Dr Alison Mohr to advise on Green House Gas removal programme

We are pleased to announce that Dr Alison Mohr, Associate Professor in Interdisciplinary Social Science and one of our Energy Generation and Management challenge leads, has been appointed as a member of the steering committee for a key programme to remove greenhouse gas. 

The new Greenhouse Gas Removal Demonstrators programme is an initiative of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the UK's largest funder of independent environmental science, training and innovation. NERC is a key part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a body working in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish.

The programme will assess sustainable routes for large-scale removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, allowing the UK to take a major step towards achieving net-zero emissions. £31.5 million has been invested in five interdisciplinary projects, expected to run until 2025, and a central Directorate Hub has been established at the University of Oxford. 

The five demonstrator projects are:

1. Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW)
   PI: Professor David Beerling, University of Sheffield
   Title: Greenhouse gas removal with UK agriculture via enhanced rock weathering

2. Peatland restoration
   PI: Professor Christopher Evans, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Bangor)
   Title: Greenhouse Gas Removal by Accelerated Peat Formation

3. Biochar
   PI: Professor Colin Snape, University of Nottingham
   Title: Biochar Demonstrator Addressing Key Deployment Barriers for Carbon Sequestration

4. Afforestation
   PI: Professor Ian Bateman, University of Exeter
   Title: Greenhouse Gas Removal Plus (GGR+): Sustainable Treescapes Demonstrator & Decision Tools

5. BECCS feedstock focused (perennial bioenergy crops)
   PI: Professor Iain Donnison, Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Science (IBERS), Aberystwyth University
   Title: Perennial Biomass Crops for Greenhouse Gas Removal

Alison Mohr commented "Greenhouse gas removal (GGR) to achieve net zero carbon emissions is a complex interdisciplinary challenge. GGR technologies, their development and implementation raise many social, cultural, ethical and political issues that require consideration in conjunction with techno-economic and environmental challenges and opportunities. I’m looking forward to promoting consideration of a broad range of issues, perspectives and futures to help maximise the success and impact of the programme"

The Steering Committee will provide strategic advice to support the achievement of the programme’s objectives and this appointment will see Alison playing a key role as part of an expert panel helping to develop future energy strategy.