In September 2025, members of the WM-Net Zero team travelled to New York to take part in a global meeting hosted by the Wellcome Trust. The event brought together researchers from the UK, the United States, and Japan who are all exploring how climate solutions can also improve health and wellbeing.
Across four days, the group shared ideas on how to make climate policies more effective—whether by reducing air pollution, improving home energy use, or making food systems more sustainable.
Professor Zongbo Shi opened the meeting by presenting WM-Net Zero’s work on how cleaner transport, healthier homes, and fairer access to green spaces can support regional progress towards net zero. The team also contributed to practical sessions: James Hall led a discussion on how to better model the health benefits of climate policies, while Dr Joe Day and Dr Naomi Bennett-Steele co-facilitated an activity on mapping out who makes decisions that influence these policies.
The meeting closed with a lively panel featuring speakers from C40 Cities and The Rockefeller Foundation, exploring how cities can lead the way in tackling pollution and climate challenges.
From this meeting, WM-Net Zero is exploring several new collaborations, including testing a Japanese method for analysing climate and health impacts in UK cities, and building links with U.S. partners studying how home improvements can cut emissions while protecting public health.
These connections strengthen WM-Net Zero’s mission to combine science, policy, and community action for a cleaner, healthier West Midlands—and beyond.