Wind turbine in silhouette Jason Blackeye on Unsplash
LSE is delighted to announce that the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment has been awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its excellence and innovation.
The Prizes are the highest national honour that a further and higher educational institution in the UK can receive. They recognise work carried out by UK universities and colleges which showcases quality and innovation and delivers real benefit to the wider world through education and training.
The prize winners were announced at a reception at St James’ Palace on Thursday 25 November 2021.
The Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment was described as playing, “a leading international role in the economics, investment policy and legislation essential for the implementation of practical measures to address climate change.”
The Institute was established in 2008 to create a centre for policy-relevant research and training on climate change and the environment, bringing together international expertise on economics, finance, geography, the environment, international development and political economy.
It combines academic excellence and policy relevance to provide decision-makers in the public, private and third sectors with the tools to effectively manage climate change and other environmental challenges, and to promote sustainable development and growth around the world.
Baroness Minouche Shafik, Director of LSE, said: “This is a wonderful honour and tremendous achievement for the Institute, and I congratulate all my colleagues whose contributions earned this recognition. I am very proud of the work they are undertaking to build a more sustainable future for all of us, by employing innovative research and analysis to inform decision-making about climate change across the world.”
Prof Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said: “This is the world’s defining decade for tackling climate change. The Grantham Research Institute is providing critical research, analysis, insights, and engagement on many of the most urgent challenges we face. We feel greatly honoured that the contributions of our people have been recognised with the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.
“We will continue to provide analysis and research to help public understanding of the crucial issues and to help the public, businesses, governments, and international institutions with the research and analysis they need to make better informed decisions towards achieving sustainable, resilient and inclusive development and to meeting the Paris Agreement, the Glasgow initiatives, and the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Prof Elizabeth Robinson, director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said: “The science is now settled that the world is warming as a result of human activity and it is increasingly apparent that the impacts are already gravely serious for people all over the world. There has never been a greater need for robust and evidence-based research and analysis on the economics, finance and policies of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
“The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment is recognised as a leader in this field. We are pleased that governments and institutions across the world continue to draw on our expertise in devising and implementing their climate policies and investment strategies. I am very proud that the work of colleagues across the Grantham Research Institute is being recognised with the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.”
The Grantham Research Institute’s areas of specialism include: understanding risk and setting climate ambitions; climate policies with multiple market failures; adaptation and resilience of countries, communities, and companies; and paving the way towards a just transition to a net zero economy. Expertise covers new approaches to sustainable development through an improved understanding of how people make decisions and behave with respect to nature, and how natural systems are affected by development activities. Grantham teams are well known for their deep engagement with governments, private sector and international institutions; insights into climate litigation and governance; climate finance for lower-income countries; and greening the financial system and central banks.
The activities of the Grantham Research Institute are funded by the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and a number of other sources.
The Prizes are granted by The Queen every two years. Entries are subjected to rigorous specialist and technical assessment through a process managed by the Royal Anniversary Trust, a charity independent of government. Recommendations for HM The Queen’s approval are made on the Prime Minister’s advice.