NERC-funded environmental data delivers benefits to national and regional governments, businesses, communities and critical national infrastructure, including:
- reducing the costs, risks and environmental impacts of housebuilding and infrastructure development
- enabling the UK to be a world leader in offshore wind energy while protecting key marine species and habitats
- increasing resilience to natural hazards, which cost the country billions of pounds each year
- driving international climate action and the UK’s journey to net zero
A unique offer
Decades of investment in data collection, curation, infrastructure, training and support services has delivered:
- data and collections: over 100 years of curated specimens, observations and measurements describing the environment and predicting environmental change
- NERC Environmental Data Service: providing stewardship, data tools, experts and training, focussed on delivering FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data
- data infrastructure including high performance computing: JASMIN, MonSoon2, Archer2, MAGEO
- skilled people: data experts and trained researchers
The five data centres that make up NERC’s Environmental Data Service are the custodians of over 16,000 datasets and 25,000GB of data. The centres support around 150,000 users including research, business, governments, education and the public.
New housing and infrastructure
NERC-funded data on conditions and hazards above and below ground reduce the costs, risks and environmental impacts of developments.
These nationwide datasets offer insights on geology, biodiversity and land use, as well as long-term observations and predictions of hazards and environmental change.
The data supports the economy and biodiversity by, for example:
Reducing the costs and risks of major construction works
For example:
- geological data reduced by 70% the need for in-tunnel testing for the new Farringdon Elizabeth Line station
- land use data enabled Severn Trent Water (see ‘UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’ document on Evaluation of NERC centres 2020: evidence submissions) to control pesticides at source, which meant a planned £4.1 million upgrade to a water treatment works was no longer needed
Delivering cheaper, more effective hazard risk assessment
For example:
- a contamination risk tool enabled Greater Manchester Combined Authority to rapidly assess risk for more than 3,000 potential housing sites on brownfield land
- long-term river flow data saves more than £5 million per year by facilitating preparation and scrutiny of flood risk assessments (see ‘UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’ document on Evaluation of NERC centres 2020: evidence submissions) required for new developments
Enabling cheaper, more effective action to meet environmental requirements such as 10% biodiversity net gain
For example, a data-driven tool saves £100,000s by automating identifying habitats and offset payments for protected great crested newts (see ‘UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’ document on Evaluation of NERC centres 2020: evidence submissions)
Offshore wind energy
NERC-funded marine environment and hazard data has enabled the UK to become a world leader in offshore wind energy while protecting key marine species and habitats.
Detailed mapping and long-term datasets include seabed conditions, waves, tides, marine hazards and protected species.
The data support coastal economic growth and jobs, net zero and biodiversity by, for example:
Enabling governments to select viable sites and robustly assess applications
For example:
- data-driven tools to assess impacts on seabirds are embedded in government planning and approval processes (see ‘UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’ document on Evaluation of NERC centres 2020: evidence submissions)
- marine mammal data informed Scottish Government decisions on multiple large windfarms off the Scottish east coast
Reducing costs, risks and uncertainty for developers
For example:
- data on seabed geology and marine hazards has helped optimise windfarm design and reduce construction risks, cutting the cost of developments such as Dogger Bank
- marine mammal data has been used in environmental impact assessment of 76% of UK capacity, saving millions of pounds
Boost biodiversity protection and compliance
For example, seabird data is integral to EDF and SSE’s (see ‘UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’ document on Evaluation of NERC centres 2020: evidence submissions) seabird monitoring plans agreed with regulators
Resilience to natural hazards
NERC-funded environmental records and predictions have helped to protect UK communities, businesses and infrastructure from natural hazards, which cost the UK billions of pounds each year.
The data includes nationwide records and predictions of natural hazards such as floods, subsidence and space weather.
The data increase resilience and avoid costs and harm by, for example:
Reducing risks and costs by helping governments and businesses to plan ahead
For example:
- geological risk data informs property purchases and lending decisions by the UK’s largest commercial lenders
- flood modelling data enables new infrastructure (see ‘UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’ document on Evaluation of NERC centres 2020: evidence submissions) to be designed to withstand major flood events, saving millions of pounds
- in response to space weather data the government included space weather in the UK national risk register, which drives government and business action to address risks
Enabling prompt, effective action before and during hazard events
For example:
- the UK Flood Forecasting Centre uses flood prediction data to provide real-time forecasts to governments and businesses
- tidal predictions tell the Environment Agency when to close the Thames Barrier (PDF, 230KB) to protect London’s 1.4 million people and £321 billion of property from flooding. The barrier has been closed 221 times in 40 years of operation
National and international climate action
NERC-funded climate measurement and prediction data underpin international climate negotiations and drive the UK’s journey to net zero.
The data include long-term measurements and modelling of the world’s climate system, climate change indicators and UK conditions.
Delivering compelling evidence of climate change and more accurate predictions, the datasets are central to keystone climate reports and tools such as:
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports
- UK climate projections
- UK climate change risk assessments
- climate stripes
These reports and tools support net zero, resilience and health by, for example:
Powering international action to reduce emissions and develop solutions for a greener economy
For example:
- IPCC reports are the basis for UN climate agreements. In total, 140 countries now have net zero targets, covering 88% of global emissions
- businesses worth 39% of global market capitalisation have emissions reduction targets aligned with the UN Paris Agreement
Driving UK action to adapt to the effects of climate change
For example:
- the UK Health Security Agency and Network Rail use the UK climate projections to reduce the impact of extreme high temperatures on the public, the NHS and rail infrastructure
- local authorities such as Bristol City Council use localised climate projections to adapt services and infrastructure to the effects of climate change
Top image: Credit: onuma Inthapong, E+ via Getty Images