Research and innovation

Leeds at COP28

The School of Earth and Environment and Priestley Centre for Climate Futures brings together world-leading expertise in climate change research at COP28

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PIc of a windmill to illustrate free energy
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Computer climate model wins science impact award

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Fir tree covered mountain leading down to a lake on a clear sunny day.
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Halving emissions by 2030 can keep 1.5°C within reach

Without significant increases in the speed and ambition of climate action, limiting global warming to 1.5°C will be beyond reach, according to a major international report

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Engineers installing solar panels
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Global Food and Environment Institute

Researching sustainable solutions for the future of global food production

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food market
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Research and innovation

We are a major international powerhouse for environmental research that has wide-ranging and positive impacts on the world. Our exciting and impactful research is carried out within five institutes that represent our core research areas, but much of our work is cross-cutting, tackling complex global challenges at the forefront of global research agendas.

We have a strong track-record of national and global collaborations with academic institutions, businesses, NGOs, policymakers and governmental bodies. The School hosts many national centres, bringing scientists together to provide leadership in earth systems research, and is home to several major UKRI Energy Programme Centres.

We work extensively with other schools and centres across the University of Leeds, with leadership roles in cross-faculty initiatives such as the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures, water@leeds, the Global Food and Environment Institute, and Geosolutions Leeds. We have strong links with Energy Leeds, Leeds Institute for Data AnalyticsLeeds Social Sciences Institute, and the Bragg Centre for Materials Research.

Top 20

in the world for Earth and Marine Sciences

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022

Over 285

academic and research staff

working with over 135 PhD researchers to deliver high impact research

96%

'world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent'

Submitted research - REF 2021

Our research

We advance understanding of Earth surface processes, both in modern and ancient environments.

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We are researching fundamental geoscience with application and impact towards energy, environmental, industrial and infrastructural problems.

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Our research is dedicated to understanding the structure and evolution of the Earth from the core to the surface.

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Our research covers air pollution due to chemistry and aerosols, climate change, high resolution weather processes, global agriculture, and palaeo-climate.

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Our research is based largely on the environmental social sciences and draws upon aspects of geography, sociology, politics, planning, economics, management, development and technology studies.

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Our research brings together expertise from across our institutes, centres and groups to focus on multidisciplinary efforts to tackle global challenges.

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Collaborate with us

We are committed to sharing our world-leading knowledge, facilities, expertise and technologies with external academic and industrial collaborators.

We work alongside forward-thinking external partners looking to research and develop exciting new projects. Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for you to access our specialist expertise.

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Benefit from our wide range of specialist facilities, from an advanced ice nucleation laboratory to state-of-the-art facilities for investigating the multi-phase flow properties of fault rocks.

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