They have secured inaugural seed funding from Scotland Beyond Net Zero (SBNZ) to drive collaborative research to help the country reach its climate targets.
The Edinburgh projects will explore how the benefits of the net zero transition can be shared widely, and the development of an online platform to help inform and accelerate climate action.
Innovative solutions
The landmark SBNZ initiative, a collaboration of climate and sustainability experts from 13 of Scotland's universities., aims to help the country meet – and go beyond – its ambition of achieving net zero by 2045.
It seeks to catalyse action and empower government, policymakers, organisations and industry to make informed change to help Scotland achieve its climate goals.
Following a competitive submission process, eight new research collaborations have been selected for SBNZ’s first ever round of seed funding.
Each project involves multi-disciplinary collaborations to address sustainability challenges in energy, finance, food, the built environment, natural systems and transport.
Green transition
A project involving Edinburgh’s Dr Zoe Malcolm will explore the lived experiences of women in deprived communities in Tayside and use the findings to inform a just transition in Scotland.
It also involves the Wester Ross UNESCO Biosphere, Dundee City Council, Dundee International Women’s Centre and the University of Dundee.
Dr Benjamin Bach is involved in a project to improve ways of communicating the social benefits of investing in climate change mitigation.
Working with the University of St Andrews, Dr Bach will create an interactive web platform to help inform and accelerate climate action by making the co-benefits clearer for businesses and policymakers.
Among the other projects to secure SBNZ seed funding are a pilot study of the use of electric wallpaper as a clean heat source and an analysis of using plastic waste to produce hydrogen energy.
Scotland’s ambitious net zero targets demand a bold and integrated approach. The seed fund was designed to strengthen cross-institutional research partnerships between Scotland’s universities and external organisations, including community groups, government bodies, and the private sector. This will ensure robust research directly informs industry practice and innovation. These projects are a crucial step in our journey towards a more sustainable and equitable future, not just for Scotland, but globally.
Professor Lisanne Gibson
Vice-Principal of Research, University of Dundee and Chair of Scotland Beyond Net Zero’s seed fund committee