New £800 million Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA) will have to evaluate how projects contribute to climate and environmental goals.
The ARIA Act creates a new independent research agency through which the Government aims to fund £800m of “high risk, high reward research” projects. However, the Bill was published without any mention of climate change or nature loss, leaving a real risk that projects could be funded without any consideration given to alignment with our climate and environmental goals.
Peers worked cross party (including with Peers with expertise in research and innovation) to secure assurances from Government that it will include climate reporting provisions within the ARIA Framework Document. The agency will now be required to consider and evaluate how the projects which it has funded have contributed to the achievement of our climate change targets and environmental goals.