Climate Action

Climate Change is the greatest challenge of our time. Together with our national and international partners, UCD's world-leading researchers across the university are addressing this problem through policy change, defence of our ecosystems and soil health, improving management of our natural resources and changing practices and behaviour in industry and society, via inclusive, interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches.

Go to 'Earth Talks' series
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€41 million funding from SFI for the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG) hosted by UCD

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No 1 in Ireland for Environmental Sciences - 2021 QS World University Subject Rankings

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UCD is 22nd in The Times Higher Education World Impact Rankings (using the UN Sustainable Development Goals)

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Investment in National research centre (BiOrbic) for Bioeconomy in Ireland

Research Units and Programmes

UCD Earth Institute

Fostering multidiscipline research to improve fundamental understanding of our rapidly changing environment and find solutions for a sustainable future.

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Stanley Ecology Lab

Using ecology to answer pure and applied questions about biodiversity and the natural world, with a primary focus on the ecology of insects, plants and the interactions between them, including models of plant-pollinator interactions.

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iCRAG, SFI Research Centre for Applied Geosciences

Creating a sustainable world through innovative science and technologies to better understand the Earth’s past, present, and future and how people are connect with it. Based at UCD.

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UCD Meteorology and Climate Centre

Ireland's leading academic centre for research and education in meteorology and climate science, based at UCD.

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UCD SWAMP

Investigating the pressures on Irish waters from drained peatlands and developing mitigation measures, funded by EPA Research.

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Soil Science Society of Ireland

All-Ireland body for professionals working in the discipline of soil science, promoting research, knowledge transfer and sustainable management of Irish soils through scientific meetings, fieldtrips, and discussion forums. 

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Ecostructure: Climate change adaptation through ecologically sensitive coastal infrastructure

Five leading universities in Wales and Ireland to research and raise awareness of eco-engineering solutions to the challenge of coastal adaptation to climate change. 

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World Harbour Project

Initiated by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, the project aims to link, facilitate, and enhance programs of research and management across major urban harbours of the world.

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AUGER: Peatland properties influencing greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals

EPA Research funded project led by UCD, in collaboration with University of Limerick, Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast, with input from Earthy Matters Environmental Consultants.

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UCD Centre for Business and Society (CeBaS)

CeBaS engages in research, connections and actions that help to solve challenges facing business and society including bioeconomy networks and global supply chains.

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UCD Environmental Policy

Analysing complex environmental problems and thinking critically about potential policy actions to address the challenges between economic and environmental change.

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UCD Environmental Regulation Research Group (ENVREG)

ENVREG seeks to stimulate and support research into and critical debate on environmental regulation and governance at national, European and international levels.

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UCD Centre for Sustainable Development Studies

Interdisciplinary platform promoting and fostering research, education and policy outreach on sustainable development, with UN Economic and Social Council status.

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ALTERFOR

EU-funded project to explore new forest management models that will help meet major challenges of the 21st century, led in Ireland from UCD Forestry in the School of Agriculture and Food Science.

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UCD Rosemount Environmental Research Station

State-of-the-art plant and environmental research facility under the joint management of UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science and UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science.

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DIABLO

EU Horizon 2020 trans-disciplinary research project across 25 European countries, generating Distributed, Integrated and Harmonised Forest Information for Bioeconomy Outlooks, led in Ireland from UCD School of Agriculutre and Food Science. 

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Impact

Dr Liana Ricci: Improving adaptation to climate change in sub-Saharan cities

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Prof Mark Scott & Dr Michael Lennon: Eco-Plan- Upping the game for green spaces in urban planning

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Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area Network

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Featured Researchers

Dr Elke Eichelmann

Assistant Professor of UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, with a specialist research focus on mitigating the effects of climate change by managing ecosystems for greenhouse gas and climate benefits.

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Prof Olaf Schmidt

Professor of UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science specialised in soil science, specifically the biology, biodiversity, ecology and biochemistry of soils in the context of soil-plant-animal systems.

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Dr Florence Renou Wilson

Researcher from UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, specialised in the impact of global change on ecosystem processes and ecosystem services, in particular peatlands and various land uses on organic soils.

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Prof Aine Ni Dhubhain

Senior Lecturer in Forestry at UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, specialised in the socio-economic impacts of forestry, farm forestry and forest policy.

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UCD Earth Talks to Prof Nick Holden

  • UCD Earth Institute

A UCD research leader in sustainable agricultural systems and soil science, Professor Nick Holden from UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, talks to UCD Earth Institute about food system resilience and sustainability, the global soil crisis and food waste.

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Publications

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April 2017

Soil carbon 4 per mille

Geoderma

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June 2017

Valuing nature's contributions to people: the IPBES approach

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability

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January 2016

Non-bee insects are important contributors to global crop pollination

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

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December 2016

Cross-validation strategies for data with temporal, spatial, hierarchical, or phylogenetic structure

Ecography

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UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science
UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science
UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy
UCD School of Earth Sciences