KTH professor named Frontiers Planet Prize International Champion
Zahra Kalantari, professor in Environmental Science and Engineering at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, has been named international champion of the prestigious Frontiers Planet Prize. Kalantari and the other two winners will each receive $1 million for their research, which was deemed to have the greatest potential to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges.
“This support will enable us to make a meaningful contribution toward a more sustainable and resilient future,” Kalantari says.
Now in its third year, the Frontiers Planet Prize recognises research with the greatest potential to solve the climate crisis. It is the world’s biggest prize for science-based breakthroughs to enable healthy lives on a healthy planet. Scientists from all over the world submit their entries, which are then judged by a jury of 100 international scientists led by Professor Johan Rockström.
Kalantari's winning paper looks at how nature-based solutions (NBS) in cities can not only capture carbon dioxide but help reduce human emissions from housing, transportation and industry by up to 25 percent.
“Cities hold immense untapped potential to fight climate change, if we let nature lead the way,” Kalantari says. “This prize funding will help us turn this evidence into action, supporting cities across Europe and beyond to design climate strategies that are not only effective and reduce emissions, but are also liveable and resilient.”
Joint undertaking
The paper, ”Contribution of prioritized urban nature-based solutions allocation to carbon neutrality”, was published in Nature Climate Change and was co-authored by researchers from Sweden, the U.S. and China. One of the co-authors is Jessica Page, a postdoctoral fellow at Stockholm University.
“This project has been a truly collaborative effort, connecting big chunks of research and modelling from specialists in different aspects of modelling NBS, cities and emissions reduction pathways. It’s very satisfying that we were able to piece it all together into something meaningful,” Page says.
Kalantari and her fellow researchers are already working with several cities and municipalities to integrate their research into an interactive tool. It will guide urban planners and decision-makers in the use of nature-based solutions to reduce emissions and improve urban resilience. In practice, the prize money will be used to expand and apply the research, support team members and bring on board new members with key competences.
“It’s an incredible honor to receive this recognition and support from the Frontiers Planet Prize and be named an International Champion,” Kalantari says. “At the same time, I recognise the great responsibility that comes with this important Prize. It motivates me to continue pioneering research on the various environmental challenges facing our society today.”
Text: Jon Lindhe ( jlindhe@kth.se )