QUB Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water officially launched
The new Co-Centre will deliver solutions to the most pressing challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity decline and water degradation across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Over 100 researchers, industry leaders and policy partners from across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain are gathering for the first time to celebrate the Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water today, where they will draw up project plans for integrated solutions to the most pressing common challenges of climate change, biodiversity decline and water degradation.
The €41.3 million Co-Centre, initially funded for six years by the Government of Ireland (Science Foundation Ireland and Shared Island Fund); the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs; and UK Research & Innovation. In addition, the project will also receive more than 30% co-funding from over 30 industry partners. The Co-Centre is a collaboration between Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast, and University of Reading, UK.
The Co-Centre is one of the first international research centres to bring researchers across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain together at such scale. The Co-Centre is placed to address challenges around maintaining a stable and liveable climate, securing and restoring biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by nature, adapting to climate change, and reversing water degradation, which require collaborative cross-border approaches.
As part of the launch event, a major philanthropic gift of €1 million will be announced. This gift will fund a cross-jurisdictional PhD student programme, the “Sunflower Charitable Foundation PhD programme” supported by the Sunflower Charitable Foundation through Community Foundation Ireland.
As part of the opening, Professor Jane Stout, Vice President for Biodiversity and Climate Action at Trinity College Dublin, will chair the Business as usual is not an option discussion with Co-Centre Co-Directors, Prof. Yvonne Buckley and Prof. Mark Emmerson, and Deputy Director, Prof. Ed Hawkins.
On Day One research themes will be discussed by project leads. These themes include projections; monitoring; enabling fair transformations; evidence discovery and integration; sustainable agri-food transitions; sustainable communities and livelihoods; investing in carbon and nature. Industry leaders and policymakers will later network with research project leads.
On Day Two more detailed research projects will be developed, ready to kick into gear, after teams have formed the required connections.