The current climate crisis is one well documented grand challenge in environmental research, but is it the only one? What other challenges should we be investigating, and how do we decide how to invest in and prioritise research to address these issues? This seminar will discuss how the field of environmental research will evolve in the coming decade, the current greatest challenges, those emerging on the horizon or that are known but require greater focus and investment, and the approach of the scientific community to ensure these challenges are addressed effectively. We will discuss the influence and input of government bodies on funding environmental research as well as pressures from the public domain and the wider scientific community in order to answer the question – who really has the power to decide the future of environmental research?