Dr. Maria Val Martin has received over £560,000 grant to extend her UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship. This funding supports her ongoing research to ensure climate change mitigation efforts are effective and avoid unintended negative impacts.
Experts agree drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and active carbon dioxide (CO₂) removal from the atmosphere are critical for meeting global temperature targets. Current strategies often focus on "land-based" solutions like afforestation/reforestation, enhanced weathering, and bioenergy crops.
However, Dr. Val Martin’s prior work revealed a critical issue: the full climate and air quality impacts of these strategies are not well understood. Her initial research showed that large-scale tree planting, for example, could inadvertently cause a net warming effect, potentially offsetting 20-30% of its CO₂ removal benefits.
We urgently need to understand the full picture of how land-based carbon removal strategies affect our climate and air quality. Many current climate assessments overlook the indirect feedbacks these interventions can trigger. If we rely too heavily on ecosystems to slow down climate change, we risk unintended consequences, including deploying strategies that could actually worsen warming or air quality in some regions. This work will help ensure these solutions are deployed effectively and responsibly.
Dr Maria Val Martin
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This renewed funding will enable Maria and her team to research three key areas:
- Carbon Storage Security: Investigating how wildfires and air pollution affect the long-term carbon storage potential of forests.
- Combined Strategy Effectiveness: Studying how co-deploying different carbon removal methods can achieve better outcomes and avoid negative interactions.
- UK Optimisation: Providing specific advice to the UK Government on deploying these strategies to meet Net-Zero targets, considering air quality and public health.
The research aims will directly inform policymakers in the UK and globally, helping shape effective climate policies. This work also has the potential to influence future international climate discussions, including the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30).