We initiate, develop and support multidisciplinary climate and environmental research at Imperial College London, attracting world class talent. Through our work, we seek to understand our planetary environment, how the human-environment interacts with the natural world, and how the translation of research to inform policy and innovation can help create a sustainable, resilient, healthy future for the planet.
Our research
Research Foresight Meetings
The institute convenes quarterly meetings to develop a view of the upcoming policy landscape, consider strategic research that can inform these discussions over the next year and years, and look for opportunities for the Grantham Institute and its affiliates to respond to them.
Research spotlight
Attribution science
Whenever extreme weather events, such as floods, heatwaves, droughts or storms, occur, the media and decision-makers ask to what extent it is influenced by climate change. Attribution science can answer this question. Rapid attribution studies provide timely scientific evidence on the role of climate change in the aftermath of the event. This emerging field of climate science is led by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) initiative, and has helped to change the global conversation around climate change, influencing adaptation strategies and paving the way for new sustainability litigation.
Find out more about our work on extreme weather and climate change.
Modelling tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclones, hurricanes or typhoons are one of the deadliest natural hazards, with nearly a billion people exposed to them. However, calculating the risk of tropical cyclones at a global scale is difficult because of a lack of data. Globally there are only about six very damaging tropical cyclones every year, and most countries only have reliable observations for the less than 40 years. To build resilience to these storms, communities need to better understand how likely they are to occur. The Imperial College Storm Model (IRIS) project aims to help scientists and the public understand and predict the likelihood of a damaging storm using the computing power of smartphones on DreamLab.
Climate and mental health
Climate change isn't just an environmental threat, it's a mental health crisis too. Extreme weather events, social disruption, and environmental changes weigh heavily on communities, impacting their mental health and psychological wellbeing. While resilience exists, the escalating intensity and frequency of climate-related events challenges the ability of societies to adapt to a warming world.
Climate Cares is a collaboration between the Grantham Institute and the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, dedicated to understanding and supporting mental health in the face of the climate and ecological crises. It works collectively for a better climate future that benefits mental health and wellbeing. Through research, policy, education, and tailored interventions, the Climate Cares Centre connects and equips individuals, communities, and systems with the knowledge, resources and mental resilience to cope with the climate emergency and take meaningful climate action.
Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR)
Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 requires dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. But it also requires scaling up Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) methods to counteract residual emissions from sectors for which emissions reductions are hard to achieve. Scaling these technologies in a sustainable way presents a significant challenge, requiring scientific development, reduced technological costs, new policy and regulatory frameworks, and public support. The CO2RE Hub, the UK’s national research hub on GGR, is a UKRI-funded, multi-institution consortium. It is conducting cross-cutting research on the environmental, economic, social and governance issues surrounding sustainable routes for large-scale GGR, and supporting the development of early-stage GGR technologies.
The Hub also coordinates across five demonstrator projects on biochar, enhanced rock weathering, perennial biomass crops, woodland creation and management, and peatland restoration.
Parasiticides & Pollution: PREPP
The PREPP (Producing Rational Evidence for Parasiticide Prescription) group is an multidisciplinary partnership which unites experts from Imperial College London, collaborating institutions and individuals. As part of the CITE (Chemicals in the Environment) Research Initiative, their work explores and evaluates the environmental risks posed by veterinary medicine pollution to gauge ecological impacts and to explore possible solutions. Our current focus is on contamination by pesticides associated with animal treatment. We are developing evidence to underpin appropriate advice and inform future policy and legislative action.