Tackling the climate and environmental crisis
We are helping to address the climate emergency by marshalling our research to understand the causes and effects of climate change, and to help communities adapt and mitigate its effects. We are world-leading in areas as diverse as earth systems, biodiversity, farming and food, energy and manufacturing, space and satellites, health and inequalities, the circular economy, climate finance and corporate responsibility, public attitudes and environmental politics.
Learn more about how our researchers are having a positive impact upon the planet and its people.
Signals from a drowning world
Melting ice sheets and glaciers – and the resulting rising seas - are a startling reminder of the rate of climate change. However, measuring ice loss was an inaccurate science... until Edinburgh experts helped change things.
The first Challenger
150 years ago an expedition that became a byword for adventure set sail. It forever changed our relationship with the sea. At its heart was the University of Edinburgh.
Calling time on greenwashing
If international standards for measuring greenhouse gas emissions are flawed, what does this mean for companies and institutions trying to reduce their footprint?
Climate-friendly cattle
Researchers at the University’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems are developing bio-economic models to help governments and companies understand the cost-effectiveness of measures to reduce the environmental impact of beef production.
Protecting our pollinators
Found across almost every continent, bees have been pollinating plants for millions of years, but their numbers are dwindling. University of Edinburgh research is working to halt their decline.
Chasing the blues
The hunt for a naturally occurring blue – something that is surprisingly rare – has led a collaboration of researchers and a biotech firm to an unlikely source – algae.
The earth-shaking quest to predict the unpredictable
For more than two decades, the University’s Professor Ian Main has been a leading figure in a global movement to develop an earthquake forecasting system that helps authorities manage the risk of natural disasters. Now, the researcher is on a mission to improve the living conditions of marginalised communities in low- and middle-income countries.
Cracking the cattle conundrum
Cows are plentiful in East Africa, yet many children in the region lack the vital nutrients the animals could provide. One researcher is on a mission to tackle hunger by finding out why.
A sea change in the law
The wealth of marine life and priceless geological features in Scotland's coastal waters are at risk from activities such as fishing and mining. A legal tweak could turn the tide.
From above the Earth to the plate
Food production is under strain as demand grows, especially in areas buffeted by climate change. Data from satellites – combined with more earthly information – can help feed the world.
A lightbulb moment
Solar lamps provide safe, clean and cheap light in some of the poorest parts of the world, but what happens when they break down? A project in Africa has illuminated how to tackle e-waste.