Research Buckinghamshire New University has contributed to on the impact of effectively utilising natural resources has played a part in international action to mitigate climate change, including protecting 200,000 hectares of forest in Romania and 400,000 hectares in Ghana.

Professor Florin Ioras, Director of Enterprise and Research, says research he has led has resulted in changes in government policy and the protection of forests in Malaysia, Romania, and Ghana.

Bucks New University has worked with Transilvania University of Brașov, in Romania; University Putra Malaysia; and Kumasi Technical University in Ghana, on the work.

It has led to:

- A £2.5 million investment in decarbonisation in rubberwood sawmilling in Malaysia;

- The protection of 200,000 hectares of forest in Romania and 400,000 hectares in Ghana;

- Governments in Malaysia, Ghana, and Romania amending policies to protect the environment and developing carbon mitigating plans.

Prof Ioras said Bucks researchers were enlisted to monitor positive climate efforts in forests and forestry in the three counties and to recommend ways to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation programmes in Ghana and Romania.

He said: “We were extremely proud to support this vitally-important work.

“Since 2012 we have helped underpin the three countries' efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and foster conservation, the sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks. 

“Our research demonstrated that decarbonisation approaches in the wood-related sector, combined with effective measures of biomass, can lessen climate change impacts.”

The governments in Malaysia, Ghana, and Romania amended policies to motivate landowners and wood-based resource users to include mandatory monitoring reporting and verification criteria.

“This research underpinned a natural resources-based climate mitigation scheme, resulting in the investment of an additional £1.4 million in decarbonisation initiatives.”

Prof Ioras added: “This is clearly a pertinent issue for the world and to see these countries actually adopt new policies thanks to our research is gratifying and humbling.

“We also analysed the economic and policy strategies required to motivate landowners to undertake efforts for mitigation in forests and also to address issues further down the wood value chain.

“We appreciate that wood has a price but we feel it’s a small price compared to the future of a safe and healthy world and our forests are a vital part of this. Our work will help to preserve forests in Romania and Ghana for generations to come.”

The research from Bucks New University involved Prof Ioras, senior lecturer Diron Festeu, and Research Fellow Iona Dutca.

The work was coordinated by pressure group World Bank and FACCE ERA-GAS, which pulls together a range of organisations to support environmentally-friendly work.

On the work on decarbonisation around tourism, Prof Ioras said: “Tourism cannot be considered sustainable unless it can be eventually decarbonised to a level consistent with a net-zero economy.

“Closing the emissions gap represents a major challenge and opportunity for future tourism development.

“Decarbonisation of the sector relies on technology, management, and social innovation, as well as new partnerships, and far-reaching policies and regulations.”

Bucks is also part of decarbonisation work around coastal tourism in European islands including Cyprus, Malta, Crete, and Madeira, as well as the UK, and West Indies.

The work is part of Soclimpact, part of Horizon 2020, which is looking in to the effect climate change could have on the economies of islands in the European Union.

It is examining how European islands and archipelagos will react to climate change from 2030-2100.

The project is focused on the economies of the Baltic islands, Malta, Sardinia, Madeira, Cyprus, Sicily, Crete, Corsica, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, West Indies, and the Azores.

It is led by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and includes universities from Spain, Germany, the West Indies, France, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Malta.