Lisa Emberson

Lisa Emberson is the Centre Director of the York office at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and a Professor of Environmental Science in the Environment & Geography Dept., at the University of York. She has over 20 years’ experience in the field of modelling soil-plant systems for assessment of the risk of impacts of air pollution and climate change on agriculture (arable and grassland productivity), forest productivity and the functioning of productive grasslands. More recently, she has been developing plant modelling methods capable of integrating Earth Observation data to improve impact assessments for global vegetation. She has also been working with AgMIP (the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project) to develop ensemble model applications to understand the role of air pollution and climate change on future crop supply under a range of future atmospheric environments and climate change.

Since joining SEI she has developed research activities in Africa, Asia and Latin America investigating the effects of a range of air pollutants (SO2, NOx, O3, SPM and fluorides) and climate change on both agro- and forest ecosystems with a view to investigating the subsequent impacts on social and economic systems. She also continues to have an active research role in Europe, developing deposition methodologies for use within the UNECE Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution Convention. This research has been instrumental in developing flux based Critical Levels to guide emission reduction policy across Europe. She has been involved in a UNEP global assessment to assess the efficacy of measures to control short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) (black carbon and ozone) to the benefit of climate, human health and agricultural productivity, she sits on the Scientific Advisory Panel of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. She was also lead author on the European air quality policy chapter in UNEPs Global Environment Outlook report (GEO5). She is author of over 50 referred journal papers, and many articles, reports and book chapters and lectures on ‘land use change & management’ and ‘environmental health’ in the Environment & Geography Dept. of the University of York.