Tackling air pollution and greenhouse gases with Europe-wide collaboration

Access to a €6.5million Horizon 2020 fund for research on air quality is helping University of Bristol academics influence climate change policy and reduce greenhouse gases and pollution.

Air quality and greenhouse gas emissions are one of the overriding concerns of our age – driving climate change and causing health problems across the globe. By accessing €430,000 of a €6.5 million European investment fund, academics at the University of Bristol are helping to design and implement new strategies for reducing dangerous pollution in partnership with researchers across Europe through the Integrated Climate forcing and Air pollution Reduction in Urban Systems (ICARUS) project.

Coordinated from Greece, the aim of ICARUS is to develop policies and practical measures to reduce air pollution and increase our control over climate change. By working with researchers across Europe, Bristol academics are developing a roadmap for how to create ‘green’ cities where people can live in an environmentally-sustainable way, minimising their energy needs and reducing waste.

The project will propose measures to reduce emissions at source (for example, in cars or power plants) and measures which will change people’s behaviour to reduce emissions and fuel usage.

By gaining access to a European funding stream and the collective expertise of European research institutes ICARUS is expected to support the improvement of air quality across Europe and help tackle climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of European cities.

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