Research

The Grantham Institute aims to drive highly collaborative climate and environment-related research that has a real-world impact. The Institute harnesses the tremendous strengths of world-class researchers from Imperial College London’s four main areas – engineering, natural sciences, medicine and business – and external partners to address climate change and environment related issues. The impact-focused nature of this research ensures it is influential in informing fundamental understanding of climate processes to environmental impacts, mitigation technologies and policies.

Our work

Earth from space, with sun showing behind

Climate Science

Understanding the processes underpinning our planet’s climate is fundamental to predicting future change. Research focuses on expanding our knowledge of the oceans and atmosphere and the way in which these systems influence one another, forming the basis for more accurate climate models. Evaluating the confidence that can be placed in these projections is also crucial to devising effective policies.

image of a rockpool, seeing below and above the water

Earth and Life Sciences

Climate and environmental change will affect ecosystems, resources, and natural events such as disasters across the globe. Research at Imperial ranges widely across earth and life sciences to understand the processes that drive them, and identify, quantify and analyse the potential impacts. Such knowledge can ultimately help to predict the effects of environmental change and inform decisions relating to adaptive measures.

offshore wind turbines against an orange sky

Energy and Low-Carbon Futures

Technologies have the potential to deliver efficient, low-carbon, resilient energy systems, transport and buildings. Imperial’s involvement in large-scale experiments, demonstration projects, and national research programmes are expected to help the UK advance its low-carbon industries and successfully bring about a low-carbon future with clean and accessible energy and technologies.

Research themes 2

piles of coins with green shoots growing over them

Economics and Finance

Economics underpins many of the ways that human society views the earth’s resources, and the financial value that decision-makers place on environmental protection can influence behaviour. Research investigates the impact of sustainable investment, financial incentives, and policies like carbon taxes or emission trading schemes.
scientists with equipment to monitor water at the side of a lake in mountainous-looking country

Resources and Pollution

The earth has a finite supply of naturally occurring resources, which human society uses for its own advancement and development. Research here looks to quantify the environmental implications of our need for resources like water, food, raw materials and chemicals, and how to meet this demand sustainably.

woman wearing a air filter mask in a city street

Health

Environmental change poses a major challenge to human health in many parts of the world. Drawing on expertise from across the College and beyond, work focuses on understanding the mechanisms that drive environmental change and tracking their impact on human health.

Featured projects

Explore our projects spanning scientific research, policy and business.

Beach littered with plastic pollution

Plastic pollution in the ocean

At the Grantham Institute, we study the sources, impact and solutions to plastic in the ocean.
Cover of the IPCC report

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C

Important work is being done at universities like Imperial to broaden and strengthen the knowledge base to guide climate policymaking.
Queen's Tower at Imperial, with yellow flowers

Greening Imperial

The Grantham Institute is leading Greening Imperial, a cross-campus and community initiative calling for action on climate change and sustainability.
Graphic showing symbols to represent EVs and petrol vehicles

Climate impact of electric vehicles

This infographic shows how much of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is produced by driving an electric car one kilometre.
Graphic showing different technologies

Next-generation climate mitigation technologies

This infographic shows 18 early-stage technologies that all have the potential to make significant contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Girl working in a laboratory

Centre for Cleantech Innovation

The Centre for Cleantech Innovation supports innovators and entrepreneurs to develop solutions for a sustainable and resilient low-carbon future.
Graphic showing different types of batteries

Energy storage technologies

Explore our work on energy storage technologies.
Shanghai cityscape with aerial view of the motorways

China and Global Energy Governance

A joint project with China’s Energy Research Institute (ERI) and the NDRC on the role of China in global energy governance.
Alyssa Gilbert sitting at a table looking thoughtful

Imperial College London at COP25

Find out about our activities at the UN Climate Change Conference 2019 (COP25) in Madrid.
Landscape image of a fjord with a boat

Ring of Fire Project

The study is the first to characterise the impacts of climate change on multi-species systems at such an unprecedented scale.
Factory in the sunset

AVOID 2

AVOID 2 is a research programme that provides key advice to the UK Government on climate change issues
Andes glacier

Sustainable water resources management

Wouter Buytaert and his team are developing water resources models and tools.