News | Monday, 16th May 2022
Ecology and Environment Research Centre ranked fifth nationally for research impact
We have received exceptional results in the Government’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 for our research within Earth systems and environmental sciences.
REF highlights
We are one of the top modern universities for research quality.
We have received exceptional results in the Government’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 for our research within Earth systems and environmental sciences.
Key highlights include:
- Research quality: 80% of our research is world leading or internationally excellent
- Research outputs: 82% of our outputs are world-leading or internationally excellent
- Our impact: 100% of our research impact is world-leading or internationally excellent — and 75% is at the highest 4* level. We rank at fifth place nationally for impact.
- Research power ranking: Our research power has doubled putting us at 20 of 40 UK institutions submitting to UoA07 (Earth and environmental sciences)
- Huge rise in researchers: Almost double the number of staff submitted — from 24 in 2014 to 40 in 2021
Impact case studies
The REF 2021 outcome has confirmed our strong reputation as one of the leading centres for research impact in Environmental Sciences. Out of 40 departments in the country, we rank as fifth place nationally for our research impact, with 100% of our research impact rated as outstanding (75%) or having very considerable impact (25%).
Four impact case studies were submitted to REF 2021. A summary of each case study is provided below.
Conservation and restoration of damaged semi-natural habitats: restoring sensitive plant life and increasing carbon stores
Our research on the anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity loss has helped to protect and restore internationally rare and sensitive UK habitats from the effects of nitrogen pollution.
Impact highlights
- In Wales and Shropshire nitrogen threshold levels have been lowered from 4% to 1% of the EU Critical Load for habitat assessments to discourage intensive agriculture near sensitive sites
- Our pioneering applied ecology research has underpinned novel Sphagnum-based landscape scale restoration of highly degraded peatlands.
- Work in the Peak District and Yorkshire Moors delivers a carbon benefit of 16,000tCO2e/year. In the Peak District, it has helped to secure 12,000ha of active blanket bog (58% of Peak District peatland), thus safeguarding 11,600,000t stored carbon from future loss.
Researchers:
- Prof Simon Caporn
- Dr Chris Field
- Prof Nancy Dise
- Robin Sen
Making airports more sustainable: lowering carbon emissions and tackling noise
Our research has provided airport operators worldwide with evidence-based methods to address two barriers to sustainability: aircraft noise and airport carbon emissions.
Impact highlights
- Our research on the use of new, alternative noise metrics and community engagement informs noise management practice at UK airports, including Stansted and Heathrow.
- Europe’s most noise-affected airport, Heathrow, uses noise metrics informed by our research in reports communicated to over 1,000,000 nearby residents. These metrics also underpin proposed noise mitigation strategies for 22,000,000 people potentially affected by flight paths following Heathrow’s future runway expansion.
- Our research on airport carbon emissions directed the design of the global Airport Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme, which today boasts 400 airports accounting for nearly half of global air passengers.
- Our research directly underpins the ACA Level 3/3+ requirement that airport operators engage to reduce emissions outside their control or ownership (Scope 3 emissions). Today, 126 airports worldwide have this status and work with stakeholders to reduce emissions.
Researchers:
- Prof Paul Hooper
- Dr Delia Dimitriu
- Dr Rachel Dunk
- Christopher Paling
- Prof David Raper
- Prof Callum Thomas
- Dr Ken Hume
Evidence-based international standards and regulation to mitigate the environmental effects of aviation emissions
Our research on the modelling of aircraft emissions and their climate effects has directly informed the technical development of international standards and agreements to reduce CO2 emissions from aviation.
Impact highlights
- Research underpinned the design of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for aviation, which delivered net savings of 193MtCO2 between 2013 and 2020
- Research for the UK Government feeds into the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and has directly informed their “basket of measures” now in place to mitigate climate change effects from the global aviation sector over the next 15 years
- Research shaped two new international regulatory standards for aircraft engine particulate and CO2 emissions, the latter will reduce CO2 emissions by 5% annually
- Evidence contributed to the design of ICAO’s flagship aviation CO2 offsetting scheme, CORSIA, agreed by 191 countries
Researchers:
- Prof David Lee
- Dr Bethan Owen
- Dr Ling Lim
- Dr Simon Christie
- Dr Agnieszka Skowron
- Dr Sarah Freeman
- Dr Ruben De Leon
Protecting threatened birds and their habitats across the tropics
Our research has provided evidence to underpin the IUCN red list classifications for 71 species of topical landbirds, including 64 species classified as globally-threatened, representing approximately 6% of all threatened tropical landbirds.
Impact highlights
- Our discovery of dramatic declines in African Grey Parrot populations was instrumental in the 2016 Appendix I global trade ban under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
- Findings have also directly informed reforestation legislation in Brazil and management planning for protected areas (including a UNESCO World Heritage Centre) in the Philippines and Peru.
- We have trained hundreds of local conservationists in our validated distance sampling techniques in 15 countries.
- In the Philippines, our methods helped to shape design of the LAWIN biodiversity monitoring system, now mandated by the government to monitor 6,000,000ha of protected land.
- A mobile app has captured data from over 100,000km of forest patrols using our methods and is accredited with a downward trend in conservation threats.
Researchers:
- Prof Stuart Marsden
- Dr Alexander Lees
- Dr Christian Devenish
