A UNIVERSITY of Gloucestershire-led consortium has been awarded £2.5 million in funding for research that will make a significant contribution to the national strategy for reaching net zero by 2050.

The grant will support a new project over the next three years, led by the University’s Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI). It will focus on how the land-use sector can support the UK’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The new project, called ‘To Zero Fifty’, will also develop a common accounting framework for the UK farming and food sector, collaborating with Cranfield University, Harper Adams University, University of Aberdeen and Scotland’s Rural College. It will also work with three major greenhouse gas accounting companies; AgreCalc, Farm-Carbon-Toolkit and the Cool Farm Alliance, and Savill’s natural capital team.

Julie Ingram, Professor of Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture within the CCRI, said: “We are really excited to be involved in this transdisciplinary research bringing together academic experts, the farming and practitioner community, as well as supply chain and policy stakeholders.

“Working with the three main greenhouse gas accounting companies and 100 farms across UK, we can start to create a scalable solution to a real industry challenge and make a difference.”

One of the researchers also involved in the project, Professor Damian Maye, said: “The CCRI’s long-standing research on understanding the social, economic, technological and political implications of transitions in food and farming will underpin and add value to this new project.”

The grant is co-funded by the UKRI, Defra and the DESNZ, and has been co-designed with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Welsh Government and Scottish Government.  

It is part of the ‘Transforming land use for net zero, nature and people’ programme which aims to support research in partnership with government and industry, to achieve net zero.