Naomi Zimmerman

A core objective of atmospheric science is to improve air quality. This is motivated by recent estimates that air pollution exposure is the fourth leading cause of premature mortality globally. Furthermore, many sources of air pollutants are co-emitters of climate-forcing agents, such as greenhouse gases and black carbon, and thus air quality and climate science are intricately related fields. Emissions of air and climate pollutants may be effectively co-managed using well-crafted environmental policy or through technology shifts. However, the effectiveness of any given policy or technology decision on air quality and climate outcomes is often difficult to quantify due to the rapid pace of technology change and research methods that poorly represent real-world pollutant behaviour.

Her research program revolves around the development and application of real-world-based tools to quickly and quantitatively assess the impact of our policy and technology decisions on air pollution and climate outcomes, and to use the knowledge gained to support better environmental policy planning.

As part of this work, students are part of interdisciplinary teams and engage with a range of relevant stakeholders, including colleagues in other departments at UBC (e.g., Liu Institute, IRES), non-profits, and regulatory agencies.

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