UK-Finland Sustainability Knowledge Exchange 19-21 October 2020

1. Circular Bioeconomies:
Most relevant UKCEH research
Dr Claus Svendsen
Science Area Head - Pollution
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
OUTLINE:
• UKCEH Overview
• Examples of Projects:
1) Waste to land – resource recycling
2) Bio Energy Crops
3) Land Sharing vs Land Sparing
• Future challenges and opportunities
UK-Finland Sustainability Knowledge
Exchange: Circular Economy
21 October 2020

2. UK’s centre for excellence in environmental science
across water, land and air
500 scientists, across four UK sites, delivering:
Environmental science for a world where people and
nature prosper
Capabilities: research, field surveys, monitoring,
laboratories, data management, statistical analysis,
modelling, impact studies, expert advice & reporting
Large Number of Active Field Sites: 130 terrestrial,
33 freshwater, 88 lowland habitats, 44 upland
habitats, 10 sites overseas
Six Science Areas:
UKCEH at a glance
Dr Claus Svendsen
Science Area Head - Pollution

3. Our impact (Circular Bioeconomies)
Biodiversity:
• Species monitoring and modelling informs UK,
European and global policies on biodiversity.
• Agricultural field studies help farmers to optimise
food production while protecting pollinators.
Pollution:
• Our research provides the scientific knowledge and
methodologies that underpin chemical risk
assessment and contributes to system-wide
transformations in chemical management.
Soils and land use:
• Our soils and land use science prevents and reverses
land degradation and informs international
standards for greenhouse gas inventories.
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4. Project examples
Waste to land - benefits and risks:
Resource recycling (Organic matter and nutrients)
• Waste water treatment sludge, Animal manure,
Biogas digestate, Food and garden waste compost
Issues of managing co-contaminants
• Metal, Pharmaceuticals, Veterinary medicines, Biocides,
(micro)plastics
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5. Project examples
Waste to land - benefits and risks:
Knowing and managing the risks
• E.g. Waste treatment end products going to land
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6. Project examples
Waste to land - benefits and risks:
Knowing and managing the risks
• E.g. Waste treatment end products going to land
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7. Project examples
Waste to land - benefits and risks:
Knowing and managing the risks
• E.g. Waste treatment end products going to land
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8. Project examples
Waste to land - benefits and risks:
Knowing and managing the risks
• E.g. Waste treatment end products going to land
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9. Project examples
Bioenergy life-cycle greenhouse
gas balance:
Balancing gains and losses from Land use change
• Where to plant to maximise benefits?
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10. Project examples
Bioenergy life-cycle greenhouse
gas balance:
Balancing gains and losses from Land use change
• Where to plant to maximise benefits?
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11. Project examples
Bioenergy life-cycle greenhouse
gas balance:
Balancing gains and losses from Land use change
• Where to plant to maximise benefits?
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Building
understanding:
Translation of many
field measurements
into process based
model outputs

12. Project examples
Bioenergy life-cycle greenhouse
gas balance:
Balancing gains and losses from Land use change
• Where to plant to maximise benefits?
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Predictive modelling:
Spatial modelling of
greenhouse gas emissions
from land‐use change to
energy crops: 2015-2050

13. Project examples
ASSIST Environmental Planner:
Help farmers and other land mangers identify the
most suitable places for different environmental
management options.
E-Planner tool calculates
environmental factors
(e.g. proximity to
watercourses, south
facing slopes or
shading) affecting
suitability of land for
different options.

14. Project examples/
Future Challenges
Remediating degraded Malaysian
Oil Palm Plantations:
Applying what we know to different issues worldwide.
Lower Kinabatangan, Borneo

15. Project examples/
Future Challenges
Remediating degraded Malaysian
Oil Palm Plantations:
Applying what we know to different issues worldwide.
Lower Kinabatangan, Borneo

16. Future Challenges &
Collaboration opportunities
Applying what we know to different issues
worldwide, considering how factors interrelate
Our science underpins
progress towards
meeting these UN
Sustainable
Development Goals: