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Changing policy

  • We contributed the largest number of scientists to the first working group of the latest IPCC assessment report, published in summer 2021.
  • The University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robert Van De Noort, sits on the Universities UK Task and Finish Group on Climate Change.

Promoting renewable energy


Communicating and engaging

  • We are the home of the warming stripes, which communicate more than a century of rising temperatures due to climate change in a single, striking image. The stripes have been downloaded and shared millions of times, lit up national landmarks, and featured in a major animated film.
  • We're pioneering new ways of engaging the public in environmental action, communicating risks to policymakers using a 'storylines' approach, and exploring environmental themes through art.

The Walker Institute

The University of Reading's interdisciplinary climate research centre, The Walker Institute, supports the development of climate-resilient societies through research-led projects and collaboration with communities.
  • The Rain Watch Project collects and analyses rainfall data in sub-Saharan Africa, providing access to usable climate information for agricultural communities.
  • ClimTip is an EU/UKRI-funded consortium focusing on tipping points in the Sahel region of Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • The Climate Health in Africa Integrated Risk Research project looks at tropical diseases impacted by climate change in Malawi.
  • TREETOPS looks at the resilience of restored forests in Uganda.

Teaching and research

Find out more about the University of Reading's climate change research

We're green in all sorts of ways
People & Planet University League
1st in the People & Planet University League 2023/24
The Times and Sunday Times, Good University Guide 2025, Sustainable University of the Year
The Times and Sunday Times, Good University Guide 2025, Sustainable University of the Year
The Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education 2021
Queen's Anniversary Prize for climate research and action
London Higher
Winner of Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Leadership, London Higher Award 2024
Times Higher Education Awards 2023
Winner of Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership