Land-Climate Research Programme

Description

This research programme aims to develop a deeper, more granular understanding of the potential for climate mitigation options, considering specific net zero targets and top-down assumptions of the contribution of land to climate change mitigation. Building on previous work, the project will synthesis evidence and analysis to identify the contributions of different land use scenarios to Net Zero targets, taking account of current and future policy commitments spanning but limited to: climate mitigation, energy production, agriculture, biodiversity and the natural environment. It will consider the risks, co-benefits and trade-offs across a variety of spatial scales so that a holistic approach can be taken and targeted interventions can be designed with maximum impact. Lot 1: This research programme aims to build upon previous research to develop a deeper, more granular understanding of the potential for climate mitigation options in land use and agriculture, considering specific net zero targets and top-down assumptions. Using the updated evidence base, the project will aim to provide an updated assessment of the mitigation potential of land-based options, their resilience to climate change, and trade-offs with environmental variables and biodiversity. The work will deliver a set of plausible scenarios which will inform decisions around the setting of Carbon Budget 7 and future policies. This work builds on a scoping study which ran from July 2022 to March 2023 to establish the current state of evidence in this area, and gaps which need to be filled to deliver comprehensive analysis of the contribution land can make to meeting net-zero. The research will be broad ranging and include, for example, developing more spatially detailed information on land use options for climate mitigation across England and the Devolved Administrations (DAs) alongside consideration of other land use pressures. The project will feed into and complement the longer-term UKRI Land Use for Net Zero research call.