We are proud to be working with over 30 leading academic research organisations and consultancies as part of the Land Use for Net Zero (LUNZ) Hub. This three-year programme, co-funded by UKRI, Defra and DESNZ, brings stakeholders together to drive the transformation of UK land use to reach net zero goals by 2050, whilst also considering impacts on nature and people.

Together with UK Centre for Ecology and Hyrdrology (UKCEH), our Senior Consultant Star Molteno is co-leading the Net Zero Futures Platform for the LUNZ Hub. The Futures Platform will be co-developed with stakeholders’ scenarios to 2050 for the agriculture and land use sectors. The scenarios will explore the changes possible in the sector, and how these could be combined to deliver on goals for net zero, nature and people. 

By working collaboratively with stakeholders, the project aims to get a wide range of perspectives on the challenge, whilst working towards a common framework of understanding. This will be built over time through a series of in person and online workshops, co-developing pathways for change, modelling the impacts and, from this, discussing trade-offs required to reach the desired goals.  In particular, the project will work with groups of policy makers and stakeholders from each of the four UK nations, exploring their unique perspectives regarding aims for land use change and the opportunities within their country for delivering on this.

It’s been a great year for the LUNZ Hub, which has succeeded in bringing people and organisations together to discuss sustainable land use and its challenges – all before its first anniversary.

Earlier this year, we were delighted to have 34 UK organisations join us at the LUNZ Hub consortium meeting in Edinburgh to help explore different ways of reducing emissions across agriculture and land use.

There were plenty of interesting and innovative conversation starters, breakout rooms and activities, including a limerick competition.  Star Molteno designed and led an interactive session using Lego to stimulate conversations on trade-offs in delivering net zero. This ‘scenario game’ will soon be available on the LUNZ website for other groups to use in their own organisations.

The winning limerick in the limerick competition certainly caught our attention. It was written by another LUNZ Hub member, Georgie Barber of the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission (FFCC):

Our hubris in exploiting oil,

Has led to climate turmoil,

But answers replete,

Lie under our feet,

All hail the glories of soil!

The workshop helped open different perspectives and showed the value of communicating net zero initiatives in a variety of ways.

Find out more about the LUNZ Hub on their website and stay up to date on their projects by subscribing to their digital newsletter.