Membership of the EU has had a profound effect on UK Environmental policy and research, both through single market and environmental regulation, and policies in areas such as agriculture, climate change, energy and fisheries. While the UK is a net contributor to the European Union overall, it does get back more research money than it puts in. In terms of vulnerable subject areas, Environmental Sciences have a particularly high reliance on EU funding, with 34% of competitive research grant income coming directly from EU sources. With political will, financial vulnerability can be countered: networks and influence cannot. Without joint funding, EU researchers will have little incentive to continue collaboration with UK researchers.
