will come together at COP26, in conversation with IPCC vice chair Dr Thelma Krug, to discuss how the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) can communicate most effectively about the climate crisis. As the IPCC nears the end of its Sixth Assessment Cycle, this is a critical moment to reflect on the successes, challenges, lessons learned and best practice for future reports.

strategy. The session will end with a frank and forward-looking Q&A session, and a light-hearted ‘pitch contest’ from three special guests in climate communication.

The COP26 event is also being attended by two Early Career Researchers (ECRs) from Dr O’Neill’s climate communication group. Dr Chris Manktelow, who recently completed his PhD Inside the Forecast Factory: Communicating the Met Office’s 3-Month Outlook, is attending COP26 as a UN observer as part of the Christian Climate Observers Programme (CCOP). PhD researcher Sylvia Hayes is attending as part of an ESRC SWDTP placement with leading climate news and analysis website Carbon Brief.

The IPCC plays a crucial role by providing policymakers and other stakeholders with regular scientific assessments on the state of climate change.

Given this global influence, the Topical Collection – guest co-edited by the University of Exeter’s Dr Saffron O’Neill alongside independent consultant and former head of communications for IPCC Working Group I, Dr Roz Pidcock – brings together insights and recommendations for communicating climate change in 16 articles, written by authors from a wide range of international research, policy, and stakeholder communities.

The Climate Change Communication and the IPCC event takes place in the Science Pavilion on 5th November, 14.30-16.00. It will also be livestreamed on the IPCC’s Youtube channel (youtube. com/ipccgeneva).

If you would like to work with the University of Exeter’s experts on communicating climate change, please contact greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk or the Environment and Clean Growth Team.

The panel will showcase three of these papers: on public understanding of terminology (Prof Wändi Bruine de Bruin), engaging young people (Prof Elisabeth Eide) and democratising knowledge (Dr Pasang Y Sherpa). This will be followed by critical reflections from IPCC vice chair, Thelma Krug, on their significance for the IPCC’s communications

8

Hope in the Fight Against Climate Change: Positive Tipping Points

Professor Tim Lenton – director of our Global Systems Institute and one of the world’s top-ranked climate researchers – has helped to identify the positive tipping points in human societies that could help us tackle the climate crisis.

so that more than 50% of new vehicles bought are now electric. In the UK’s energy sector, a carbon tax combined with an EU emissions scheme and increased renewable energy created a Positive Tipping Point: coal power became unprofitable. By putting small changes into effect, these interventions show how it is possible to spark surges of action that rapidly shift our social systems towards sustainable alternatives.

Through his research, Professor Lenton investigates complex climate systems to identify the ‘tipping points’ where small changes become significant enough to cause large-scale changes in our natural environment. In 2019, he warned of the growing threat of tipping points which accelerate the climate crisis – such as the loss of the Amazon rainforest or the Antarctic ice sheet – and the need for urgent, transformative action on climate change. While there is mounting evidence that some of these ‘negative’ tipping points have already been triggered, the prospect of ‘positive’ tipping points can help to reverse the damage.

“We often feel disempowered when faced with something as enormous as climate change,” says Professor Lenton, “But the world has been transformed fundamentally in the history of our planet. Hope lies in the way that tipping points can spark rapid change through complex systems. If organisations, policymakers, and communities work together, we can trigger more of these positive tipping points and help to rapidly cut emissions, support green energy, and regenerate ecosystems.”

Positive Tipping Points turn our attention to human societies, to identify the areas where small changes have the potential to create hugely positive, knock-on effects. At the University of Exeter, Professor Lenton has identified positive tipping points in a range of areas – from personal transport, agriculture and energy, to finance, politics and public opinion.

At COP26, Professor Lenton will be taking part in High Impact, Low Likelihood climate events: What must we do to prepare for the worst? At the Science Pavillion, 3rd November, 09:30-10.30.

To find out more about Positive Tipping Points, please contact greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk or the Environment and Clean Growth Team.

Some of these Positive Tipping Points are already active. In Norway, for example, a progressive tax system has made electric vehicles cheaper than similar petrol models, which has ‘tipped’ the country’s market

9

Protecting Health and Wellbeing by Anticipating Local Climate Change The European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH) – in partnership with Cornwall Council and a wide range of local stakeholders – is developing a tool to help local decision-makers adapt to climate change, by measuring the impact of climate interventions on population health.

different impact pathways (for example, how should active travel infrastructure be developed when faced with wetter, stormier winters?), enabling them to plan and deliver infrastructure and services that will be fit for purpose in a changing climate and ensure the best possible health and well-being outcomes for local people. Crucially, the tool also provides links to key, published evidence on health and wellbeing outcomes to ensure a visibly informed decision-making process.

The Local Climate Adaptation Tool (LCAT) is an easy-to-use tool which brings together complex climate models, adaptation options and health impact evidence, to help users understand the health implications of climate change in their local area. Importantly, LCAT also recommends the most suitable approaches for decision makers to take, based on the best available evidence, to ensure policies will support the health and wellbeing of local people.

By working closely with key stakeholders, the LCAT team has been able to ensure ease of use and relevance to user needs. This embedded approach makes the tool well-positioned to support decision-making in key areas such as public services, infrastructure, and policy planning, and gives it the usability and evidencebase to benefit a wide range of organisations.

The tool is being developed by University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Cornwall Council and local company Then Try This, through discussions with key sta keholders in NHS Trusts, Public Health England, and local voluntary and civic organisations.

The project, currently available in a prototype, will be showcased at COP26 on 4th November. A team from the University and Cornwall Council, made up of Prof Emma Bland, Ceren Barlas, Peter Lefort and Alex Rainbow will present the tool in the Green Zone, and the project has also been shortlisted for the international Climate Challenge Cup which will be announced as part of the conference.

In response to these stakeholders’ needs, LCAT allows users to select a local area of interest and view the information on local climate forecasts, health evidence, and the most appropriate adaptation measures for the area. This gives decision-makers a clear oversight of the local health implications of climate change on

To find out more about the LCAT tool, please contact greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk or the Environment and Clean Growth team.

10

The Red River: What We Can Learn By Listening to a Polluted River

A collaborative project, The Red River, encourages us to look closely at our impact on nature, and to think, using poetry and other arts, about how we might behave differently in future.

Mines. Over the summer of 2021, he ran a series of outdoor workshops for local schools exploring the acoustic identify of the valley through poetry and sound recordings, led a series of guided walks along the river, which culminated in a Red River Stannary meeting at CAST in Helston.

Led by the University of Exeter’s poet and senior lecturer in creative writing, Dr John Wedgwood Clarke, the ‘Red River’ project uses poetry, soundscape and a series of public engagements to explore a small, polluted river’s industrial history and complex natural ecology. The Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project explores the river’s impact on the environment and local communities, in ways that question our wider relationships with nature, waste, and ecological damage.

The poem, soundscape, commissions and educational work with schools explore our ever-shifting relationships with what we value and throw away, what we find beautiful and ugly, and the impact of these relationships on the world around us.

With significance for the UK’s wider natural environment, as highlighted in a recent Environment Agency report which found that no river achieved ‘good chemical status’ in 2020, the ‘Red River’ project encourages us to look closely at our impact on nature, and to think, using poetry and other arts, about how we might behave differently in future.

The Red River is a river in west Cornwall, which gets its name from the mineral waste – associated with tin mining in the Camborne area it passes through on its course to St Ives Bay – that formerly coloured its water red.

On 10th November at COP26, Dr Clarke will read sections of the poem, introduce films and the soundscape made for the project, and trail his new BBC4 TV documentary about the Red River. Find out more about the Red River project here.

Since 2019, John Wedgwood Clarke has worked to research and write a new poem and collaborate on an accompanying soundscape about the river, informed by discussions with local community groups, artists, partner organisations and experts in aquatic ecology, social history, and mining, including academics from the University of Exeter’s Marine Ecology Conservation Network and Camborne School of

To find work with us, please contact greenfutures@ exeter.ac.uk or the Environment and Clean Growth team.

11

Reaching Climate Goals by Reducing Carbon Emissions The 16th annual Global Carbon Budget will be published on the 4th of November 2021. Led by Professor Pierre Friedlingstein of the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute, the annual budget reveals the latest trends in global carbon emissions and the ramifications for reaching our global climate goals.

The Global Carbon Budget 2021 Report will be presented at COP26 by Professor Pierre Friedlingstein on the 4th November, 9:30-10:30, at the Science Pavilion.

To find out more about the Global Carbon Budget, please contact greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk or the Environment and Clean Growth team.

Professor Friedlingstein and colleagues, including Professor Corinne Le Quéré of the University of East Anglia, will discuss their findings with scientists, journalists and others in Glasgow.

12

One Chance Left: Poetry on Climate Change

In celebration of Exeter’s UNESCO City of Literature status, leading health professionals and climate scientists have created a series of poems titled One Chance Left, warning people of the catastrophic impact of the climate crisis.

geologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, sustainability researchers, medical experts, and engineers. The series comprises 12 poems, one for each of the days COP26 will take place.

The project will be showcased during COP26 at Poetry Power: A New Energy in Climate Communications, the Science Pavilion, 5th November, 18:00-19:00, in collaboration with the Met Office and Hot Poets.

The poems will also be presented at the Arctic Base Camp Tent on 6th November at 13:00 as part of the Fringe Festival organised by Hermes Federated Ltd.

The poems, which celebrate the natural world, warn there is no human health without planetary health and how important change is to tackle the climate crisis. They illustrate how poetry can be a powerful and transformative tool to spread the word about environmental damage.

The poems were created following creative writing workshops by those working on the climate crisis and health care front line – health researchers,

For further details on the One Chance Left series, please get in touch with greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk.

13

We are proud to be working at the forefront in delivering cutting-edge solutions to the climate emergency and ecological crisis.

Showcased here, our partnerships are helping to provide green energy, carbon capture and resilient communities, and protect our natural environment.

Marine-i - Delivering the Green Energy of the Future Cornwall has easy access to one of the world’s best locations for floating offshore windfarms, and the local engineering expertise to build them. Thanks to the crucial role this technology will play in delivering our country’s goal of a Net Zero economy by 2050, marine technology and renewable energy represent huge

14

export opportunities for Cornwall and the UK. Helping to position Cornwall as a global centre of excellence in these technologies, the Marine-i project brings together key infrastructure and expertise to enable technology innovation in the local marine sector.

Led by Professor Lars Johanning, Marine-i is a pioneering project designed to help marine technology businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly grow through research, development, and innovation.

Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Marine-i is a collaboration between the University of Exeter, University of Plymouth, Cornwall College Group, Cornwall Marine Network, Cornwall Development Company, and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.

The current programme is focused on accelerating the development of innovative product ideas, working closely with businesses to take their products to the next stage of commercialisation. Marine-i has supported local companies working in wind, wave and tidal power generation, helping to pioneer new ways of delivering the green energy of the future. The next ten years will see the most exciting development yet in our area – the building of floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic Sea. Find out more by contacting the Marine-i team.

SeaCURE - Capturing Carbon from the World’s Oceans A new method of capturing carbon from seawater, pioneered by the University of Exeter’s ‘SeaCURE’ project, takes a novel approach to reducing CO2 emissions which could help us tackle climate change.

The SeaCURE project – led by the University of Exeter‘s Dr Paul Halloran in collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Brunel University London and industrial partner tpgroup – takes advantage of the facts that the concentration of CO2 in seawater is around 150 times higher than in air, and that seawater low in carbon naturally ‘sucks’ CO2 out of the atmosphere. The SeaCURE method makes use of natural processes and renewable energy to remove carbon from seawater, before returning that seawater to the ocean, where it can take more CO2 out of the atmosphere.

After receiving a £250,000 grant from the UK Gov’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, the project is in the final stages of designing a demonstration plant with the capacity to remove CO2 from the atmosphere at a rate of 100 tonnes per year. This is a crucial first step in understanding how the carbon capture technology can be developed into a large-scale, commercially viable model, and realizing SeaCURE’s huge potential to support the UK’s net zero ambitions and our ability to reach ‘negative emission’ levels in the second half of this century.

Please contact the Environment and Clean Growth team to find out more.

15

SWEEP - Delivering Economic and Community Benefits The South West Partnership for Environmental and Economic Prosperity (SWEEP) is helping the South West of the UK become a national exemplar for sustainable economic growth, social gains, and environmental improvements built on the regions’ natural capital.

Led by Professor Ian Bateman OBE, SWEEP is a major Natural Environment Research Council impact programme, running from 2017‐2022. They connect expertise from the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, and Plymouth Marine Laboratory with a large group (200+) of highly engaged, regional and national businesses, policymakers, and community partners.

The programme aims to support the regions’ decision‐makers to adopt a Natural Capital Approach to investments and policy by developing bespoke guidance, decision support and mapping tools.

Together, they are working towards a future where the South West builds on a restored, more resilient and enhanced natural environment, producing gains for business, government and society.

So far, they have helped leverage over £43 million of new funding, influenced over £95 million of partner investments and business cases, supported partner cost saving in excess of £200 million, and created or safeguarded 47 jobs. In terms of positive environmental impacts, they have helped protect 117 square miles of seabed from near-shore trawling and 8,416 hectares of land planted for pollinators. Please contact the Environment and Clean Growth team to find out more.

CREWW Managing Natural Resources The Centre for Resilience in the Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) is an exciting new research centre at the University of Exeter, established through funding from Research England and South West Water.

16

CREWW is led by Professor Richard Brazier and undertakes transdisciplinary research drawing on our expertise in Geography, Biosciences, Engineering, Economics, and Psychology. They are developing solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, including how best to manage our finite natural resources in sustainable ways and protect and adapt those communities and habitats vulnerable to climate change and population growth.

Their approach uses environmental intelligence to develop nature, tech, financial and behaviour-based solutions that deliver multiple benefits to the environment, society, and the economy. CREWW research is co-designed with water and land managers from industry, government, and the third sector leading to effective, real-world interventions and a more resilient future for people and the environment. Please contact the Environment and Clean Growth team to find out more.

CE-Hub - Creating an Accessible Circular Economy The UKRI National Circular Economy Research Hub (CE-Hub) brings together researchers, industry, civic society, and policymakers to grow the circular economy community by raising awareness and building valuable partnerships.

The coordinating hub for the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) Programme, launched in January 2021. The CE-hub is led by Professor Fiona Charnley and Professor Peter Hopkinson from the University of Exeter’s Business School.

Though it’s five specialist Circular Economy Centres and the coordinating CE-hub, this £30million Programme aims to accelerate interdisciplinary research, innovation, and impact to scale up a UK circular economy. The three main goals of the CE-Hub are: 1. Accelerate understanding and solutions to enable circularity of specific resource flows (including related waste streams and uses, and within sector contexts), 2. Provide national leadership, coordinate and drive knnational leadership, coordinate and drive knowledge exchange across the programme as a whole and with policy, consumer, third sector and business stakeholders, 3. Ensure research is embedded with stakeholders by involving businesses, policymakers, consumers and society, the third sector, and other affected groups and communities at every part of the programme, including funding to enable SME involvement.

The work of the CE-Hub and wider NICER Programme will ensure fewer resources are used and more waste materials reused – delivering considerable benefits to the environment and the UK economy.

Please contact the Environment and Clean Growth team to find out more.

17

NetZeroPlus

NetZeroPlus - When Science Meets Economics

T

he NetZeroPlus project is helping the UK reach its net zero 2050 climate target. By producing evidence-based research, the NetZeroPlus team aim to show how planting trees removes greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, while also providing additional benefits. These include enhanced biodiversity, water quality, leisure, and health.

Led by Professor Ian Bateman OBE, Director of the University of Exeter’s Land, Environment, Economics and Policy (LEEP) Institute, the NetZeroPlus team comprises over 30 researchers from the University of Exeter, the University of Aberdeen, Forest Research and the National Trust who work with more than 40 industry and government partners. The project is one of six awarded a £31.5million investment to provide methods supporting the government-funded Greenhouse Gas Removal Demonstrators programme.

NetZeroPlus focuses on arguably the most important, timely and cost-effective greenhouse gas removal option currently available: Trees. The Exeter team will help plan the planting of 750,000 hectares of trees - an area greater than Devon. Through this, they will gather evidence, address knowledge gaps, and enable decision-makers to assess the consequences of different tree-planting options.

The programme will bring together the research in the form of a simple-to-use, free web tool. This will allow anyone to see the effects of planting different trees in different areas. The research is expected to shape future government decision-making on tackling climate change.

LEEP Director Professor Ian Bateman will be talking at COP26 for the following events: • Bringing climate, biodiversity and other ecosystem services into policy and economic decision making, 3rd November; • A natural capital approach to decision making for future woodlands, 4th November; • The launch of the First Minister’s Environmental Council (on which Prof. Bateman is a member) with the Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister of the Scottish Government, 5th November; and • When Science Meets Economics: The Right Tree in the Right Place for NetZeroPlus, 6th November.

18

Tevi - Local Interventions with Global Impacts

T

evi (the Cornish word for ‘grow’) is a unique EU funded venture which aims to create economic and environmental growth in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Led by the University of Exeter’s Professor Steffen Boehm, Professor Kevin Gaston and Dr Dan Bloomfield, this multi-million-pound programme supports small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the region to regrow and regenerate a net positive impact on its environment and ecology.

In support of the Cornish Environmental Growth strategy, Tevi’s mission is to assist local enterprises in becoming more efficient in their natural resource use and minimise their waste in intelligent and innovative ways. This comes as part of the global transition towards a circular economy, which promotes reducing waste pollution, extending the life cycle of products and regenerating natural systems.

The Tevi initiative has engaged with over 500 companies in Cornwall and Scilly so far, providing expert consultation, opportunities for recognition and certification, and grant funding. The University of Exeter leads Tevi, in partnership with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Council and the Cornwall Development Company. The Tevi programme, founded in 2018, has been granted an extension until December 2022. This will enable the team to continue their impactful environmental work with enterprises in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

To find out more about the University of Exeter’s work tackling climate change, please visit the Green Futures website here.

If you wish to work with us on this vital mission, please contact us at greenfutures@exeter.ac.uk.

19

20