Prestigious Haagen-Smit Prize awarded to Manchester Met academics
Academics from Manchester Met have been recognised with the highly regarded Haagen-Smit Prize, acknowledging a remarkable contribution to the field of air quality science and climate change.
The prize is designed to recognise outstanding papers with substantial impact published in Atmospheric Environment in the period 2015 – 2023, and is named in honour of Professor Arie Jan Haagen-Smit, a pioneer in the field of air pollution.
The 2024 winning research paper, titled ‘The contribution of global aviation to anthropogenic climate forcing for 2000 to 2018’, explores the various ways that aviation affects climate, beyond just CO2 emissions.
Contrail formation, nitrogen oxides and sulphate aerosol reflectivity all contribute to aviation’s detrimental influence on the Earth’s climate system, alongside carbon dioxide which is more commonly known.
The paper is a culmination of pioneering research from leading academics across the globe, led by Manchester Met’s David Lee, Professor of Atmospheric Science, Aviation and Climate Research Group Leader.
Prof. Lee worked alongside Professor Bethan Owen, Dr Ling Lim, Dr Ruben Rodriguez de Leon and Dr Agnieszka Skowron from Manchester Met, alongside other researchers worldwide.
Prof. Lee said: “It is a huge honour to see our collective work recognised with the prestigious Haagen-Smit prize. It was truly a pleasure to work on this paper with colleagues here at Manchester Met alongside other institutions worldwide.
“As a team of researchers, we are passionate about generating awareness of aviation’s growing impact on anthropogenic climate change through evidence-based findings. Our paper shines a light on the full effect of aviation emissions, beyond just CO2, and we’re incredibly pleased and honoured to see the traction it is gaining.”
Published in 2021, the paper involved expertise from Manchester Metropolitan University, NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, University of Oxford, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Peking University, University of Colorado, University of Leeds, Center for International Climate Research Oslo, National Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Michigan, University of California, Università dell’Aquila, University of Reading and the London Committee on Climate Change.
Roy Harrison, Chair of the Selection Committee at Atmospheric Environment and professor at University of Birmingham’s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, said: “The study is not only comprehensive in terms of mechanisms, but also in terms of timeframe as the whole period from 2000 to 2018 is modelled, allowing trends in aviation effects to be viewed.
“With more than 800 citations since publication in 2021, this paper has clearly had massive impact across both the academic and user communities. It has huge policy relevance by establishing the full climate impact of global aviation in context and facilitating an informed policy debate over mitigation options.”
