Government advice
The National Centre for Atmospheric Science provides the UK with new and continued capability to build resilience to climate change, develop clean air, and provide early-warning systems for high-impact weather.
We have a track-record of advising government policy, and our Research and Innovation Strategy describes how we will continue to provide scientific evidence and inform decisions.
Policy experience
We have a strong track-record of informing government policy.
Our observation programme for ozone depleting substances supports stratospheric ozone assessments and strategies to phase-out of harmful trace gases that threaten the Antarctic and Arctic ozone holes. Our understanding of future atmospheric ozone concentrations, and their relationship with climate, directly influences government policy via inputs into the Montreal Protocol.
We steer government publications on issues such as the impact of net zero emissions on air quality and the risks of indoor air pollutants through leading the government’s Air Quality Expert Group, and we regularly give evidence to select committees and participate in ministerial meetings.
Our work has underpinned recommendations published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), been cited in Parliamentary select committees, and filtered upstream to the Cabinet Office.
Internationally, our scientists contribute to the International Panel for Climate Change assessment reports on the state of our climate. In 2018, five climate experts from across our organisation helped put together the sixth assessment report, which feeds into the Paris Agreement.