Keeping 1.5⁰C Alive Report – University of Birmingham

The Glasgow COP-26 Summit was recognised as the world’s last chance to ‘Keep 1.5°C Alive’ – and academic research is vital to achieving this collective goal. Birmingham’s research engagement efforts demonstrate the importance of higher education institutions proactively engaging with partners — governments, the private sector and citizens. The NEW Keeping 1.5⁰C Alive report is based on interviews with colleagues from across the institution. These demonstrate the real-world impact of the institution’s work and its partnerships, to make the commitments and interventions to realise the COP-26 agenda to avoid dangerous impacts beyond a 1.5 °C rise. The report presents the University of Birmingham’s work program to date across three chapters.

• Part one, Energy in Motion, outlines the University’s work on the transition to clean energy, including low carbon heating, natural resource challenges in the clean-tech sector, and air pollution policies.
• Part two, Environmental Systems looks at the extensive scientific research efforts aimed at quantifying and modelling climate change and its impacts today and forecasting future scenarios, both of which are vital to policy decisions.
• Part three, Universities as Living Labs explores the role of the University itself as a change agent – for testing and trialling innovation and an educator of future generations of climate-smart citizens.

This work has collectively helped us to produce a series of policy takeaways and recommendations for decision makers at local, regional and national level, as well as businesses, which we have detailed in each chapter. The goal of all efforts is to ensure the best academic evidence and research tools are harnessed to support the right decisions at this critical juncture in human history.

For futher information, please contact Professor David Hannah, Director of the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action.