Take action for our trees, water and air
You can help tackle some of the biggest human and ecological challenges of the 21st century, by funding Birmingham’s research and climate action initiatives.
Teams of Birmingham researchers are conducting studies right now to better understand and tackle threats to our environment. They’re racing against the clock as temperatures and CO2 continue to rise, and as weather patterns become ever more volatile. You can help us make major contributions to understanding, mitigating and adapting to the impact.
Why support environmental research at Birmingham?
We’re working from the local to the global level, with research strengths in sustainable plastics, water security, ocean and air pollution, urban sustainability, the effects of atmospheric change on forests and much more. For example, the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) is generating and interrogating evidence showing that forests can be an incredible tool in carbon capture. Our Free Air Carbon-Dioxide Enrichment experiment (BIFoR-FACE) is the only facility in the northern hemisphere examining how trees will react to increased levels of carbon dioxide in our air. BIFoR's research will demonstrate optimal ways to manage woodlands, as well as ensuring that vital knowledge and skills are passed on to future generations of foresters. PhD student Anna Gardner led the UK's biggest investigation into the effects of climate change on trees; the findings suggest that they will increase their rate of photosynthesis in line with an increase in carbon dioxide, which could buy us a few more years to combat climate change.
We are a key partner in the new Forum for Global Challenges, to further translate raw research into real-world action, and we are part of the UN Race to Zero campaign.
What you can do
Your generous donation could enable researchers to:
- Help our trees and food crops handle climate change
- Stop plastics entering our oceans and food chain
- Help ensure that more children around the world have access to safe water
- Create and strengthen our collaboration with partners around the world
To start a conversation about the difference you could make for our environment, just get in touch.