Research
UK research aimed at contributing to sustainable solutions to climate change falls broadly into three areas: research on the science of climate change; research on the impacts of climate change and adaptation to climate change; and research on mitigation responses to climate change. These are some of the main organisations with a specific focus on climate change research.

Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research
The Hadley Centre is the UK Government centre for research into the science of climate change. It’s a branch of the UK’s Meteorological Office and its main role is to advance our understanding of the processes that control and determine the Earth’s climate.

Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
The work of the Tyndall Centre focuses on seeking, evaluating and facilitating sustainable solutions to climate change and motivating society through promoting informed and effective dialogue.

UK Climate Impacts Programme
The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) provides scenarios that show how our climate might change and co-ordinates research on dealing with our future climate. It shares this information, free of charge, with organisations in the commercial and public sectors to help them prepare for the impacts of climate change.

United Kingdom Energy Research Centre
A new centre which will provide a focus for research into sustainable energy systems in the UK, and for co-operation between the UK and researchers from other countries.

Government
The UK Government (which includes national government, the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales, as well as regional and local government) has responsibility for policy making on all aspects of climate change. Other public bodies also have roles in regulating activities or stimulating action on climate change.

The UK’s Energy White Paper
This White Paper aims at a radical rethink of energy policy in the UK. Because energy requires very long-term investment it looks ahead to 2050. It sets out challenges we face in terms of climate change, the decline of the UK indigenous energy supplies and the need to fundamentally update the existing energy infrastructure. It then sets out the policies that are needed over the next 20 years and beyond to meet these challenges.

Many issues are left unresolved by the White Paper though. For example, nuclear power is not directly proposed as a solution, but neither is it ruled out. This has left environmental groups concerned that nuclear power lobby groups may succeed in presenting it as a solution.

There has been general support for the White Paper and what it is trying to set out, particularly for the UK Government’s very ambitious long-term 60 per cent goal for carbon reduction. However, there have been criticisms that it is rather light on how and what policies are going to achieve the ‘hopes and wishes’ for the future that are expressed in the paper. The ideas and thinking are there but we’re still missing the ways of actually carrying out plans to achieve these aims.

UK Climate Change Programme
The UK Government’s efforts toward reducing emissions of greenhouse gases were initially heavily focused around the UK Climate Change Programme. This sets out the ways in which the government intends to use policy initiatives to deliver its Kyoto Agreement target cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5%.

The Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust has been set up the UK Government as part of the UK Climate Change Programme. Its purpose is to provide a way of recycling proceeds from the climate change levy (a tax on companies that use fossil fuels) to provide a co-ordinated programme of support for businesses investing in energy saving technology and practices. For example, the Action Energy Programme provides independent and impartial advice for businesses.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
Many non-governmental organisations are involved in campaigning on climate change issues and in project work geared towards climate change responses. Many of them work internationally and you can read about some of their work here.

Greenpeace-UK
Non-profit, independent, campaigning organisation that uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems.

Friends of the Earth
Federation of autonomous environmental organisations campaigning on environmental and social issues.

Oxfam
Development, relief and campaigning organisation dedicated to finding lasting solutions.

World Wide Fund for Nature
Conservation organisation with a mission to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

The Climate Group
Building a leadership coalition of organisations committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

You can find out about other research organisations, government departments and NGOs that campaign and work on climate change issues in the Science Briefing Sheet on Climate Change: the UK’s role in a global challenge.