Two new research co-centres for climate change set to begin works in January will focus on sustainable agri-food and biodiversity loss.
A total of €70 million in joint funding to create the research centres was announced by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Katrina Godfrey.
The funding will bring together academics, industry and policymakers across Ireland, the UK and Northern Ireland government to collaborate on common challenges.
One research centre, funded by €41.3 million, will be headquartered in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), and the other will be headquartered in Queens University Belfast (QUB).
Climate centres
The centre in Dublin will focus on climate change, biodiversity loss, and water degradation.
This will be achieved through research to enable fair transformations to Net Zero, reverse biodiversity loss, restore water quality and ensure resilience for communities and a sustainable economy.
Researchers will collaborate with other universities and focus on:
- Sustainable agri-food transitions;
- Sustainable communities and livelihoods;
- Assessing risks and opportunities;
- Investing in carbon and nature, in forestry, peatlands, grasslands and coastal habitats.
Professor of Zoology at Trinity, and co-director of Climate+, Yvonne Buckley said:
“It is clear from the scientific evidence that business as usual is no longer an option, and we are delighted to be working with forward thinking and progressive industry partners.”
The centre in Belfast will focus on sustainable and resilient food systems.
To address challenges centred around food system integrity and resilience, food safety and healthy diets from sustainable sources, the centre proposes to undertake a research programme across four platforms. These include:
- Sustainable food;
- Food safety and integrity;
- Nutrition and health;
- Food systems data modelling.
Queen’s University Belfast co-director of Climate+, prof. Mark Emmerson said:
“Climate+ will provide a mix of integrated solutions drawing on expertise from across the natural, social and physical sciences to help mitigate, and adapt to, the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss and water quality declines.”