Each year we measure the amount of low carbon energy used across the University. For example in 2023/24 academic year we used 534GJ from low carbon sources. This comprised of 256 GJ of energy from power generation sources (wind, solar, nuclear), 30GJ from solar thermal and 249 GJ from ground source heat pumps (GSHP).

Environmental education

The University of Manchester provides local education programmes and public campaigns that focus on climate awareness, risks, mitigation, and adaptation. Each year, our Great Science Share for Schools initiative engages hundreds of thousands of young people worldwide with a theme of ‘sustainable science.’  This campaign helps young people understand climate change risks, impacts, and strategies for mitigation and adaptation. We also hosted the Manchester Festival of Climate Action, a free and online multi-day event, open to all, addressing some of today’s most pressing climate questions. How do we secure global net zero? How can we protect our communities and natural habitats? How do we finance change? How can we turn ambition into reality? Held two weeks before COP26, University of Manchester experts shared insights and innovative solutions to the climate crisis.

Our Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research hosts open lectures, webinars and blogs on local carbon budgets, net-zero pathways and community adaptation, translating complex science into accessible information for policymakers and the public. Additionally, our Manchester Museum hosted  ‘Wild Talks’, a series of public lectures, questioning whether going ‘wild’ could help us tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis. For instance, the ‘Born to Rewild’ talk explored how rewilding land could help create novel solutions for to help tackle climate collapse. The Museum has also embedded climate, biodiversity and social-justice themes across galleries such as Living Worlds and Belonging. It runs free family sessions, community-curated displays and public talks exploring the relationship between people, planet and sustainable futures.

Through these schools’ outreach, public lectures, museums, galleries and collaborative learning platforms, the University of Manchester makes climate knowledge and solutions accessible to citizens of all ages.

We are involved in co-operative planning for climate change disasters at both local and regional levels, working closely with government. Locally, our Grow Green Project supports collaborative planning with local government, community partners, and stakeholders to design and deliver a detailed green infrastructure masterplan for climate resilience in West Gorton, Manchester. This initiative aims to create climate-resilient cities by embedding nature-based solutions into urban planning, such as flood management systems and heat mitigation measures, to reduce the risks that can lead to displacement during climate-related disasters. Regionally, our RESIN Eco-cities project involves leading a consortium of researchers at the forefront of urban climate adaptation research.

Additionally, our Protect-NFM project exemplifies co-operative planning for climate change disasters by bringing together academic, governmental, and community partners to reduce the risks of flooding and related displacement. Through nature based landscape restoration, the project works to slow and store water in upland areas, reducing peak flows and protecting vulnerable downstream communities from severe flood impacts. The project is delivered in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Leeds, Newcastle University, project partners Moors for the Future Partnership, and the Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire Environment Agency. 

Inform and support government

Our University informs and supports regional and local government in managing climate change monitoring through various programmes. We played a leading role in developing the UK Government-funded  SCATTER project (Setting City Area Targets and Trajectories for Emissions Reduction) tool, in partnership with Anthesis and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). Funded by BEIS, SCATTER provides local authorities with an accessible, science-based platform to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, model future climate scenarios, and inform local climate action planning. This collaboration strengthened regional capacity for data-driven decision-making and fostered ongoing knowledge exchange on climate resilience and adaptation.

Through the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the University continues to support local authorities by developing science-based carbon budgets that help calculate emissions reductions and identify high-risk climate pathways. This work directly informed Greater Manchester’s 5-Year Environment Plan and provides free-to-access carbon budgets for all UK local authorities. Locally, we also developed Manchester-i, a real-time data platform that supports local government by tracking climate-related warnings and monitoring environmental risks such as flooding, heatwaves, and air quality, enhancing early warning and response planning.

Additionally, researchers in our Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences also collaborate with partners such as the Environment Agency and regional resilience bodies on flood-risk assessment and hydrological modelling projects, contributing expertise to early-warning and climate-adaptation planning.

Environmental collaboration with NGO 

Locally, we work with the Manchester Climate Change Agency, a Community Interest Company that leads the city’s climate adaptation and resilience agenda. The University is represented on its Board and contributes research expertise to support the delivery of Manchester’s Climate Change Framework and Adaptation Action Plan. We also partner with the NGO City of Trees through the IGNITION project, which focuses on implementing nature-based solutions such as urban greening and sustainable drainage systems to enhance climate resilience, improve air and water quality, and reduce flood risk across Greater Manchester.