Decision support tools to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)

Description of impact

Climate change, caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is one of humanity’s greatest environmental challenges. Research led by the University of Aberdeen has developed a range of decision support tools for industry, land managers and policy makers utilizing the best scientific understanding to enable real-world reduction in GHG emissions. The “Cool Farm Tool” has been adopted by an alliance of 82 of the world’s largest agri-food businesses and has been used for over 47,000 assessments in 118 countries. It has delivered demonstrable and very significant reductions in GHG emissions from their food production chains. The Windfarm Carbon Calculator has been adopted by the Scottish Government for all windfarm-planning applications of over 50 MW and is used by industry, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government to assess potential impacts.

Themes

The impact of Aberdeen research has benefited multinational food companies and farmers in developed and developing countries. It has influenced Scottish Government policy and has directly enabled measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, informing best practice for future wind turbine installations.

The impact can be summarized under three headings:
1.Improvement in the environmental performance of agri-food companies
2.Influencing agricultural practice in low- to middle-income countries
3.Reduction in GHG emissions associated with windfarms

Impact status	Impact Completed (Open)
Impact date	2008 → 2020