Decades of investment in pioneering research, new technology, training and world-class infrastructure by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has delivered impact that is all around us, often in ways we do not see.
It’s in the clean electricity that powers our homes and the resilient networks that carry our data. It’s in the science that helps secure a safer food chain and ensures the water from our taps is clean. It’s in the daily weather forecasts that help us plan our days, the work to ensure we have healthier air to breathe, and even in the inspiration we take from world-leading nature documentaries.
Cleaning up our air for a healthier UK
While UK air quality has improved dramatically, with some key pollutants cut by up to 98%, it remains our biggest environmental health threat. For four decades, NERC science has driven these improvements and tackled the remaining challenges, delivering benefits for our health and economy worth an estimated £1.2 billion every year.
Providing the evidence for national policies that dramatically cut harmful emissions
Long-term research was key to the international action that cut UK sulphur dioxide emissions by 98%. More recently, our work provided the foundation for schemes like London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, which has cut harmful nitrogen dioxide on the city’s streets by 44%.
Delivering daily benefits, from life-saving forecasts to new technologies that protect communities
Our science underpins the daily air-quality forecasts that help people with health conditions stay safe. Furthermore, it has led to the development of NERC-funded low-cost sensors that have generated millions in revenue and created new jobs. It has also empowered local authorities to map and act on pollution hotspots in specific locations like schools, hospitals, and building sites.
Inspiring a billion people to protect our planet
When over one billion people worldwide watched series like Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II, they were captivated by the beauty of our planet but also shocked by the reality of our impact, such as a baby albatross being fed plastic. This powerful combination of filmmaking and stark reality was built on a foundation of world-class environmental science.
TV series inspired viewers worldwide to take action on plastic pollution
The public response was transformative. After watching Blue Planet II, 88% of viewers said it inspired them to change their behaviour, with 78% trying to buy less single-use plastic. The ‘Blue Planet effect’ was so significant it helped push plastic pollution to the top of the UK political agenda, influencing government policy. With 250 million views in China alone, the series took this vital UK science to a global audience.
NERC-funded research underpinned powerful tv programmes
This was more than just entertainment, it was science communication on a massive scale. Thanks to NERC’s long-term investment, UK scientists were essential partners in the production, advising on storylines, guiding film crews, and appearing on screen.
For example, Dr Lucy Quinn’s research revealed the harm of plastic pollution on seabirds, while Professor Mark Brandon’s polar science explained the effects of climate change in Frozen Planet.
Clean electricity for our homes and a greener future
Clean, reliable electricity is fundamental to our daily lives. As the UK moves away from fossil fuels, offshore wind has become a cornerstone of our energy supply, generating enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of over 18 million UK homes. This success story, which helps secure our future energy and creates new livelihoods, is built on a foundation of environmental science.
Helping to safely build windfarms while protecting our precious marine life
Building huge structures in our complex marine environment is a major challenge. For decades, NERC has gathered the essential data needed to do this right. Our scientists map the seabed to find the safest foundations, while our long-term research on seabirds and marine mammals helps ensure windfarms are located and built in a way that protects vital habitats.
This science provides the confidence to build the right windfarms in the right places, balancing our need for clean energy with our duty to protect the environment.
Creating a world-leading industry that supports skilled green jobs
This vital science has supported the growth of an industry that now supports over 32,000 skilled jobs, creating new livelihoods and bringing investment to our coastal communities.
The science behind cleaner, safer water
Clean and plentiful water is fundamental to our lives and livelihoods, supporting our health, our food, and our wellbeing. NERC science is crucial for protecting this precious resource, from source to sea, and the major economic sectors that depend on it, including our £10 billion-a-year coastal tourism industry.
Helping to improve the quality of the water that comes out of our taps
By working with water companies to better manage the landscapes our water flows through, our research has a direct impact on tap water quality. For example, a project to restore peatland on Exmoor helped cut the peat content of drinking water by up to 50%.
New technology making our rivers and bathing waters safer for everyone
Our research drives innovation that keeps people safe. Molendotech, a NERC-supported spin-out company, has developed a rapid 15-minute test for water contamination. These kits give the public greater confidence in the safety of our bathing waters, protecting health and supporting seaside economies.
Securing our connected, digital world
So much of our daily life runs on data. From global finance to streaming a film, we rely on a seamless flow of information. But the networks carrying this data are vulnerable to powerful natural hazards, and NERC science is at the forefront of understanding and mitigating these risks.
Discovering the cause of mysterious breaks in the undersea internet cables
For a long time, the cause of unexpected breaks in the fibre-optic cables that line the ocean floor was a mystery. These cables are vital, carrying an astonishing 99% of all global data.
Ground breaking NERC research discovered the culprit, powerful, underwater avalanches. By recording one of these events in real-time, our scientists provided the vital knowledge that now allows cable companies to plan safer routes, making our internet connection more resilient.
Protecting our vital infrastructure from the threat of space weather
Threats to our connectivity also come from space. Extreme space weather, like solar storms, can damage satellites, disrupt aviation, and knock out power grids. To protect the UK, NERC science is a crucial component of the national space weather forecast.
Models from the British Antarctic Survey and data from the British Geological Survey are used to predict the impact of these storms, allowing key industries to take pre-emptive action.
The science behind your daily weather forecast
Checking the weather forecast is a daily ritual that helps us plan our lives. For businesses and public services, it’s essential for planning and resilience. The world-leading service provided by the Met Office, projected to deliver £56 billion of benefit to the UK, is built on a foundation of NERC-funded environmental science.
Helping the Met Office’s world-leading computer models become ever more accurate
For decades, NERC has invested in the research and skills that make these predictions more accurate. Our scientists work in partnership with forecasters to improve the complex computer models, deepening our understanding of crucial factors like how our oceans, land, and cities interact with the atmosphere.
Improved accuracy has tangible daily benefits for human health
This accuracy has direct benefits that protect our health. During heatwaves, for example, improved smog forecasts save an estimated 24 lives for every 10 days they occur.
For the UK’s 15 million hay fever sufferers, the NERC-supported national pollen forecast is a vital tool, reducing productivity losses that cost the economy an estimated £970 million a year. We can now also predict winter conditions up to three months in advance, helping the country prepare.
Creating a safer and more sustainable food chain
The food on our plates connects us directly to the environment. Our food system relies on a healthy ecosystem, from the insects that pollinate our crops to a stable climate, but it is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. NERC science is crucial in tackling both sides of this challenge.
Providing crucial evidence leading to bans on harmful pesticides and protecting vital pollinators
Wild insects provide a pollination service to UK farmers worth hundreds of millions of pounds each year. In the early 2000s, NERC-funded research was key in revealing the drastic decline in pollinator species and linking it to neonicotinoid pesticides. This crucial evidence underpinned subsequent UK and EU bans, helping to safeguard our food security.
Developing innovative tools that help major food brands reduce the carbon footprint of their farms
At the same time, our science helps the food industry reduce its environmental impact. NERC-funded researchers at the University of Aberdeen were instrumental in launching the Cool Farm Tool, an online calculator for farmers to measure and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
The tool is now used by tens of thousands of farmers worldwide who supply major brands like PepsiCo and Tesco, achieving significant results like a 25% emissions reduction on Unilever’s tomato farms.