The bid for funding was submitted by Dr Ian Duncan MEP and GCU Professor Rohinton Emmanuel to develop a set of standards to assist the creation, management and governance of green infrastructure projects with the aim of improving the use of green infrastructure to reduce emissions and improve human health.
One of the most effective ways of building urban green infrastructure is through urban planning, however planners require evidence-based assessment tools and best practices to aid their decision-making. This pilot project will develop protocols for the establishment of region/city specific assessment schemes specifically to aid climate change mitigation in cities.
Dr Ian Duncan MEP, a member of the Research (ITRE) Committee in the European Parliament, welcomed a crucial vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, which resulted in the award. “I want to see excellence in Scottish research recognised in the EU’s funding plans and I will continue to fight to bring as much of that funding as possible home to Scotland.”
The money for the project has been made available to the Environment Committee of the European Parliament by the European Commission, and each MEP was given the opportunity to submit project proposals which were voted on.
Professor Rohinton Emmanuel said: “We are delighted to be supported in translating our research into practical application for the benefit of urban communities. While the benefits of green infrastructure are well known, evidence-based tools and policies for its promotion, monitoring and implementation are not widely available. This project will develop protocols for an EU-wide deployment of urban green infrastructure that could act as a catalyst for enhanced urban sustainability and resilience at a time of major societal, economic and environmental change.”
Work at GCU in this area has included working with the Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership to develop a map of local temperature variations to help tackle the local overheating problem expected to worsen with climate change to 2050.
The Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership (GCVGNP) brings together the region’s eight local authorities as well as Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Government Housing and Regeneration Directorate, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Glasgow Centre for Population Health.
The Glasgow and Clyde Valley region is a significant regional component of the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN), a National Development in the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework.
Links