Hazel Mooney

Profile

I’m a final year PhD researcher working in the School of Earth and Environment, supported by the NERC Panorama DTP. My project seeks to examine the biogeochemical impacts of net-zero aligned afforestation in the UK and the implications for UK air quality. I am an environmental modeller, investigating interactions between the land surface and the atmosphere using models such as the Community Earth System Model (CESM), Community Land Model (CLM) and the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modelling System (CMAQ).

Alongside my PhD I am currently working as a Nature-Based Solutions Research Assistant, leading a project in collaboration with Campus Reimagined to develop a campus wide nature and greenery trail.

I am a University of Leeds Public Engagement fellow. In 2023 I completed a three-month secondment with the Department for Enviroment, Food and Rural Affairs as a policy intern in the Tree Health Policy team.

I achieved my MSc Climate Change and Environmental Policy degree at the University of Leeds following my undegraduate degree, BSc Environmental Science, also at the University of Leeds. Alongside my studies, between 2019 and 2021, I was employed by the United Bank of Carbon as Science and Communications Officer researching the ecosystem service delivery of greenspaces, in particular trees and woodlands, and communicating this research.

Research interests

My PhD explores the impacts of tree planting and landscape restoration on the climate and the delivery of co-benefits and side effects associated with large scale tree planting. I am interested in the delivery of ecosystem services and communicating the value of trees. I am part of the Biosphere-Atmosphere research group. I am enthusiastic about the applications of science to policy.

Qualifications

• MSc Climate Change and Environmental Policy
• BSc Environmental Science

Research groups and institutes

• Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science
• Land-Atmosphere-Biosphere