Tyndall Manchester project runner-up for research impact in Guardian University Awards
3 December 2020
The Setting City Area Targets and Trajectories for Emissions Reduction (SCATTER) project was recognised for helping set and develop carbon targets and policies
The SCATTER Project is a collaboration between Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, consultancy firm Anthesis, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). It builds on Tyndall's world-leading research into carbon emission reduction and carbon budgeting, which has calculated the total emissions which can be emitted at national, sectoral and sub-national levels, whilst limiting global average temperature increase to 2 °C, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
This resulted in the development of the SCATTER tools, which give local authorities, regions and organisations their own ‘carbon budget’ as a portion of the global total. By reducing a global-scale problem to local-scale solutions, for the first time, SCATTER helps our partners make meaningful, evidence-based changes to tackle climate change and helps them align their actions with our global commitments.
It has made many local authorities more ambitious in setting environmental targets; Greater Manchester, for example, has moved from aiming for 80% carbon reduction by 2050 to zero by 2038. Many, including West Midlands Combined Authority, Sheffield City Council and Leeds City Region, have also revised their long-term and short-term goals, using interim carbon budgets and setting annual percentage reduction targets.
Organisations including Electricity Northwest, Manchester City Football Club, Bruntwood and Manchester Housing Partnership have all revised their strategies to contribute to delivering Manchester’s new city-wide target on carbon reduction.
Professor Carly McLachlan, Director of Tyndall Manchester said: “Our team is delighted to be recognised for the work we have done to support local authorities in adopting climate change targets aligned with the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
"We continue to work with partners in local authorities in the UK, and in other nations, to both set targets and develop the projects and policies needed to deliver on them.”