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Air pollution and climate change are two of the biggest environmental threats impacting human health, food security, ecosystems, and livelihoods.
At the University of York, the SEI York’s air pollution, climate and environmental change group works to quantify the impacts of these threats, and to identify solutions that have multiple benefits.
There is a particular focus on national planning and decision making, emission mitigation assessments, health and other impact assessments and the impacts of management and climate change on forest, agriculture and peatland soils.
Exposure to air pollution outdoors and indoors is the largest environmental risk factors for human health, contributing over 5 million deaths per year.
Climate change affects food security, human health and ecosystems, disproportionately impacting the most disadvantaged in society. Air quality and climate change are closely linked, because of common sources of air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, there is a large opportunity to design strategies which simultaneously mitigate climate change and contribute to achieving the Paris Agreement, while at the same time result in local benefits for air pollution and human health.
Photo: JuniperPhoton / Unsplash
SEI York supports national planners, city officials and private sector companies to assess these impacts at local, regional and national level in over 30 countries.
Researchers focus on capacity building of national institutions in partner countries, development and application of appropriate emission mitigation assessment tools to support decision making and increased action to reduce both air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Our researchers also focus on using direct measurements with modelling tools to unravel the underpinning mechanisms and ecosystem responses of management and climate change to peatland soils.
Feature / SEI researchers are supporting Ugandan government officials in tackling the pressing issue of short-lived climate pollutants.
Perspective / This op-ed offers key insights into 2024 UNEA-6 resolution on air quality with contributions from SEI researchers, originally published in the Clean Air Journal
Feature / Ahead of the UK general election, experts urge the next government to adopt a unified strategy to improve indoor air quality for better public health.
Feature / Andreas Heinemeyer contributed to a recent briefing for the UK parliament, drawing on his expertise in peatland management.
Journal article / The implementation of Pakistan's Clean Air Policy could reduce emissions of air pollutants by up to 80% by 2050.
Past event / Sarah West joined CCAC and a panel of experts to explore the role of young people in addressing air pollution and climate change.
Project / SEI at the University of York is collaborating with the City of York to develop a ertrofit one-stop shop to help the city achieve its net zero goals.
Project / The project works with the Bogotá Environmental Agency to develop diverse pathways for air quality management.
Project / This project investigates air pollutants inside homes in the city of Bradford, UK: their sources, interactions and health effects on those living there.
Project / On behalf of CCAC, UNEP is cooperating with SEI to support the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Kenya under SNAP.
Project / A scientifically robust and policy-relevant framework to identify and assess priority measures that maximize the multiple-benefits for air quality and climate.
Project / A citizen science project monitoring indoor air, created with and for UK schools.
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