Focus Areas
What kind of challenges can you bring?
We welcome climate-related challenges from industry and other organisations, including those linked to mitigation, adaptation, resilience and just transition. Questions might focus on:
- Understanding climate risks, impacts or uncertainty
- Exploring technological, nature-based or operational solutions
- Navigating economic, social or policy aspects of transition pathways
- Addressing data, modelling or evidence gaps
- Testing assumptions or identifying collaboration needs
- Informing strategy or investment decisions
We encourage technically focused, exploratory or cross-disciplinary questions that push the boundaries of current capability and will benefit from academic expertise and fresh perspectives.
Example questions:
- What are the most effective pathways for reducing emissions in [sector/process] given regulatory and economic constraints?
- How can we measure and communicate the climate and biodiversity impacts of our products or operations?
- What adaptation strategies are most relevant for managing climate risk in our supply chain?
- How can digital tools, data or AI support better climate-related decision-making?
Guidance on shaping a strong submission is available in Creating your questions. The AIMday team is happy to support you in refining your challenge.
Focus Areas
Organisations will submit questions, not solutions, under one (or more) themes. These themes are believed to be broad enough to attract diverse organisations but focused enough to match academic capability.
1. Climate Risk, Impacts & Adaptation
Understanding and responding to physical and transition risks from climate change.
Example focus areas
- Climate risk assessment and management
- Scenario analysis
- Extreme weather impact planning for flooding, heat and drought
- Climate hazard mapping
- Supply chain vulnerability and resilience
- Adaptation strategies for infrastructure, operations and communities
- Work place risk assessment in extreme heat
- Transport infrastructure planning
- Food and water security
Relevant Leeds strengths
Climate science, atmospheric and risk modelling, hydrology, holistic systems thinking, adaptation pathways, transport infrastructure planning, policy and governance.
2. Net Zero, Carbon Reduction & Accounting
Pathways to decarbonisation at organisational, sectoral or system level.
Example focus areas
- Emissions measurement, reporting and verification
- Scope 3 emissions and supply chains
- Decarbonisation technologies and operational changes
- Trade-offs, costs and uncertainty in net-zero pathways
Relevant Leeds strengths
Engineering, energy systems, carbon accounting, economics, data science, policy.
3. Water, Environment & Nature-Based Solutions
- Managing water and ecosystems under climate pressure.
Example focus areas - Industrial and urban water use, wastewater and reuse
- Flood risk management and catchment-scale approaches
- Biodiversity, ecosystem services and nature-based solutions
- Climate–water–energy–food interconnections
- Marine climate adaptation, paleoenvironments and marine biochemistry
Relevant Leeds strengths
Water engineering, ecology, environmental science, hydrology, glaciology, systems thinking, marine and freshwater ecosystems.
4. Data, Digital & AI for Climate Decision-Making
Using data and digital tools to inform climate action.
Example focus areas
- Climate data integration and uncertainty
- AI and digital tools for monitoring, forecasting and optimisation
- Decision-support tools for strategy and investment
- Challenges around data availability, quality and governance
Relevant Leeds strengths
Data science, AI, modelling, statistics, digital innovation.
5. Just Transition, Society & Policy
Ensuring climate action is fair, inclusive and socially robust.
Example focus areas
- Social and economic impacts of climate transition
- Skills, workforce and regional transitions
- Policy design and implementation challenges
- Behaviour change, engagement and public trust
Relevant Leeds strengths
Social sciences, economics, law, ethics, public policy, behavioural science.
6. Circular Economy, Materials & Sustainable Production
Reducing emissions and resource use through systemic change.
Example focus areas
- Circular business models and value chains
- Sustainable materials and manufacturing
- Life-cycle assessment and trade-offs
- Scaling innovations responsibly
Relevant Leeds strengths
Materials science, manufacturing, design, systems engineering, sustainability.
These are suggested themes, cross-cutting questions are also welcome.