Securing global net zero: universities have solutions

International Universities Climate Alliance
  • Zero carbon flight is possible, and could be ready by 2030 (Leeds University)
  • Where should I plant my grapes in 2100? (University of Tasmania)
  • Understanding wildfire management with virtual reality projections (Penn State)
  • Floods, droughts, heatwaves, polar vortexes – warming oceans drive extreme weather (University of Bergen)
  • Understanding heat uptake across the Southern Ocean (UNSW Sydney)
  • Open-source solutions for direct carbon capture (NYU)
  • What does ‘net zero’ mean if you don’t have electricity? (University of Southampton)

Speakers available from universities across the world available for interview.

The 50 universities across the world who form the International Universities Climate Alliance are all working on ways we can secure global net zero. The Alliance was established in April 2020 and is convened by the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

Zero carbon flight is possible, and could be ready by 2030 (Leeds University)

Zero carbon flight is possible, and could be ready by 2030. Liquid hydrogen and fuel cell technology are being assessed against kerosene for carbon and other greenhouse gases by Dr Alex Rap and researchers at the University of Leeds and the FlyZero project of the government and industry-linked Aerospace Technology Institute (UK).

Where should I plant my grapes in 2100? (University of Tasmania)

At the University of Tasmania, Dr Rebecca Harris and the Climate Futures Programme can project future expected changes in regional climate until the end of the century, supporting business planning for the wine industry, ski tourism and even the City of Hobart’s plans for road resurfacing.

Understanding wildfire management with virtual reality projections (Penn State)

Yellowstone used to see big fires every 150 years – now it’s a 30-year cycle. Virtual reality is helping Dr Erica Smithwick, Pennsylvania State University show fire managers and local people in her own state and Wisconsin that fire is a natural part of the landscape. Her work is partly powered by insights from Indigenous peoples on the use of controlled burning.

Floods, droughts, heatwaves, polar vortexes – warming oceans drive extreme weather (University of Bergen)

The North Pole is warming more quickly than the South, and the knock-on effect to ocean currents is driving more extreme weather in Europe and North America. Professor Camille Li of the University of Bergen’s Global Climate group looks at the physics driving changes in intense North Atlantic storms. The latest IPCC report links warming oceans and air to floods and droughts. The connection to heat waves is virtually certain, she says, and there are studies suggesting a possible link to outbreaks of cold air due to distortions in the polar vortex.

Understanding heat uptake across the Southern Ocean (UNSW Sydney)

Global warming is already disrupting the carbon cycle over the Southern Ocean, which is responsible for absorbing about half the carbon absorbed by the global oceans. UNSW Scientia Professor Matt England says if we don’t have a deep understanding of carbon cycling in our climate system, nations might later need to update emissions treaties. We cannot assume the ocean carbon uptake of today will persist into the future.

Open-source solutions for direct carbon capture (NYU)

Direct air carbon capture could suck carbon directly from open air, rather than capturing it from flues or exhausts. Video game designer Associate Professor Matt Parker of New York University, is a volunteer with the OpenAir Collective, which is building open-source solutions and advocating for direct capture technology.

What does ‘net zero’ mean if you don’t have electricity? (University of Southampton)

What does carbon mean in the context of the world’s poorest people? There are 600 million people in East Africa who have no carbon problem, because they have no electricity at all. Professor AbuBakr Bahaj, University of Southampton advises governments across the world, and wants to ensure that in the stampede toward net zero carbon, we don’t leave people behind.

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Tamzin Byrne
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