Climate Change, Carbon Dioxide Removal, Climate Change Mitigation, Emissions, Future Scenarios, Net Zero, Biomass and Bioenergy, Afforestation

The current focus of my research is technologies and practices that aim to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. More broadly I am interested in societal responses to climate change; mitigation, adaptation, carbon removal or ‘negative emissions’ and ideas of climate engineering (also known as geoengineering). My perspective on these issues tends towards a global scale, over a range of timescales and how these are constrained by the Earth system (including climate-carbon cycle feedbacks). 

I was the Principal Investigator of a NERC funded four-year consortium project (2018-2022) on the Feasibility of Afforestation and Biomass energy with carbon capture and storage for Greenhouse Gas Removal (FAB-GGR). The consortium was with Universirty of Exeter, University of Manchester, University of Aberdeen and the Met Office.

I am a co-leader of the CMIP6 endorsed Carbon Dioxide Removal Model Intercomparison Project (CDRMIP) with colleagues from Germany, Australia and the UK.

Previous projects include BEIS project on 1.5C; EPSRC project Integrated Assessment of Geoengineering Proposals (IAGP); Defra/DECC project on Avoiding dangerous climate change (AVOID2) and; EU-FP7 project European Transdisciplinary Assessment of Climate Engineering (EuTRACE).

I thrive on the interdisciplinary nature of the School of Environmental Sciences at UEA and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

Current Postdoctoral Researchers 

Dr Aimie Hope works on the Leverhulme funded Beyond Cost & Carbon project, investigating how to include more qualitative social science information into science-into-policy processes and decision-making about carbon dioxide removal. The project includes a stakeholder co-design group from UK policy organisations working on climate change. 

Current Postgraduate Researchers 

Jessica Chapman Understanding soil recarbonisation efficacy using interdisciplinary methods to guide UK agricultural policy development (Leverhulme 2022-2026). Primary Supervisor: Prof Brian Reid. Supervisory panel members: Dr Nem Vaughan, Dr Stefania Sitzia.

Harry B. Smith Promising words, evaluating actions: assessing Greenhouse Gas Removal in national net zero plans. (Leverhulme 2021-2025). Primary Supervisor: Dr Nem Vaughan. Supervisory panel member: Dr Johanna Forster.

Previous Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr Diarmaid Clery worked on the NERC-funded FAB-GGR project as a senior research associate, leading work on stakeholder assessments of  BECCS supply chains (Clery et al, 2021). Dr Clery is now a Lecturer in Net Zero at the University of Manchester. 

Dr Johanna Forster worked on the NERC-funded FAB-GGR project as a senior research associate, leading work on stakeholder elicitation on the key issues and feasbility of BECCS and afforestation (Forster et al, 2020). Dr Forster is now an Associate Professor in School of Global Development at UEA.

Previous Postgraduate Researchers

Dr Tom S. Ball Modelling the drivers of land availability for Afforestation and BECCS. (NERC 2018-2022) Primary Supervisor: Dr Nem Vaughan. Supervisory panel members: Prof Andrew Lovett, Dr Tom Powell (Exeter) and Prof Tim Lenton (Exeter).

Dr Emma W. Littleton Evaluating afforestation for Carbon Dioxide Removal using a dynamic global vegetation model. (NERC 2012-2016). Primary Supervisor: Dr Nem Vaughan. Supervisory panel members: Prof Manoj Joshi and Prof Corinne Le Quere.

Dr Rob Bellamy Public participation in the social appraisal of climate geoengineering proposals. (Charitable donation 2010-2014). Primary supervisor Dr Jason Chilvers. Supervisory panel members: Dr Nem Vaughan and Prof Tim Lenton (Exeter).

I lead a first-year module - Our World - exploring global environmental challenges, which is a complusory module for all our undergraduate degrees in Geography and Environmental Sciences. 

I co-lead a Masters module, Pathways to Net Zero, which is available to students on our MSc Environmental Sciences, MSc Climate Change and MSc Environmental Assessment & Management programmes as well as our four year Integrated Masters degrees. 

I also teach on ENV-5003A Climate Change Science & Policy and ENV-5022B Energy Transitions.

I am Course Director for BSc Geography. 

I supervise undergraduate and masters projects on a range of topics relating to climate change, energy, food and net zero.