Research With Impact – Green Energy Project Shortlisted for Prestigious National Sustainability Award

The Climate SAFE Project, led by Professor Simon Pearson, Dr Amir Badiee and Dr Oscar Utomo, is one of three finalists in the ‘Research with Impact’ category. The project highlights the University’s continued commitment to sustainability and sector-leading research.

This year’s UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards Ceremony will be held at the Library of Birmingham on Thursday 6 November 2025 and is a celebration of the exceptional sustainability initiatives being carried out by colleges and universities throughout the country.

Climate SAFE is a collaborative project between the University of Lincoln and Pollybell Farm, and is funded by Innovate UK. It addresses the urgent challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from drained lowland peatlands, responsible for 3% of the UK’s total emissions, while enhancing agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

The project integrates energy crop production on rewet peat lands with green energy production through pyrolysis and sustainable food production in high-tech glasshouses. This innovative, circular system produces renewable energy, abates and sequesters carbon as biochar, and supports year-round high value food production.

Dr Amir Badiee, Project co-investigator for Climate SAFE said:

 “We are delighted that our Climate SAFE project has been recognised as a finalist for the 2025 UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards.

“This project shows how research and innovation can work hand-in-hand with agriculture to reduce emissions, protect our natural environment, and support farm productivity.

“We are proud to see the University of Lincoln leading the way in developing practical, scalable solutions to one of the UK’s most pressing climate challenges.”

The project demonstrates a system that integrates on-farm biomass production within a modern bowery to supply a glasshouse’s energy needs while producing food – crucially, removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits. For every square metre of operation, it achieves a net carbon saving equivalent to taking 216 grams of CO₂ out of the air.

To put this in context, growing approximately 200 hectares of energy crops could generate enough clean energy to run a one-hectare tomato glasshouse. That glasshouse would produce around 689 tonnes of tomatoes each year—while locking away approximately 220 tonnes of carbon annually. This shows how farming and food production can be reimagined to deliver both sustainable crops and lasting carbon benefits.

Climate SAFE enhances land-use efficiency, strengthens rural economies, and aligns with national strategies across agriculture, energy, and the environment. It exemplifies how regenerative land use can deliver food, energy, and environmental restoration in a single, scalable system, offering a replicable model for sustainable farming in the UK and beyond.

Jamie Smith, Project Manager for Climate SAFE said:

“Maintaining food production is absolutely vital for the resilience of UK farming businesses in a net zero world.

“As farmers, we have a responsibility not only to produce high-quality, sustainable food but also to adapt our systems so they actively contribute to tackling climate change.

“The Climate SAFE project demonstrates that it is possible to balance productivity with environmental responsibility, creating farming models that protect our soils, cut emissions, and support the long-term future of British agriculture.”

The Climate SAFE project takes place at Pollybell Farm, a diverse, organic farming business and part of the 5,000 acre Lapwing Estate, spread over the counties of Nottinghamshire, North Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire.

Climate SAFE builds on Lapwing’s DESNZ funded Greenhouse Gas Removal project ‘Reverse Coal’.

Find out more at www.reversecoal.co.uk