Three new Trinity projects to address climate challenges

Posted on: 19 June 2025

The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.

The funding, which ranges from around €580,000 to €660,000 for the three projects, will be used to support research that aims to:

• predict and assess the future noise environment in Ireland (Dr Kennedy, School of Engineering) – read more here.
• transform bio-waste into graphene materials that capture carbon (Prof. Schmitt, School of Chemistry and AMBER Research Ireland Centre)
• develop long-term systems for monitoring the impacts of climate change on health in Ireland (Mr Chersich, School of Medicine, working on a Children’s Health Ireland study)

Dr John Kennedy, who will lead project Noise 2050, said: “The EPA’s support for Noise 2050 enables us to harness cutting-edge acoustic modelling, sensor networks, and citizen science to map and predict Ireland’s evolving soundscape through to 2050. By combining real-time data analytics with community-driven monitoring, we can deliver targeted noise reduction strategies that support public health, inform smart policymaking, and foster quieter, more liveable cities and rural areas.

“This project recognises the need to deliver a healthier environment which is enabled by innovation, grounded in science, and shaped by the people it serves.”

Prof. Schmitt thanked the EPA and said: "This EPA funding enables us to develop novel porous, carbon-based adsorbents for the efficient, cyclic capture and release of atmospheric CO₂. The project embodies the principles of a circular bioeconomy by transforming biowaste into high-value carbon materials for direct air capture (DAC) technologies. These advanced materials not only help remove existing atmospheric CO₂ but may also support the development of a circular carbon economy in Ireland by creating a pure, reusable carbon commodity."

"The project also enables collaboration with Professor Jonathan Coleman and his team at the School of Physics, leveraging their pioneering methods for producing functionalised, porous 2D nanomaterials - such as graphene, from graphite sources."

Matthew Chersich, one of the leads on the Climate Change in Ireland (CHI) project, saidt: "The EPA funding will enable us to characterise the relationships between climate exposures and health outcomes in Ireland and identify the highest-risk populations and climate hazards to target. The project also will provide a baseline for assessing trends in health impacts and the effectiveness of adaptation responses. All activities together set the stage for long-term tracking systems, essential for a systematic, coherent and coordinated response to the climate crisis in Ireland."

"Within a wider context, the project will contribute to broader efforts to ensure Ireland takes its place at the forefront of the climate response globally. Lastly, what is especially novel about this project is that it brings researchers from across Trinity, together with leading experts in the HSE, UCD, Queens University in Northern Ireland and a climate and the Wits Planetary Health Division in South Africa."

Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment, said: “The increased scale of research funding being announced by the EPA in 2025 reflects the critical role that research and innovation play in addressing climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity decline.

"This new EPA funding will help develop innovative solutions to support Ireland’s response to these challenges. Congratulations to the successful researchers and I look forward to hearing more about these exciting projects in the years ahead.”

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