news 2023

Professor Yadvinder Malhi (right) with the BBC Countryfile team, including presenters Hamza Yassin and Ellie Harrison, in front of the Flux Tower in Wytham Woods. BBC's Countryfile visited scientists from Oxford's Environmental Change Institute (ECI), at the University-owned Wytham Woods, to learn about the threat of ash dieback and the work at the site of special scientific interest - known as one of the most researched woodlands in the world.

The USA is likely to see consistent job growth from the transition to net zero, but the gains will be unevenly distributed, shows a new analysis. The analysis, conducted by Imperial College London researchers and published today in Nature Climate Change , shows that some states will need new policies to ensure a 'just' transition.

Research on neighbouring chimpanzee communities in the forests of West Africa suggests a warfare tactic not previously seen beyond humans is regularly used by our closest evolutionary relatives. Tactical warfare is considered a driver of human evolution Sylvain Lemoine Chimpanzees use high ground to conduct reconnaissance on rival groups, often before making forays into enemy territory at times when there is reduced risk of confrontation, a new study suggests.

A new way to price carbon credits could encourage desperately needed investment in forest preservation and boost vital progress towards net-zero. Our new approach has the potential to address market concerns around nature-based solutions to carbon offsetting. Srinivasan Keshav A new approach to valuing the carbon storage potential of natural habitats aims to help restore faith in offset schemes, by enabling investors to directly compare carbon credit pricing across a wide range of projects.

Without rapid carbon dioxide emission reductions, the world has a 50% chance of locking in 1.5°C of warming before 2030 according to a new study. The study, led by Imperial College London researchers and published today in Nature Climate Change , is the most up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the global carbon budget.

Existing air pollution regulations will reduce thousands of premature adult deaths in the UK, but even the most effective technically feasible actions, which will save thousands more lives, will do little to protect the country's sensitive ecosystems, find UCL researchers. The new research, published in GeoHealth , found that existing air pollution regulations could avoid 6,751 early deaths amongst adults in the UK by 2030 compared to if no regulations existed.

Businesses must adopt new ways of thinking to effectively reduce their carbon footprint, suggests a new study from Imperial College Business School. The study , conducted by Dr Simone Cenci and Matteo Burato of the Leonardo Centre for Business on Society at Imperial College Business School , explored how organisations currently think and act in regards to tackling climate change, and their effectiveness in aligning their emissions with global climate targets.

Researchers from the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR) at AMBS have just published an article titled "Innovation Intermediaries at the Convergence of Digital Technologies, Sustainability, and Governance: A Case Study of AI-Enabled Engineering Biology." This paper, featured in Technovation, offers valuable insights into the crucial role played by innovation intermediaries in shaping innovative ecosystems.

Tropical crops such as coffee, cocoa, watermelon and mango may be at risk due to the loss of insect pollinators, finds a new study led by UCL and Natural History Museum researchers. Published in Science Advances , the study explores the intricate interplay between climate change, land use change, and their impact on pollinator biodiversity, ultimately revealing significant implications for global crop pollination.

A team of scientists have completed tests to quantify the emissions from the combustion of sustainable aviation fuels, revealing a profound reduction when compared to regular jet fuel. Researchers from the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), including those from The University of Manchester, compared standard jet fuels with several different blends of sustainable aviation fuel, including fuels supplied by Neste.

Published: 11 October 2023 A global team of experts, including Professor Sarah Cleaveland from the University of Glasgow, are to design an action plan on how to reduce the risks of virus transmission between animals and humans - the origin of most pandemics. A global team of experts, including Professor Sarah Cleaveland from the University of Glasgow, are to design an action plan on how to reduce the risks of virus transmission between animals and humans - the origin of most pandemics.

An international team of scientists has found early human migrants left Africa for Eurasia, across the Sinai peninsula and on through Jordan, over 80-thousand years ago. Researchers from the University of Southampton (UK) and Shantou University (China), together with colleagues in Jordan, Australia and the Czech Republic 1 , have proved there was a "well-watered corridor" which funnelled hunter-gatherers through The Levant towards western Asia and northern Arabia via Jordan.

Policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been effective, however more stringent regulations are needed to limit global warming to the Paris temperature goals, finds a new analysis by UCL researchers of international efforts to fight climate change. The research, published in Annual Reviews of Environment and Resources , tracked the rate of greenhouse gas emissions over the last two decades against global efforts to reduce them.

A new series of supercomputer simulations has offered an answer to the mystery of the origins of Saturn's rings - one that involves a massive collision in the recent history of the 4.5 billion-year-old Solar System. A new series of supercomputer simulations has offered an answer to the mystery of the origins of Saturn's rings - one that involves a massive collision in the recent history of the 4.5 billion-year-old Solar System.

Research from the Milner Centre for Evolution shows that birds with more complex skeletons are more specialised and so are less species rich. Published on Monday 25 September 2023 Last updated on Monday 25 September 2023 A new study of the evolution of birds shows that as their skeletons become more complex, they also decrease in diversity, with fewer species as they become more specialised in their niches.

A novel way of removing chemical pollutants from wastewater could see the humble waterflea helping to create cleaner rivers and waterways. Tiny waterfleas could play a pivotal role in removing persistent chemical pollutants from wastewater - making it safe to use in factories, farms and homes, a new study reveals.

The most detailed study of a city's waterways anywhere in the world has revealed how chemical pollutants in London's rivers changed over the pandemic. In a study led by researchers at Imperial College London, scientists have shown how pollutants entering the capital's river systems - including traces of prescription medications such as antibiotics and antidepressants - changed over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Future plans to tackle the climate change's impacts on food security must integrate local knowledge to help preserve the Earth's critical zone, experts have warned. Future plans to tackle the climate change's impacts on food security must integrate local knowledge to help preserve the Earth's critical zone, experts have warned.

One of the world's biggest ecological experiments, co-led by the University of Oxford on the island of Borneo, has revealed that replanting logged tropical forests with diverse mixtures of seedlings can significantly accelerate their recovery. The findings , published today in the journal Science Advances,  emphasise the importance of preserving biodiversity in pristine forests and restoring it in recovering logged forest.

A new study led by Cambridge University confirms that planting hedges between roadsides and school playgrounds can dramatically reduce children's exposure to traffic-related particle pollution. Our findings show that hedges can provide a simple, cheap and effective way to help reduce exposure to local sources of pollution Hassan Sheikh The , a collaboration with Lancaster University, found that hedges can act as protective barriers against air pollution from major city roads by soaking up significant quantities of harmful particles emitted by traffic.