Reducing climate change caused by shipping and aviation

Impact: Policy, Environmental

Narrative

Research from the University of Manchester (UoM)’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (Tyndall-Manchester) identified the failure of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation policies in the shipping and aviation sectors to align with the Paris Agreement climate targets. The research characterised the impact of this failure, and published decarbonisation pathways that have engaged international, national and local policy and industry stakeholders and influenced debate at multiple scales.
Global CO2 targets have now been set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), through the adoption of resolution MEPC.304(72) as a direct result of Tyndall-Manchester research. In the aviation sector, Tyndall-Manchester research quantified the extent of technical improvement possible, noting the contradiction between expected aviation emissions growth with the Paris Agreement targets. The Heathrow third runway expansion policy passed by the UK Government was rejected at judicial review because of this inconsistency. The Manchester Climate Change Framework has adopted aviation climate policies because of Tyndall-Manchester input. This has reduced investment and policy risk for business and local government by recognising this source of emissions in subsequent spatial and economic planning, avoiding the need for late, costly, reactive responses.
Impact date1 Aug 2013 → 31 Jul 2020
Category of impactPolicy, Environmental
Impact levelAdoption

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • Energy
  • Policy@Manchester
  • Thomas Ashton Institute
  • Manchester Urban Institute
  • Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing
  • Manchester Environmental Research Institute

Documents & Links

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