Major research investment into national land use transformation | News | University of Leicester (2024)

Image from UNDO, which is working with the LUNZ co-lead, the James Hutton Institute.

  • University of Leicester and The James Hutton Institute are part of a winning consortium of 34 organisations awarded a £6.25 m government grant to establish a ‘Land Use for Net Zero’ (LUNZ) Hub.
  • The LUNZ Hub aims to provide all four UK administrations with the rapid evidence they need to develop policies that will drive the UK land transformation required to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
  • Consortium includes experts from research, farming and industry across issues including green finance, renewable energy, planning, soil health, afforestation and water management.
  • The announcement comes as the LUNZ hub is launched at an event in Leicester today (16 January).

A first of its kind consortium of 34 leading research and stakeholder organisations has been established to help all four UK administrations address land use and agriculture as a major greenhouse gas emitting sector.

The ‘Land Use for Net Zero’ (LUNZ) Hub, co-led by The James Hutton Institute and the University of Leicester, with £6.25 million funding from UK Research and Innovation, will provide UK and devolved nations timely evidence around land use, from renewable energy to soil carbon and green finance, to help drive the land transformations needed to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

It will also play a pivotal role in helping to communicate more widely the critical importance of land and how it’s used as a major carbon sink or source.

Agriculture and land use have a major impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as a wide range of other environmental, societal and economic outcomes, but progress towards decarbonisation is lagging behind other sectors.

The declaration recently announced at COP28 on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems and climate action states the UK government’s intent to act on land use and climate change by increasing public financial support and scaling science-based solutions, and LUNZ will be a key conduit for these actions.

Achieving the transformational change in land management needed will depend on government access to world-class research and innovation and a novel approach to collaboration across a variety of critical stakeholders.

Hub co-lead of the winning Consortium, Professor Lee-Ann Sutherland (The James Hutton Institute), explained:

“The science behind land use is highly complex. It is influenced by a range of economic, social and environmental factors, and complicated further by a changing evidence base, novel market forces, the emergence of new data and models, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence. Our aim is to bridge the gap between researchers and policy makers and our work will be focused on meeting specific policy-maker needs, giving them the evidence they need in the format and timeframe they need it.

“Our Consortium has developed a series of innovative mechanisms to do just that – an Agile Policy Centre, Net Zero Futures Platform, and Creative Methods Lab – each tailored to generate clear, robust answers to urgent questions.”

Equally novel is the approach to stakeholder participation in the Hub, as Hub Co-lead, Professor Heiko Balzter (University of Leicester), explained:

“Creating a fair, realistic path to Net Zero in the land use sector can only be achieved with the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders throughout the process– to provide their expertise, share the Hub’s outputs and ensure its proposals work in practice as well as theory.

“Our consortium reflects this – ranging from those at the cutting edge of climate change modelling to farmers groups, advisory organisations, non-governmental organisations and an arts collective. Their range and profile will ensure the Hub’s impact extends throughout society – so everyone can engage in land use transformation – from the food they buy to their holiday, housing and investment decisions.”

At the heart of the challenge is understanding how transformative change can be achieved and predicting the impact of proposed approaches against multiple environmental, societal and economic outcomes. A central strand of the Hub’s approach will be the development of plausible and innovative net zero scenarios and associated pathways – novel tools based on advanced modelling methodologies that can predict the impacts of different policy interventions across a variety of metrics.

Science, Research and Innovation Minister, Andrew Griffith, said:

"We aren’t making any more of it so ensuring Britain’s land is used as sustainably as possible in farming, planning and beyond is crucial to fulfilling our environmental ambitions while protecting our iconic countryside and woodlands

"Our more than £6m investment backs experts in areas like farming, finance, and planning to come together and develop long-term, sustainable solutions in land use that produce food, grow the economy and cut carbon emissions."

Environment Minster Rebecca Pow said:

"The way we use our land has important impacts across society, helping to produce the food we eat, provide habitats for wildlife and contributing to net zero by acting as a carbon store. The Land Use for Net Zero consortium will help us to develop the knowledge needed to make the best possible use of our land.

"Balancing the priorities in land use while working towards net zero requires careful consideration of the needs of different sectors, which is why we need this kind of collaboration and knowledge sharing to ensure that we can make land use work for people and for net zero."

  • The 'net zero target' refers to a UK government commitment to ensure the UK reduces its greenhouse gas emissions by 100% from 1990 levels by 2050. If met, this would mean the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the UK would be equal to or less than the emissions removed by the UK from the environment. (House of Lords Library)
  • The Hub is co-funded by UKRI, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (on behalf of England and Wales), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Scottish Government. It has been co-designed with DEFRA and the Welsh and Scottish governments.
  • The LUNZ Hub is funded for 40 months, starting 1 November 2023.

I am a seasoned expert in environmental science and sustainable land use, with a deep understanding of the complex interplay between economic, social, and environmental factors shaping land management. My expertise extends to areas such as renewable energy, soil health, afforestation, water management, and the broader field of climate change mitigation.

Now, let's delve into the information provided in the article about the 'Land Use for Net Zero' (LUNZ) Hub:

  1. Overview of the Initiative:

    • The University of Leicester and The James Hutton Institute are part of a consortium comprising 34 organizations.
    • They have been awarded a £6.25 million government grant to establish the LUNZ Hub.
    • The primary goal is to provide timely evidence to all four UK administrations for developing policies that drive land transformation necessary to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
  2. Consortium and Funding:

    • The consortium includes experts from research, farming, and industry, covering green finance, renewable energy, planning, soil health, afforestation, and water management.
    • The LUNZ Hub is co-led by The James Hutton Institute and the University of Leicester.
    • The funding of £6.25 million comes from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
  3. Focus Areas:

    • The LUNZ Hub aims to address land use and agriculture as major greenhouse gas-emitting sectors.
    • It will provide evidence on various aspects of land use, including renewable energy, soil carbon, and green finance.
    • Agriculture and land use significantly impact greenhouse gas emissions, along with other environmental, societal, and economic outcomes.
  4. Role of LUNZ Hub:

    • LUNZ Hub will play a pivotal role in communicating the critical importance of land and its use as a major carbon sink or source.
    • The recent declaration at COP28 emphasizes the UK government's intent to act on land use and climate change, increasing public financial support and scaling science-based solutions.
  5. Transformational Change and Research Approach:

    • Achieving transformative change in land management requires world-class research and innovation.
    • The Hub emphasizes a novel approach to collaboration across critical stakeholders.
    • The science behind land use is complex, influenced by economic, social, and environmental factors, as well as disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence.
    • The Hub has developed innovative mechanisms such as an Agile Policy Centre, Net Zero Futures Platform, and Creative Methods Lab to bridge the gap between researchers and policymakers.
  6. Stakeholder Participation:

    • The approach to stakeholder participation is novel, involving a wide range of stakeholders, from climate change modelers to farmers, advisory organizations, non-governmental organizations, and even an arts collective.
    • This diverse range aims to ensure the Hub's impact extends throughout society, engaging everyone in land use transformation.
  7. Net Zero Scenarios and Pathways:

    • A central strand of the Hub's approach involves developing plausible and innovative net zero scenarios and associated pathways.
    • These are based on advanced modeling methodologies to predict the impacts of different policy interventions across various metrics.
  8. Government Support:

    • The initiative has received co-funding from UKRI, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Scottish Government.
    • The Hub is co-designed with DEFRA and the Welsh and Scottish governments.
  9. Duration:

    • The LUNZ Hub is funded for 40 months, starting from November 1, 2023.

This initiative reflects a comprehensive and collaborative effort to address the challenges of land use and agriculture in achieving Net Zero by 2050, incorporating a diverse range of expertise and innovative approaches.

Major research investment into national land use transformation | News | University of Leicester (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dan Stracke

Last Updated:

Views: 5962

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (63 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dan Stracke

Birthday: 1992-08-25

Address: 2253 Brown Springs, East Alla, OH 38634-0309

Phone: +398735162064

Job: Investor Government Associate

Hobby: Shopping, LARPing, Scrapbooking, Surfing, Slacklining, Dance, Glassblowing

Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.