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Climate Action
Our work and activity in relation to 'Climate Action', one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
2019 was the second warmest year on record and the end of the warmest decade (2010- 2019) ever recorded.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rose to new records in 2019.
Climate change is affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, and weather events are becoming more extreme.
Although greenhouse gas emissions are projected to drop about 6 per cent in 2020 due to travel bans and economic slowdowns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, this improvement is only temporary. Climate change is not on pause. Once the global economy begins to recover from the pandemic, emissions are expected to return to higher levels.
Saving lives and livelihoods requires urgent action to address both the pandemic and the climate emergency.
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement also aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change, through appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity building framework.
Stories
![Members of the Urban ReLeaf team stand lined up, smiling](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2024-06/Urban%20ReLeaf.jpg?itok=2H8c8ZTP)
Press release
The relationship between cityscapes and so-called “urban forests” is to receive a root and branch review as part of major conference hosted by the University of Dundee
![Three people grouped together. A male in the centre holds a booklet and there is a male on his left and a female on his right. All are smartly dressed and smiling](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2024-04/Kevin%20Murray%2C%20Dr%20Husam%20Al%20Waer%2C%20Maggie%20Chapman.jpg?itok=o4zgXZN3)
Press release
A new guide outlining how the concept of a 20-minute neighbourhood can be applied in practice has been created by an urban design expert at the University of Dundee
![John Rowan](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-01/john_rowan_.jpg?itok=C9ccegpx&h=178ec050)
Press release
The security of the world’s water has never been more precarious, a University of Dundee scholar has warned.
![Artist's illustration plan of Eden Project in Dundee](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2022-03/2024EDEN-Aerial-05Daytime-Close-up.091359.jpeg?itok=RNbFHa6C&h=dfc46040)
Press release
The University of Dundee will welcome the “thinkers and change-makers of the future” as part of a new, multi-million pound initiative.
![Professor Jill Belch standing on the pavement at Seagate, Dundee.](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2024-01/Professor%20Jill%20Belch%20pictured%20at%20Seagate%2C%20Dundee%2C%20regularly%20%20cited%20as%20one%20of%20Scotland%27s%20most%20polluted%20streets.jpg?itok=Eu1MLsBK)
Press release
Elevated levels of air pollution cause more children to be admitted to hospital with respiratory problems, a new study has found.
![A pink blue and red background with soft colourful circles. Text on the image reads "Discovery Days 2024"](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-12/24384_Discovery_Days_2024_Screen_1920x1080_FA.jpg?itok=o_fIK46l&h=2e111cc1)
Press release
The University of Dundee will open its doors to the public and take them on a journey from ancient medicines to the future of justice for Discovery Days 2024
![Dalhousie building with blue sky and clouds in the background.](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-06/dalhousie-building.jpg?itok=UmfalKUX&h=af53702d)
Press release
Companies that can prove their environmental credentials have the potential to appear more attractive to the workforce of tomorrow, a careers expert has said.
![Artist's impression of the Angus Rural Mobility Hub](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-07/Angus%20Rural%20Mobility%20Hub%20Visualisation.jpg?itok=uFlt5XlD)
Press release
A University-backed study has been awarded £10,000 of funding by the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) to explore the development of green hydrogen for use in the heavy-duty vehicle sector.
![Barley grass growing in a field](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-07/Barley%20image%20-%20Best-Crop.jpg?itok=zi7B0LW0)
Press release
It may be known as the basis of whisky but scientists at two of Scotland’s leading scientific institutions have been tasked with distilling a new future for barley.
![View over campus rooftops to the River Tay](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-12/campus-2016-28.jpg?itok=NFdyyO2d&h=8106dffe)
Feature
The University of Dundee is creating a new Sustainability Institute which will attend to the critical need for contemporary societies to confront the climate crisis and to facilitate ways of living in environmentally sustainable ways.
![Pic of Dundreggan Forest](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-06/Trees%20for%20Life.jpg?itok=JyY8U5Vf)
Press release
The University of Dundee will this month begin work on a new sustainability project that will ultimately create a forest celebrating its postgraduate researchers while offsetting carbon emissions.
![Dr Sufyan El Droubi](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-05/Dr%20Sufyan%20El%20Droubi.jpg?itok=uEBDBfrf)
News
Thursday will see the University of Dundee host the first event of its kind, bringing together leading experts to discuss the transition to a low carbon economy.
![Sosten Ciotha, Hannah Wilson and Iain Gillespie at tree planting](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2022-11/Tree%20planting.jpg?itok=iberayox)
Press release
The planting of two ‘Trees of Hope’ symbolises the University of Dundee’s commitment to equitable working with partners in Africa.
![Professor Sosten Chiotha at Lake Chilwa, Malawi.](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2022-11/Professor%20Sosten%20Chiotha%20at%20Lake%20Chilwa%2C%20Malawi.jpg?itok=mjvCXLIA)
Press release
One of Africa’s leading academics will address the University of Dundee at the launch of a major new series of lectures.
![Dr Simon Cook observing the front of a rapidly retreating glacier, Rhone, Switzerland, 2022](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2022-11/Dr%20Cook%20and%20colleague%20observing%20the%20front%20of%20a%20rapidly%20retreating%20glacier%2C%20Rhone%2C%20Switzerland%2C%202022..jpg?itok=NReJGwGR)
Press release
The opening of a new coal mine in the UK would undermine the government’s international credibility in tackling climate change, a leading expert has warned.
![wind turbine](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2022-06/Wind%20turbine%20image.jpg?itok=wLdZ2_-C)
Press release
The planet is “doomed” if political differences brought to light by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cannot be put aside by global leaders at next week’s COP27 summit.
![Citizen Science - Living Soils, Growing Food](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2022-05/Grow%20observatory%202.jpg?itok=GXAPsyPC)
Impact case study
Widespread citizen engagement leads to Europe-wide action on climate change.
Press release
It is known around the world as a location for the TV series Outlander, but the landscape around the picturesque village of Falkland is being permanently altered by weather events influenced by climate change.
Press release
The water supply of hundreds of millions of people in Asia is under threat from the accelerating melt of the Himalayan glaciers, a University of Dundee expert has warned.
![glacier camera being installed](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-11/The%20glacier%20camera%20being%20installed.jpg?itok=jRyC5lIU)
Press release
Dramatic footage captured by a University of Dundee expert has shown how climate change is melting Iceland’s glaciers.
![Professor Peter Cameron Dundee](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-11/Professor%20Peter%20Cameron%20CEPMLP.jpg?itok=zg6cH-nN)
Press release
COP26 is doomed to failure unless the richest countries on the planet stop ignoring those from the developing world, a University of Dundee energy expert has said.
![Grow observatory - logo in green text](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-09/grow-1170x780_1.jpg?itok=h4Q2BiDD&h=6b6c6ba8)
Press release
Empowering individuals and communities could be key to addressing the climate crisis, a University of Dundee expert says.
![looking down on attendees at the mining conference in the CEPMLP building](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-07/sss-ceplmp-event-mining-0417-11.jpg?itok=fgL6409j&h=2992ba0a)
Press release
A University of Dundee project that assists developing countries with the transition to green energy has received a funding award from the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
![Banner showing three circles with text Festival of the Future](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-10/eventbrite-banner.jpg?itok=vNkzOUY9&h=c855054e)
Press release
An upcoming University of Dundee event will showcase the work of those who are connecting the power of the visual arts to enhance our understanding of climate change
![Artist Cat Dunn](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-10/Cat%20Dunn.jpg?itok=UBuQwyb4)
Press release
A University of Dundee student is using art to question how the people of Scotland respond to the societal issues generated by climate change.
![Portrait photo of Volker Roeben](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2019-09/volker-reben.jpg?itok=JIJyrTiI&h=bcc5a689)
Press release
The drive towards renewable energy sources is to be examined at a special event hosted by the University of Dundee.
![Portrait photo of Raphael Heffron](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2019-09/raphael-heffron-offbrand.jpg?itok=znSvyPl8&h=a47ee7eb)
Press release
Courtrooms could become crucial in tackling climate change by ensuring large companies commit to cutting carbon emissions, a University of Dundee expert has said.
![Field with yellow plants and a cloudy blue sky](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-09/COP26%20Food%201920x1080.jpg?itok=ni5Xl3Hy)
Press release
Climate change has the potential to disrupt food supplies to Scotland, a University of Dundee expert has warned.
![Image of Professor Iain Gillespie](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-08/Iain%20library%202%202019.jpg?itok=ZifuZPhy)
Press release
The University of Dundee has announced the completion of its divestment from fossil fuels – less than 12 months after stating its intention to do so.
![Melting glacier with a lake at the bottom of a valley](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-09/COP26%20Water%201920x1080_0.jpg?itok=K4xaQVgT)
Press release
Climate change jeopardises the future of some of Scotland’s most notable industries, a University of Dundee expert has warned.
![Pic of Dundee Glaciers](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-09/Dundee%20GLaciers.jpg?itok=zsSOuLnI)
Press release
A surprise lockdown in Scotland led to a US-based academic teaming up with an animation expert from the University of Dundee to create a film depicting the landscape of the city during the last Ice Age.
![Danny Cullen of Law Brewing Co](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-07/Danny%20Cullen.jpg?itok=GuM6KILM)
Feature
The University of Dundee is teaming up with a local microbrewery to explore ways of creating novel food products from leftover ‘spent grain’ to reduce waste and ensure a more sustainable brewing process.
![Maggie Chapman MSP](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-07/Maggie%20Chapman%20MSP.jpg?itok=-tmE4jwg)
Press release
The University of Dundee has been hailed in the Scottish Parliament after being ranked top in the UK for climate action
![Image of Professor Iain Gillespie](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-08/Iain%20library%202%202019.jpg?itok=ZifuZPhy)
Press release
The University of Dundee has been ranked top in the UK for climate action in the 2021 edition of the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings.
![Wave Power Generators](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-06/Wave%20Power%20Generators.jpg?itok=jyrPN_78)
Press release
Engineering experts at the University of Dundee are preparing to make waves in the ocean energy industry with new anchoring technology for the next generation of offshore power generating devices
![Grey rubble left from landslide - destroyed Tapovan Vishnugad hydroelectric plant](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-06/Destroyed%20Tapovan%20Vishnugad%20hydroelectric%20plant.jpeg?itok=04heB9VF)
Press release
A Himalayan landslide caused a debris flow so large it destroyed two hydropower stations and claimed dozens of lives, a study into the disaster has concluded
![Kieran Baxter glacier](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-04/Dr%20Kieran%20Baxter%20at%20Heinabergsjo%CC%88kull%20-%20Credit%20Dr%20Kieran%20Baxter%20%26%20University%20of%20Dundee.jpg?itok=8fKKQmhH)
Press release
Highlighting the diminishing state of the world’s glaciers to younger generations is critical in the fight against climate change, a University of Dundee expert has said.
![Pic of University electric vehicles](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-03/Electric%20vehicles.jpg?itok=-_Vwameu)
Press release
Dundee’s two universities have been named in the top tier of UK higher education institutions for their commitment to sustainable transportation and electric vehicle infrastructure.
![Photograph of a drone in flight above Skálafellsjökull glacier](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2019-10/drone_at_skalafellsjokull_photo_by_kieran_baxter.jpg?itok=MsQuF0t8&h=1a1d35e1)
Press release
The dramatic effects of climate change on Iceland’s glaciers have been highlighted as a part of a new documentary produced by a University of Dundee expert.
![Laki in Iceland](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-03/iceland-682386_1920.jpg?itok=M0QxLYnH&h=2a668c17)
Press release
Researchers at the University of Dundee have published the first study looking at how Scotland was affected by one of the most important climatic events of the last millennium.
![Iceland glacier](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-02/Hoffellsjokull_2_Aug2020_KB.jpg?itok=AgdKYq5f&h=35ee833b)
Press release
A University of Dundee researcher has followed in the footsteps of his famous father to reveal a generation of dramatic change to Iceland’s glaciers.
![Silent foundations concept](/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2021-01/Silent%20foundations%20concept.png?h=c673cd1c&itok=0HDFmXRs)
Press release
Engineering experts at the University of Dundee are helping to silence the sound of offshore construction projects and preserve fragile underwater ecosystems.
![Aerial shot of Sabah Forest](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-08/SabahForestCanopy.jpg?itok=NIrFV8xb&h=53d504e7)
Press release
Actively restored tropical forests recover above ground biomass faster than areas left to regenerate naturally after being logged, according to new research led by the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen and ETH Zürich.
![Francesca Rea's designs](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-06/Francesca%20Rea.jpg?itok=Kdy2Ed7o)
Press release
A University of Dundee student has devised a range of burial clothes made from materials such as linen, cotton, bamboo and silk to help people ensure their last act is an environmentally sustainable one.
![Solar panels at the research facility](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-02/Solar%20installed.jpg?itok=yDgyRpBg)
Press release
Investment from the University of Dundee is helping to reduce the environmental and financial cost of carrying out vital medical research.
![Glencoe](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2020-02/Glencoe%20image%20%28Dr%20Simon%20Cook%29.jpg?itok=qcon_T7L)
Press release
Research from the University of Dundee has revealed the secret behind some of Scotland’s most dramatic scenery – climate.
![Photo of a drone on the ground at Breiðamerkurjökull glacier](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2019-10/Drone_at_Brei%C3%B0amerkurjo%CC%88kull_Photo_by_Kieran_Baxter.jpg?itok=-TddhoD9)
Press release
A new 3D process which involves old aerial photos and modern-day drone photography has shed light on accelerated ice loss from some of Iceland’s largest glaciers
![Power station](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2019-12/Concrete%20power%20large.jpg?itok=YLCAqt_V)
Press release
Concrete experts from the University of Dundee have cemented their status among the world’s best engineers by working on one of Europe’s biggest infrastructure projects.
Press release
President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change could make it an international pariah, a University of Dundee expert believes
![Sydney Opera House](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2019-11/sydney-article.jpg?itok=Ya6rTEZm)
Press release
Would the Sydney Opera House be considered as timeless if it was turquoise, or the vast wall of the Hoover Dam as robust in red? Would Rome’s Pantheon still be regarded as resplendent if its iconic dome had been completed in pink?
Our policies related to climate action
Policy
Find out how the Hospitality Services and the University are working towards sustainable food