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New 'Environment Centre Wales' opened

15 February 2008

A new £7m centre of excellence for environmental science was officially opened in Bangor today by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

Dr Bridget Emmett, head of site for CEH Bangor (left) introduces Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Betty Williams (MP for Bangor), right, to Robert Mills, a PhD student with CEH

'Environment Centre Wales' brings together the scientific expertise of NERC's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and Bangor University. Housed in a new, purpose-built laboratory on the university campus, the centre will allow CEH and University staff to work together more closely to provide a focal point for environmental research and training in Wales.

Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University, Professor Merfyn Jones said, "This new £7m project represents the largest concentration of scientists working on environmental issues in Wales. With around 80 Bangor University scientists and 40 scientists from CEH we are well placed to make a major contribution towards resolving some of the great environmental challenges facing the world today.

"We are also proud to be associated with NERC in this venture, knowing that together we are providing world-class environmental science."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Bangor MP Betty Williams with Professor Alan Thorpe, NERC Chief Executive, at the centre's official opening

Professor Alan Thorpe, Chief Executive of the Natural Environment Research Council said, "With changes in the global climate and increasing pressures on natural resources, our world is facing some tough challenges in the years ahead. The NERC research community is striving to provide the knowledge that will enable the solutions needed to tackle these challenges. At the same time we are playing our part in reducing our own environmental footprint. This partnership goes some way to achieving these goals. The Environment Centre Wales not only provides state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and equipment to do the research, but also benefits from a range of features that will reduce the building's environmental impact. I am delighted that our vision for this centre is now a reality."

The new centre brings together and builds on the strengths of the two organisations. It provides fresh opportunities for research spanning the boundaries of terrestrial, freshwater and marine sciences, to develop new approaches to managing both the land and sea in a sustainable way.

Additional funding has been invested to ensure this building demonstrates many aspects of environmental and sustainable construction.

Dr Bridget Emmett, Head of the CEH site at Bangor said, "This Centre is built with the environment in mind. For example, photovoltaic panels have been installed to generate electricity from sunlight, ground-source heat pumps air-condition the building using minimal energy and at low cost, and a rainwater recovery system is used to reduce dependency on mains water supply."

Exterior view of the Environment Centre Wales building

The design also addressed the needs and wishes of the people who work in the building. Results from a staff survey indicate that natural light, better ventilation, improved storage areas, modern equipment and an environment that would encourage interaction between the CEH and University staff were all important factors to be taken into consideration. The final design was commended by the Design Commission of Wales.

Further information

Elinor Elis-Williams
Press Office
Bangor University
Tel: 01248 383298

Barnaby Smith
Press Office
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Mob: 07920 295384

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

Notes

1. The Natural Environment Research Council funds world-class science, in universities and its own research centres, that increases knowledge and understanding of the natural world. It is tackling major environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity and natural hazards. NERC receives around £400m a year from the government's science budget, which is used to provide independent research and training in the environmental sciences.

2. The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) is the UK's Centre of Excellence for research in the land and freshwater environmental sciences. CEH is a wholly-owned research centre of the Natural Environment Research Council and employs around 500 staff at six major sites in England, Scotland and Wales with an overall budget of about £35m. CEH science covers three core areas of expertise, Biodiversity, Water and Biogeochemistry with a major cross-cutting activity focusing on Environmental Informatics. CEH tackles complex environmental challenges through integrated research, aiming to deliver practicable solutions to help preserve our environment for future generations.

3. Bangor University has a strong research base across a spectrum of academic disciplines engaging in research at national and international levels and continues to develop academic specialisms which have a world-wide impact. The University provides strong support for research activities including encouraging links with commercial and industrial bodies in the UK and overseas. The University also aims to be responsive to local and regional needs and is particularly conscious of its role as a research resource and a training base for North Wales.

4. The Building
Purpose built, completed in 2007 and complying with the highest environmental assessment rating from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) for its design and construction elements.

The BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is one of the world's leading systems for assessing the range of environmental impacts associated with buildings. From the outset, the goal was to achieve an 'Excellent' rating for its design, which uses 'A' grade materials, energy efficiency measures, natural light and renewable energy technologies. Examples are:

• The Photovoltaic panels installed to generate electricity from sunlight.
• Ground-source heat pumps that heat the building using minimal energy.
• A rainwater recovery system is used to reduce demands on mains water supply.
• A combined heat and power plant increases the efficiency of the use of fossil fuels for heating and hot water.
• The landscaped site uses native trees, shrubs and grass mixture, to provide a positive environment for both people and local wildlife.

5. The Science
Located within the University campus, the centre brings together 120 environmental scientists and students from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and Bangor University, whose combined scientific knowledge and experience will cut across traditional scientific boundaries. This innovative way of working helps find solutions for the environmental problems we face. Areas we will be focusing on include:

1. Transfers and impacts of nutrients and contaminants from the mountains to the sea: Our land, rivers and coastal areas are closely connected but have traditionally been studied and managed separately. ECW will bring together scientists who specialise in the flows of carbon, nutrients and contaminants within and between these different ecosystems and develop modelling approaches to predict future trends with a particular focus on climate change.
2. Molecular Ecology and Evolution: ECW will provide a common technology platform and range of expertise on molecular technologies, such as gene sequencing, genetic fingerprinting and genomics to address questions about the impact of man-made and natural environmental change on organisms in these different environments. The fact that genetic diversity can be examined in all biota, will allow integration of research effort across traditional taxonomic boundaries.
3. Management of resources: Our focus will be on identifying the drivers and consequences of changes in resource management in low production but heavily exploited systems. Key developments to be evaluated include new systems of land management including agri-environment schemes, catchment-sensitive farming, novel crop systems and increased tree cover and their sustainability under a changing climate and air pollution. This will involve the integration of our first two science areas with socio-economic expertise to identify impacts on human users and key resources such as soils and water.

Press release: 07/08

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