UK Integrated Assessment Unit (IAU)

About

The IAU works closely with UK government departments, including Defra, the Department for Transport (DfT), and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), to provide the science that underpins national and international air pollution policy. Our focus is on strategies to protect human health and also natural ecosystems, and we collaborate strongly with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Our UK Integrated Assessment Model (UKIAM) is a central tool for exploring future scenarios of air pollution in the UK up to 2050. Adopted by Defra as a policy model, it has informed the development of national targets, such as reducing fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under the Environment Act, and strategies for achieving them. Internationally, we support the UK in negotiations under the UNECE Air Convention, including the Gothenburg Protocol on national emission ceilings.

Our research spans all sectors and connects with wider climate and energy challenges, including the role of new technologies and fuels such as hydrogen, as well as the impact of agriculture, land use, and behavioural change. We also have a strong focus on the future of road transport and the growing importance of shipping as land-based emissions decline.