How can we turn ambition into reality?
Manchester research is pioneering, interdisciplinary and – crucially – collaborative. Through our cross sector partnerships, we catalyse change.
We work with governments, business and civil society to develop end-to-end solutions that make a difference because they tackle the challenge from every angle.
We collaborate across sectors, cultures and countries to help drive the transformations needed – from the way we heat our homes and travel around, to how we adapt to the ever changing environment.
We deliver real-world impact by working as partners to deliver progress, faster.
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Nature restoration
How do we mobilise community action for nature restoration? Local communities play a key role in nature restoration efforts. Manchester experts are using their expertise to help build and maintain strong community and stakeholder engagement in restoring post-industrial landscapes.
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Restoring peatlands
The upland peatlands of the UK have been severely eroded because of industrial pollution, overgrazing, drainage and other human actions. Research from The University of Manchester is helping to understand how they can be restored to assist the fight against climate change, and how long it will take to see results.
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Water scarcity
How do we reduce household water demand in a water-scarce future? As temperatures rise and weather patterns become more extreme, water availability is becoming less reliable. Research from The University of Manchester is helping the UK government and water sector create new approaches for understanding current and future water demand – helping us adapt to a water-scarce future.
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Current projects
Explore some of the pioneering projects our researchers are working on.
- Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) – formed to work closely with industry, local/national governments and charities to tackle climate change.
- City level action on climate change – recommendations on embedding co-benefits in decision making.
- Energy Innovation Agency – formed to kick-start a decade of clean energy innovation to meet Greater Manchester’s 2038 carbon neutral target.
- Feasibility of Afforestation and Biomass energy with CCS for greenhouse gas removal (FABGGR) – uniting expertise from The University of Manchester with four other universities.
- FutureDAMS – a consortium working to improve the planning and governance of integrated water-energy-food-environment systems.
- North West Nuclear Arc – a unique nuclear sector cluster working to provide sustainable, clean energy and support high-value local jobs and business growth.
- The Roadmap to Super Low Carbon Live Music – a collaboration with Massive Attack to drive urgent reductions in emissions from live music.
- UKCCSRC: UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre – drawing on Tyndall Manchester expertise to ensure carbon capture and storage (CCS) plays an effective role in achieving net zero.
- Converting CO2, waste and sustainable biomass into clean and sustainable fuels and products.
- African Cities – a collaborative approach to tackling complex problems in the continent’s rapidly changing cities.
- Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions – examining who and where is vulnerable to fuel and transport poverty in the UK.
- Engager – a research network aimed at developing and strengthening an international community focused on combating energy poverty.
- Interreg Europe – a multi-agency European project to help increase the use of renewable energies in vulnerable groups.
- Preparing and protecting against the impacts of climate change – a new £5 million research programme to drive forward the UK’s world-leading response to climate change.
- Woodland restoration – helping trees and woodlands adapt to climate change and enable the UK to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
- IGNITION – innovative ways of financing natural solutions to deliver resilience to increasingly extreme climate.
Our expertise
We're at the forefront of the search for solutions to the climate crisis, seeking to be a global force for positive change.
Our Sustainable Futures platform draws together the unique breadth and depth of our interdisciplinary research, and our special focus on advanced materials, biotechnology, cancer, energy and global inequalities allows us to tackle some of the biggest challenges with a discipline-focused lens.
Find out about the programmes and people behind our research.
The scale of our interdisciplinary research activity sets us apart. Discover our world-leading research institutes and centres working on ways to mitigate the climate crisis:
- Centre for Crisis Studies and Mitigation
- Dalton Nuclear Institute
- Global Development Institute
- Henry Royce Institute
- Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute
- Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre
- International Centre for Advanced Materials: ICAM
- Manchester Environmental Research Institute
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology
- Manchester Institute of Innovation Research
- Manchester Urban Institute
- National Graphene Institute
- Productivity Institute
- Sustainable Consumption Institute
- Thomas Ashton Institute
- Tyndall Manchester
We're at the forefront of the search for solutions. Use our researcher tool to learn more about the people pushing our research forward:
Useful reads
We bring thought leadership and influence to the policy debate.
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