A major analysis of the carbon footprint of universities and further education colleges has revealed for the first time the source and scale of their emissions. Data from 537 institutions revealed they emitted more than 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) into the environment in 2020/21, which represents around 2.3% of the UK’s…
Scientists have analysed data from nearly three million rivers across the globe to identify where hydropower stations could be sited with limited environmental impacts. The analysis identified 124,761 potential locations that met the strict environmental criteria. Of those, 4,644 of the schemes could be run profitably and would be capable of generating an additional 5.27…
Reforestation projects could be made more effective with the findings of new research into the constraints on nitrogen fixation among plants. Some trees, such as those from the Fabaceae or legume family, form a symbiotic relationship with bacteria, enabling them to them take in nitrogen from the air. For most plants, nitrogen comes from the…
The world’s largest tropical peatland turned from being a major store of carbon to a source of carbon dioxide emissions as a result of climate change thousands of years ago, new research has revealed. Around the time that Stonehenge was built, 5,000 years ago, the climate of central Congo began to dry, leading to the…
Regional leaders and organisations must work ever more closely to achieve net zero in Yorkshire and the Humber. That is the shared view of University of Leeds Vice-Chancellor Professor Simone Buitendijk, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, and key Leeds climate researchers and practitioners, Professors Piers Forster and Andy Gouldson. During a panel discussion in the…
