Blue Planet Prize Story

One of Professor Jackson’s strongest current interests is the idea of "atmospheric restoration." The Paris Agreement sets the goal of mitigating global warming by limiting the average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. Thinking in these terms may make it hard for the general public to understand what the challenge is and how best to overcome it. The idea of restoring a damaged painting to a healthy condition, however, might make it easier to grasp the concept. Therefore, Professor Jackson believes it is important to consider the atmosphere from the viewpoint of "restoration."

Professor Jackson believes that reducing methane emissions is the first priority in restoring the atmosphere. This is because, as was pointed out above, the effect of methane reduction tends to be clear in a relatively short period of time. He describes three major approaches to atmospheric restoration. The first is to reduce sources of emissions, the second is to break methane down before it is released into the atmosphere, and the third is to remove methane from the atmosphere. Professor Jackson’s research team is advancing technology designed to capture methane in the atmosphere and convert it into less harmful gases, conducting surveys on methane leakage in homes, and working on global-scale identification of significant sources of methane emissions using satellites.

However, the amount of methane in the atmosphere is far smaller than the amount of carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is still very important to reduce carbon dioxide.

Since 2017, Professor Jackson has also served as Chair of the Global Carbon Project (GCP), which was established in 2001, in cooperation with several international organizations and support from the United Nations.

The GCP works with researchers around the world to quantify global greenhouse gas emissions from both natural environments such as oceans, forests, and wetlands, and emissions from human activities. While working to ascertain the overall condition of the environment, the GCP strives to accurately identify sources of emissions and methods of reducing them. The information obtained by the GCP has become an important foundation that has enabled many countries, companies, and institutions to work toward the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Professor Jackson has expanded his research. Over the past 10 years, he has conducted research in the built environment, such as oil and gas fields and cities. In the future, however, he has plans to conduct more research in natural environments. In addition to measuring methane concentrations in the Amazon, he is planning to measure methane concentrations in other areas in South America as well as in Africa. He also plans to conduct surveys on biodiversity and soil diversity in primeval forests in Europe and North America. The opportunity to further study both natural and built environments together is a welcome challenge for him.

Professor Jackson winds up with a message for young people:

"Young people may be anxious about their future when they see their world facing such a wide range of dangers. However, through the efforts of dedicated people working to make a better future, we have solved many problems and have made many improvements. For example, the global infant mortality rate has been reduced, and in many advanced economies, the quality of the atmosphere and water has been improved. And although there is still much to do, the number of people suffering from poverty around the globe has declined. The Montreal Protocol was established to protect the ozone layer, and this has led to billions of people around the world being protected from skin cancer and cataracts. The Clean Air Act was established in the United States to reduce air pollution, and its effects have saved several hundred thousand lives. Keeping these improvements in mind, I hope young people will believe in humanity’s ability to solve environmental problems and live with hope for a better future."