Tyndall Vision Statement

Inspired by a group of leading researchers, The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research was established in 2000. The aim was to see ongoing scientific research support society in making a timely transition to a sustainable low-carbon future.

Governments worldwide have earned our recognition for agreeing to take action to hold “the increase in … temperature to well below 2°C … and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C” and we are proud that our research has contributed to informing and guiding this important and unprecedented objective.

The 2015 Paris Agreement has provided the backbone of resolve for the way forward, but can only be achieved by almost entirely moving away from the use of fossil fuels. This will involve a rapid transformation of the way in which we consume and supply energy, and it will demand global cooperation on a scale never seen before. Furthermore, it will require a drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from other activities such as forestry, agriculture, and industry.

The Paris Agreement presents a clear challenge for the research community: to find achievable pathways of global decarbonisation, without impeding prosperity, security and development. Efforts to tackle climate change must be broadened and should engage not only the highest levels of public policy but also a wide range of decision-makers in the private sector as well as those individuals contributing more broadly to our thriving civil society.

Governments should also be congratulated for having delivered a historic agreement on the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Tyndall Centre will apply its research to help transform the aspirations of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs into reality. To this end, the next five years will see our research and efforts focus on supporting key decisions and transformations in society.

We will support national and international public policy based on robust research. Increasingly decisions will be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors and increase people’s resilience to a changing climate. We will position ourselves to ensure that our research fully informs decision making within the UK, EU, and wider international fora. We will listen to the concerns of people outside of research, help advise on key issues, understand obstacles to effective public policy, and identify realistic and ambitious paths towards a low carbon future.

We will identify working solutions so that others will benefit from existing know-how. Which actions have been successful to date? Under what circumstances? Where are the obstacles? How can we best transfer knowledge rapidly? The capacity of the national and international society for mutual help and information sharing will be key in a rapid transformation to a low-carbon future. We will use our research expertise to gain insights and to win the trust and independence of academia in order to share these insights widely.

We will harness the benefits of climate change research for other social priorities. All transformations have winners and losers. Balancing the gains and risks will make a huge difference in how rapidly and fairly we can move to a low-carbon economy. We will put climate actions in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals that have the support of all countries

We will support a new generation of dynamic researchers. It is crucial that today’s researchers understand their expertise in the context of wider global and social perspectives. Researchers are pivotal in helping to deliver timely and equitable responses to contemporary challenges. We will provide the scope and support for new researchers to engage with the broadest possible perspectives, and then in turn learn from their experiences.

We will strive to revolutionise the way in which we do international research, in order to ensure that it is itself low-carbon. Our own research demonstrates the urgency with which society needs to make a low-carbon transition. In undertaking robust and innovative research we will endeavour to reduce our emissions in line with what our analysis suggests is necessary of others. Academia is not an exception and we need to lead by example, ‘Action Research’ lending credibility and trust to our analysis.


Above all, we will speak out about what we know concerning the risks and opportunities presented by climate change, in order that our research can best serve society.



We will support national and international public policy based on robust research. 
Increasingly decisions will be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors and increase people’s resilience to a changing climate. We will position ourselves to ensure that our research fully informs decision making within the UK, EU, and wider international fora. We will listen to the concerns of people outside of research, help advise on key issues, understand obstacles to effective public policy, and identify realistic and ambitious paths towards a low carbon future.

To find our more about our research strategy, click here.