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The EPA’s Laura Burke said that research is key for informing our collective responses to the ‘challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation’.
The climate is feeling the love this Valentine’s Day (14 February) as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced funding for 33 new research projects to address the climate crisis and environmental issues.
The funding of €14.3m will support 213 project members across 13 organisations, including nine higher education institutions, three enterprises and one registered charity. A number of the projects are co-funded by Met Éireann and Geological Survey Ireland.
Projects cover a range of topics, including air pollution in Irish towns, the circular economy, digital twins for coastal areas and nature-based solutions for water quality and ecology.
“Scientific research and innovation are playing an increasingly important role in informing how governments and society can respond to the challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation,” said the EPA’s director general Laura Burke.
“The projects announced today will address knowledge gaps, both current and future, to provide robust evidence to support the implementation of effective environmental policies in Ireland.”
Today, the EPA announced €14.3m in funding for 33 new innovative research projects to address climate and environmental challenges in Ireland.
Watch our video to learn more about how these projects.
For more info: https://t.co/WrU1LzFnrk#ResearchCallAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/vJHGQuH7On
— EPA Ireland (@EPAIreland) February 14, 2024
Just last week, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service released figures which showed that January 2024 was the eighth consecutive month to become the hottest on record. Compared to pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), January was 1.66 degrees Celsius hotter and 0.12 degrees hotter than the previous record set in January 2020.
“2024 starts with another record-breaking month,” Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus, said at the time. “Not only is it the warmest January on record but we have also just experienced a 12-month period of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial reference period.”
The EPA recently published a major scientific report, three years in the making, that highlighted the need for rapid action in Ireland to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to our changing climate.
“Without significant mitigation and adaptation efforts, climate change will result in significant impacts for many marine, terrestrial and freshwater species and habitats, potentially undermining capacity to adapt to climate change in other sectors,” the report states.
Increased funding this year
Given the rapidly worsening climate crisis, the increase in EPA funding by 34pc compared to last year is much needed.
University College Cork (UCC) received the most awards with eight. Awardees from UCC include Dr Aaron Lim for his coastal management modelling tool, Detect; Dr Niall Dunphy for his JustCities hub; Dr Noreen Byrne for her investigation of pro-environmental behaviour among Irish dairy farmers; and Dr Tracy Bradfield for her research on the impacts of land use in Ireland.
Awardees from other institutions include: University College Dublin’s Dr William Smith, who is investigating solid-fuel emissions in Ireland; South East Technological University’s Dr Claire Keary, who is investigating levels of gamma radiation in the atmosphere; University of Limerick’s Dr Colin Fitzpatrick, who is developing a platform for data-driven insights to build a circular economy; and Maynooth University’s Dr Patrick Bresnihan, who investigates the links between climate action and housing policies.
Speaking at UCC today, Dr Niall Dunphy described his JustCities project as “imagining city life in a way that embraces the challenges of climate action and promotes stable, just and healthy urban environments.
“This must include learning from the experiences of other cities and importantly reflecting the wishes of the citizenry. The recent Paris referendum on higher charges for SUVs is an example of citizens deciding to make their city safer and healthier,” he said.
The full list of projects can be found on the EPA website.
The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The EPA Research Call 2024 will open for applications in April.
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