Environmental and Societal Change

Für eine Arktisforschung, die indigene Rechte wahrt

bsc — Fri, 03 May 2024 11:49:56 +0000

Towards Arctic Research Upholding Indigenous Peoples’ Rights bsc Fri, 05/03/2024 - 14:15

Dr. Bianca Schröder

Arctic

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The Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV), a once-in-a-decade global gathering on Arctic science and global affairs, is slated for 2025 in Colorado, USA. In preparation, there is an engagement process to identify knowledge gaps, research priorities, and synergies in Arctic research. In its planning, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) committed to recognizing that Traditional Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge and academic scientific knowledge are coequal and complementary knowledge systems that all can and should inform its work. To help fulfill this commitment, the policy brief presents actionable recommendations that promote more meaningful, effective, and equitable co-production of knowledge across knowledge systems and support Indigenous-led research. By fostering greater cooperation and collaboration, these ideas outline a path for stronger research outcomes built on the exchange of diverse knowledge systems and uphold Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination.

Indigenizing Arctic research

The effects of colonialism continue to cast a pervasive influence across the Arctic research continuum, impacting research processes, findings, outcomes, and policies. To ensure that the rights of Arctic Indigenous Peoples are respected and to enhance the quality of research for all, Arctic research needs to be Indigenized. This will mean moving away from the dominant colonial structures towards genuine equity in planning and decision-making on research strategies, processes, and funding.

The Arctic is the ancestral home of diverse Indigenous Peoples, where they have generated knowledge about their territories, encompassing natural environments and reciprocal relationships. Their inherent right to self-determination includes the right to guide research processes in alignment with their values and needs, enhancing the relevance and impact of research outcomes in the process. The impacts of colonisation (expressed also in the influx of external researchers) have led to unequal power dynamics in Arctic research. While Indigenous communities and Indigenous researchers continue to conduct their own research today, they encounter numerous barriers within academic, funding, and decision-making frameworks that hinder their full and meaningful participation and leadership.

Led by the Saami Council, the policy brief was co-written and reviewed by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous circum-Arctic researchers. The policy brief presents actionable recommendations that are founded on notions of dialogue, relationship-building, and self-determination. These principles are key to ensuring ethical and effective research practices that genuinely serve to uplift the status, rights, and roles of Arctic Indigenous Peoples. Spanning five chapters, the recommendations seek to advance the parity and complementarity of Traditional Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, and academic scientific knowledge within research processes and deliver better research outcomes:

Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination as a prerequisite for high-quality Arctic research;
Ethics, methods and methodology as key for decolonial research;
Indigenous-led research in design and practice;
Indigenous Peoples’ co-equal participation in Arctic research funding structures and decision-making for securing decolonial Arctic research in practice; and
Funding for Co-Creative and Indigenous-Led Arctic Research.

Funding to develop the policy brief was provided by the European Environment Initiative (EURENI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. Co-authors of the policy brief will remain involved in future engagement events of the ICARP IV process and will continue to share and dialogue about these recommendations in upcoming forums and conferences.

Holmberg, A., Morin, E., Chahine, A. S., Doering, N. N., Dudeck, S., Fisher, C., Hermansen, N., Herrmann, T. M., Ikaarvik, Kramvig, B., Omma, E. M., Riedel, A., Saxinger, G., Scheepstra, A. J. M., van der Schot, J. (2023). Towards Arctic Research Upholding Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: Recommendations for ICARP IV, the International Conference on Arctic Research Planning. Saami Council, Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Ecologic Institute. Kárášjohka – Potsdam – Berlin. https://doi.org/10.25365/phaidra.459

To ensure that the rights of Arctic Indigenous Peoples are respected, Arctic research needs to be Indigenized. Sámi Graphic design company, ÁRVU

Contemporary Arctic research frequently perpetuates colonial injustices against local Indigenous communities. A team of researchers, including scientists from the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, have published a policy brief with recommendations aimed at upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples and fostering the parity and complementarity of Traditional Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, and academic scientific knowledge. The policy brief is a contribution to the International Arctic Science Committee’s multi-year planning process for the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning. Arctic Indigenous Peoples

Co-Creation for Biocultural Diversity in the Arctic Arctic Governance Environmental and Societal Change 0

Wie normal ist unsere Realität?

slz — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 14:55:44 +0000

How Normal Is Our Reality? dha Tue, 04/30/2024 - 13:00

Damian Harrison

RIFS ART FELLOW

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Conceptual artist Swaantje Güntzel has explored perceptions of the Arctic region during a year-long fellowship at the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS). The works created during her fellowship include a somewhat surprising image of a polar bear that was generated in a process akin to painting by numbers. What initially appears to be the image of a typical polar bear was actually made using the DALL.E 2 artificial intelligence image generation system. When Güntzel entered the term "polar bear”, the images generated by the AI all featured polar bears confined in zoos, rather than in the wild. This work will be on display at Güntzel’s solo exhibition "Normalitätssimulation" (Simulation of Normality) at Galerie Holthoff in Hamburg, which opens on Friday, 3 May.

The bear reflects a key concern of Güntzel: Why does humanity – against its better judgment – give in to the desire to ignore the urgency of this moment? Güntzel’s works cast a spotlight on the parallel reality that this creates, one in which we simulate normality rather than taking action. Using commonly available materials, techniques and found objects, Güntzel draws attention to the banality of the choices we make in everyday life and the broader context of the ecological consequences that these decisions ultimately incur.

Güntzel’s solo exhibition at Galerie Holthoff follows in the wake of the high-profile exhibition "Caspar David Friedrich. Art for a New Age" at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, which also featured her work. Later this month, she will also be showing at "Echos der Zukunft" (Echoes of the Future), an exhibition curated by Tuçe Erel and hosted at Potsdam’s Biosphere (opens 18 May at 6.00 pm). In June, Kunsthalle Bahnitz will celebrate its fifteenth anniversary with the exhibition “Schöne Aussichten” (Beautiful Views) (opens 22 June at 1.00 pm). Works by Güntzel will also be shown at the exhibition, which will consider the environmental and climate crises as well as the relationship between humankind and nature.

Another exhibition, hosted by the the Lippische Gesellschaft für Kunst, will take place at Detmold Castle from 15 September to 20 October 2024 and will also feature works created by Swaantje Güntzel during her tenure as RIFS Art Fellow in Potsdam. These works on display will also examine perceptions of the Arctic and how these shape our understanding of the region. How do we translate ecological realities into images and why do we hold fast to the vision of the Arctic as a landscape untouched by humankind?

Exhibtions featuring work by RIFS Fellow Swaantje Güntzel
Date	City	Title	Location
03.05.24	Hamburg	Swaantje Güntzel "Normalitätssimulation"	Galerie Holthoff
18.05.24	Potsdam	Echos der Zukunft	Biosphäre
22.06.2024	Bahnitz	Schöne Aussichten	Kunsthalle
15.9.24	Detmold	Swaantje Güntzel - Konzeptkunst	Kunst im Schloss

This cabriolet gondola from a cable car that once operated in Germany's Fichtelgebirge Mountains has been refurbished to serve as a decorative element for the garden and adorned with plants and items from a DIY store. Chairlifts and gondolas retired from ski resorts severely affected by the climate crisis have been marketed as garden furniture and decorative elements for several years now. Swaantje Güntzel/ Foto Tobias Hübel, VG Bild-Kunst

Titled 'Nordpolmode' (Nachrichtendienst Berlin, circa 1920s), this press photo inspired the eponymous video work, which will be shown for the first time at the vernissage in Hamburg. Swaantje Güntzel/ Foto Tobias Hübel, VG Bild-Kunst

This image of a landscape (1900, photographer unknown) was woven from plastic fibres that were collected on a beach on Spitsbergen during a citizen science project and subsequently examined at the Alfred Wegener Institute. This work was created with the support of the Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. Swaantje Güntzel/ Foto Tobias Hübel, VG Bild-Kunst

This embroidery is a depiction of cell division in a lab-grown Northern White Rhinoceros embryo. There are currently only two females of this species left. Egg cells were fertilized in-vitro using sperm from a deceased male. The embryos are stored in liquid nitrogen and will be implanted into a surrogate mother at a later date. Swaantje Güntzel/ Foto Tobias Hübel, VG Bild-Kunst

An AI generated this image of a polar bear confined in a zoo. Swaantje Güntzel/ Foto von T. Hübel

Oceans and Arctic Futures Perceptions of the Arctic take centre-stage in the recent work of Hamburg-based conceptual artist Swaantje Güntzel, created during her tenure as the resident Art Fellow at the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam. Now several galleries across Germany are showcasing Güntzel’s art, including works from previous years. Aufmacherfoto_Swaantje Güntzel, Eisbär, 2024, Foto Tobias Hübel

Perceptions of the Arctic take centre-stage in the recent work of Hamburg-based conceptual artist Swaantje Güntzel, created during her tenure as the resident Art Fellow at the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam. Now several galleries across Germany are showcasing Güntzel’s art, including works from previous years.

Marine Conservation in the Arctic Art-Science Cooperations for Sustainability Arctic Governance Environmental and Societal Change 0

Spielend mit der Wissenschaft zu einem nachhaltigeren Lebensstil

slz — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 13:12:47 +0000

Play with Science and Embrace a More Sustainable Lifestyle dha Thu, 04/04/2024 - 13:41

Damian Harrison

#PTDW 2024

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, almost all of the countries in the world have pledged to limit the global temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius and – if possible – below 1.5 degrees Celsius. This benchmark was established based on the finding that a greater temperature increase would have unforeseeable consequences for the Earth's ecosystems. Even small increases in temperature have a major impact on people, animals and plants, causing more frequent and more severe weather events such as heatwaves, forest fires, floods and droughts – ultimately jeopardizing our future. We must make it our top priority to achieve the 1.5 degree Celsius target and protect the foundations of life for all people globally.

At Potsdam Science Day, we will be highlighting lifestyle choices that are compatible with the 1.5 degrees target and encouraging change. Visitors to a booth hosted by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) will be able to play a climate game developed by the European research project “1.5-Degree Lifestyles” and learn about how making changes to different everyday activities can reduce our impact on the climate. The game also highlights the limits of individual action and the need for support from interest groups, politics, and the business community – from setting incentives to education and more.

You can find out more about Potsdam Science Day 2024 here:
https://potsdamertagderwissenschaften.de/

1.5°Lifestyles: https://einskommafuenflebensstile.de/

Narratives and Mindsets The 11th annual Potsdam Science Day will take place on Saturday, 4 May 2024. This year the event will be held on the GFZ Campus on Telegrafenberg. The Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) will be hosting a booth on site, where visitors can play a climate game developed by the European research project 1.5-Degree Lifestyles and learn about how making changes to different everyday activities can reduce our impact on the climate. PTDW2024_Chart_Seite_01.jpg

The 11th annual Potsdam Science Day will take place on Saturday, 4 May 2024. This year the event will be held on the GFZ Campus on Telegrafenberg. The Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) will be hosting a booth on site, where visitors can play a climate game developed by the European research project “1.5-Degree Lifestyles” and learn about how making changes to different everyday activities can reduce our impact on the climate.

Environmental and Societal Change 0

Große Mehrheit für Beibehaltung von Tempo 30 an der Leipziger Straße

bsc — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:52:08 +0000

Large Majority in Favour of Maintaining 30 km/h Zone on Leipziger Straße dha Fri, 03/22/2024 - 10:12

Damian Harrison

Road Safety

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Mobility

A speed limit of 30 km/h has been in force on Leipziger Straße since 2017. Following the completion of construction work on Leipziger Platz, the Senate plans to reinstate the previous speed limit of 50 km/h on the road. According to the RIFS survey, cyclists and pedestrians widely reject the proposal: 80 per cent of the non-motorised road users surveyed were in favour of maintaining the 30 km/h speed limit.

The RIFS Study Umfragen zur Sicherheit in der Leipziger Straße in Berlin (Surveys on Safety on Leipziger Strasse in Berlin) offers an overview of the numbers and views of cyclists and pedestrians on Leipziger Strasse. Over 28 observation periods in June and July 2023, the researchers surveyed road users at two locations (Leipziger Platz and the Leipziger Straße/Charlottenstraße intersection) and also collected data on details such as the gender and ages of road users and whether they were accompanied by children. The researchers also questioned 64 people about their sense of safety on Leipziger Strasse and their assessment of various traffic measures such as maintaining the 30 km/h speed limit and installing a physically-separated bike lane.

Cyclists feel unsafe

At 81 per cent, support for maintaining the 30 km/h speed zone among the pedestrians surveyed was similar to that of cyclists, although the majority of pedestrians reported feeling “rather safe” or “very safe” on Leipziger Strasse (83 per cent). However, 55 per cent feel that the current road design is unsafe for children. The suggestions for improvement include more green spaces, reducing motorised traffic and improving e-scooter parking facilities.

Among the cyclists surveyed, however, 74 per cent stated that they feel “rather unsafe” or even “very unsafe”. Around 60 per cent of respondents reported using parallel roads to avoid Leipziger Straße. The respondents favoured the introduction of a bike lane indicated by coloured pavement and a wide safety separation strip (73 per cent) or a design that combines safety separation strips with lane dividers (83 per cent) as a measure to make cycling safer on Leipziger Strasse.

Traffic counts highlight the demand for safe cycling infrastructure, with bicycle traffic volumes of between 0.47 and 5.33 bicycles per minute. Where bike lanes are available, almost all cyclists use them.

The survey was conducted as part of a research project led by the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment, which aims to improve air quality and improve the accessibility and use of busy roads for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

Caseiro, A., Ritter, D., Janssen, I., Schmitz, S., von Schneidemesser, D., & von Schneidemesser, E. (2024). Umfragen zur Sicherheit in der Leipziger Straße in Berlin. RIFS Study, März 2024. https://www.doi.org/10.48481/rifs.2024.006

Leipziger Straße in central Berlin: Many cyclists feel unsafe on this road. RIFS/Erika von Schneidemesser

In a survey conducted by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in June and July 2023, around 80 per cent of the 64 cyclists surveyed stated that a speed limit of 30 km/h should be maintained on Leipziger Straße in the central Mitte district of Berlin. Pedestrians surveyed expressed similar views. There is also strong support for the creation of a bike lane that is physically separated from motorised traffic. Leipziger Straße

Urban Air Quality, Mobility, and Health Environmental and Societal Change 0

Partizipation und Innovation sind entscheidend für künftige Meeres-Governance

bsc — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 04:56:45 +0000

Inclusivity and Innovation are Key for Future Ocean Governance bsc Wed, 02/28/2024 - 06:09

Dr. Bianca Schröder

Marine Regions Forum 2023

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Shannon Hampton

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The Marine Regions Forum 2023 covered a wide range of topics through workshop-style sessions, exploring challenges and latest developments of the triple planetary crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution), discussing options for a sustainable blue economy, informing about global processes such as in the field of deep-sea mining, and exchanging on how regional action can contribute to achieving goals and responding to challenges. The programme was structured further through daily themes that invited speakers and panellists to reflect on inclusivity, innovation and implementation in ocean governance in connection with the conference topics.

Some commonalities spread across the discussions. The conference team has summarised these in seven key messages:

Foster inclusivity for tackling the ocean’s crises.
Mobilise resources and capacities for a healthy and sustainably managed ocean.
Advance innovations for conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
Tackling the triple planetary crisis – collaboration is key.
Foster a sustainable blue economy.
Make the most of global goals at the regional level.
Catalyse implementation and action at the regional level – in the WIO and beyond.

A concise publication elaborates on these messages, while the more expansive conference report gives a detailed overview of the discussions of the Marine Regions Forum 2023.

The Marine Regions Forum is a co-creative and participatory dialogue platform that focuses on regional ocean governance, i.e. the way in which human activities at sea can be organised and regulated through guidelines, institutions, processes and actors at the scale of marine regions.

Links to the publications:

Hampton, S., Cremers, K., Müller, A., Neumann, B., Rochette, J., Sciacca, A., von Pogrell, L., Weiand, L. (2023): Marine Regions Forum 2023: Navigating ocean sustainability in the Western Indian Ocean and beyond. Conference report. - RIFS Brochure.
https://doi.org/10.48481/rifs.2024.001
https://publications.rifs-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_6003334
Hampton, S., Cremers, K., Müller, A., Neumann, B., Rochette, J., Sciacca, A., von Pogrell, L., Weiand, L. (2023): Marine Regions Forum 2023: Navigating ocean sustainability in the Western Indian Ocean and beyond. Key messages. - RIFS Brochure.
https://publications.rifs-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_6003336

More information:

Link to the project website: https://www.rifs-potsdam.de/en/research/marine-regions-forum-western-in…
Link to the website of the Marine Regions Forum 2023: https://www.prog-ocean.org/marine-regions-forum/conference-2022-3

A panel discussion at the Marine Regions Forum 2023. Empower Limited

The Marine Regions Forum 2023, held last November in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, highlighted ways to work together towards a common goal of improved ocean governance at national, regional, and global levels. It brought together ocean actors and experts from the Western Indian Ocean region and from other parts of the world to exchange on pressing ocean issues and explore ways forward. The organisers have now released two publications that offer insights into the discussions and present a set of key messages. A panel discussion at the Marine Regions Forum 2023.

Marine Regions Forum in the Western Indian Ocean Ocean Governance Environmental and Societal Change Protecting the Marine Environment: An International Treaty on Plastic Pollution 0

Planetare Gemeinschaftsgüter: Wie globale Kooperation den Schutz zentraler Funktionen des Erdsystems stärken kann

bsc — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 05:48:25 +0000

Planetary Commons: Fostering global cooperation to safeguard critical Earth system functions bsc Tue, 01/23/2024 - 06:37

Dr. Bianca Schröder

Governance

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“Stability and wealth of nations and our civilisation depends on the stability of critical Earth system functions that operate beyond national borders. At the same time, human activities push harder and harder on the planetary boundaries of these pivotal systems. From the Amazon rainforest to the Greenland ice masses, there are rising risks of triggering irreversible and unmanageable shifts in Earth system functioning. As these shifts affect people across the globe, we argue that tipping elements should be considered as planetary commons the world is entrusted with, and consequently in need of collective governance,” explains Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Professor of Earth System Science at University of Potsdam.

The publication is the result of an almost two year-long research process involving 22 leading international researchers. Legal, political and Earth system scientists make their case building on the well-known idea of the global commons, but significantly expanding it to design more effective legal responses to better govern biophysical systems that regulate planetary resilience beyond and across national boundaries, such as natural carbon sinks and the major forest systems. “We believe the planetary commons have the potential to articulate and create effective stewardship obligations for nation states worldwide through Earth system governance aimed at restoring and strengthening planetary resilience and promoting justice. However, since these commons are often located within sovereign territories, such stewardship obligations must also meet some clear justice criteria,” social scientist and author Joyeeta Gupta highlights.

A planetary shift towards collective global scale solutions transcending national boundaries

Global commons or global public goods like the high seas and deep seabed, outer space, Antarctica and the atmosphere are shared by all states. They lie outside of jurisdictional boundaries and thus sovereign entitlements. All states and people have a collective interest, especially when it comes to resource extraction, that they be protected and governed effectively for the collective good. The planetary commons expand the idea of the global commons by adding not only globally shared geographic regions to the global commons framework, but also critical biophysical systems that regulate the resilience and state, and therefore livability, on Earth. The consequences of such a “planetary shift” in global commons governance are potentially profound, the authors argue. Safeguarding these critical Earth system regulatory functions is a challenge at a unique planetary scale of governance, characterised by the need for collective global scale solutions that transcend national boundaries.

“Earth’s critical regulatory systems are now being put under pressure by human activities at unprecedented levels,” says author of the paper Louis Kotzé, Professor of Law at North-West University in South Africa and the University of Lincoln, UK; and researcher at the Research Institute for Sustainability Helmholtz Centre Potsdam. “Our existing global environmental law and governance framework is unable to address the planetary crisis and keep us from crossing planetary boundaries. This is why we urgently need planetary commons as a new law and governance approach that can safeguard critical Earth system regulating functions more effectively.”

Barbara Neumann, study author and research group leader at RIFS, emphasises the important role of the ocean, which provides such critical Earth system components and functions. For example, coastal "blue carbon" ecosystems such as mangrove forests or the ocean's biological carbon pump mechanism enable the ocean to act as a carbon sink and climate regulator - and thus also buffer climate change, worldwide. Introducing the concept of planetary commons into existing ocean regulation and management systems could pave the way towards a global-planetary mindset - giving us a starting point to better tackle the challenges ahead."

Rockström, J., Kotzé, L., Milutinović, S., Biermann, F., Brovkin, V., Donges, J., Ebbesson, J., French, D., Gupta, J. Kim, R., Lenton, T., Lenzi, D., Nakicenovic, N., Neumann, B., Schuppert, F., Winkelmann, R., Bosselmann, K., Folke, C., Lucht, W., Schlosberg, D., Richardson, K., Steffen, W. (2024). The planetary commons: A new paradigm for safeguarding Earth-regulating systems in the Anthropocene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121 (5) e23015311. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2301531121

Due to their efficient carbon storage, mangroves have a positive impact on the global climate. Shutterstock/Chawakal Neeracharanusorn

Tipping elements of the Earth system should be considered global commons, researchers argue in a new paper published in the renowned journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Global commons cannot - as they currently do - only include the parts of the planet outside of national borders, like the high seas or Antarctica. They must also include all the environmental systems that regulate the functioning and state of the planet, namely all systems on Earth we all depend on, irrespective on where in the world we live. This calls for a new level of transnational cooperation, leading experts in legal, social and Earth system sciences say. To limit risks for human societies and secure critical Earth system functions they propose a new framework of planetary commons to guide governance of the planet. Mangroven

Ocean Governance Ocean Governance Environmental and Societal Change 0

Der Arktis ihr Eis zurückgeben

bsc — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 05:57:39 +0000

Giving the Arctic Back Its Ice dha Mon, 12/11/2023 - 03:10

Damian Harrison

Art Fellowship

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The meltwater was gifted to Swaantje Güntzel by journalist and author Birgit Lutz. Throughout her journey, which took her from Hamburg via Stockholm and Umeå to Vaasa, Oulu, Rovaniemi and Inari to the Finnish-Norwegian border and finally to Båtsfjord on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, the artist travelled exclusively by public transportation, such as trains, buses and ferries. Airplanes and cruise ships were strictly off limits. Güntzel’s ice cube maker was powered by a solar battery, which she had charged ahead of her trip.

Her intervention in Båtsfjord – titled "NORD / Eiswürfel I" (NORTH / Ice Cube I) – is the first artistic output of Güntzel's fellowship at the RIFS. Her project "Can't you do something nice for a change? / Arctic” is a critical examination of our perceptions of the Arctic and the images that inform our view of the region. This intervention is in tune with previous works by Güntzel which interact with landscapes and comment on human impacts on and modifications.

Showing now: Another of Swaantje Güntzel’s works that engages with this theme –"Arctic Yoghurt” – can be viewed at the exhibition "Caspar David Friedrich. Art for a New Age”, showing at Hamburger Kunsthalle from 15 December 2023.

NORD / Eiswürfel I, 2023 Swaantje Güntzel, Foto Jan Philip Scheibe, VG Bild-Kunst Bonn 2023

Even if the global community were to double down in its efforts to protect the climate, it would not be able to give the Arctic Ocean back its ice. But, in a symbolic act, Hamburg-based conceptual artist Swaantje Güntzel has done just that: on 18 November, at Båtsfjord in the far north of Norway, she produced ice cubes from meltwater taken from the North Pole and let them slip into the sea. This artistic intervention is part of Güntzel's year-long fellowship at the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS). Swaantje Güntzel NORD 03

Arctic Governance Environmental and Societal Change 0

Ein Netz für gesündere Städte

slz — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000

A Network for Healthier Cities slz Thu, 12/07/2023 - 09:00

Sabine Letz

Horizon Europe Grant

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slz

Air quality

Air quality monitoring sites that are to be further expanded in Net4Cities. Eight of the eleven participating cities have at least three stations. All eleven cities will also have three measuring stations for noise and traffic.

Although air pollution from transport, including road transport, shipping, and aviation, has generally decreased in the last decades due to improved fuels and vehicle emission standards, it still represents a significant source of air quality degradation in cities. Indeed, the transport sector is the only sector in which ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase over the last three decades. Environmental noise, and in particular road traffic noise, is a major environmental problem in Europe, where at least 20 % of the population lives in areas where traffic noise levels are harmful to health.

The adverse impacts associated with the transport sector are especially high in densely populated urban areas. To address this, the Net4Cities project will develop real-time maps that visualise and integrate air and noise pollution data from more than 30 road traffic, harbor, and airport monitoring stations across the eleven European cities Antwerp, Barcelona, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Heraklion, Limassol, Oslo, Rotterdam, Southampton, Tbilisi and Zurich.

Will provide both citizens and politicians with relevant information

Many of the pollutants that Net4Cities measures, such as ultrafine particulate matter, ammonia and ozone precursors, are not adequately monitored at present and are therefore a focus of this project. Net4Cities will also incorporate the results of previous and ongoing European and international analyses. The project aims to support evidence-based policy development by generating relevant data that can also be used to improve emissions inventories.

Led by Erika von Schneidemesser from the RIFS in Potsdam, an international team of researchers will provide citizens with a tool that can be used to raise awareness and support decision-making to reduce pollution exposure. Decision-makers and stakeholders will be involved in Net4Cities from the outset, and co-creative and policy support processes will be used across the project to foster maximum buy-in from the target audiences.

Net4Cities outputs can be applied to other cities in Europe

Net4Cities will contribute to the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan by developing methods and infrastructures that are easily scalable and can be deployed across Europe from the local to the regional levels. The project seeks to support the development of guidance that will facilitate the standardisation of monitoring technologies and the design of monitoring networks to address the challenges of noise and air pollution today and in the future.

Net4Cities will pursue its objectives across five measures:

Net4Cities will work with policy- and decision-makers, citizens' associations and interested organisations to develop evidence-based, tailored policy solutions for effective plans to reduce air and noise pollution.
Deliver the next generation of advanced monitoring networks for transport-related air (exhaust and non-exhaust) and noise pollution capable of providing information in real-time to support decision-making, for health studies, and to inform policy.
Generate data on (emerging) pollutants and noise in cities from contrasting geographical and climatic locations with differing fleet compositions to support source apportionment and modelling applications and the improvement of emissions inventories.
Consolidate information from analyses in databases at the city and national levels in order to assess traffic emissions and aid in efforts to comply with limit values and reduce adverse health impacts.
Establish the Net4Cities Studio, including guidance on the analysis of emerging pollutants in order to address future challenges appropriately.

More on the project website of NET4Cities.

About Net4Cities:
Net4Cities is an EU Horizon project - funded by the European Union - with a duration of four years (January 2024 to December 2027) and has been granted five million euros in funding.

The Horizon Europe project Net4Cities is coordinated by the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) in Germany.

Other participating institutes are the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) in Belgium, EarthSense Systems Ltd UK, The Cyprus Institute (CyI) Cyprus, Stiftelsen Norsk Institutt Forluftforskning (NILU) Norway, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) Switzerland, University of Crete (UOC) Greece, Tecnalia Spain, Airmodus Finland, Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) Germany, Rear Window Belgium, University of Bremen (UBREMEN) Germany, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) Spain, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) Georgia, German Aerospace Center (DLR), VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH Germany, und Flanders Environment Agency (VMM) Belgium.

Project period January 2024 to December 2027.

Climate & Air Quality The transport sector is a major contributor to environmental degradation, including air and noise pollution, damage to ecosystems and human health. To monitor air and noise pollution and generate data that will aid in assessing their health impacts related to it, the new research project Net4Cities will develop research infrastructure in eleven European cities in ten countries. This research and infrastructure will support efforts to implement the Zero Pollution Action Plan as part of the European Green Deal. The project is coordinated by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam.
2312 Net4Cities Air quality monitoring sites

The transport sector is a major contributor to environmental degradation, including air and noise pollution, damage to ecosystems and human health. To monitor air and noise pollution and generate data that will aid in assessing their health impacts related to it, the new research project Net4Cities will develop research infrastructure in eleven European cities in ten countries. This research and infrastructure will support efforts to implement the Zero Pollution Action Plan as part of the European Green Deal. The project is coordinated by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam.

Three-Dimensional Observation of Atmospheric Processes in Cities Urban Air Quality, Mobility, and Health Environmental and Societal Change Air Pollution and Climate Change 0

Decarbonisation of construction and industry

slz — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 13:08:11 +0000

Decarbonisation of construction and industry slz Wed, 11/22/2023 - 14:08

Dr. Nino Jordan

Christina Camier

Dr. Nino Jordan

Christina Camier

Groupphoto of participants at the conference at the RIFS "Policies limiting the carbon footprint. Key to accelerate decarbonization of industrial products and buildings". RIFS/ Alexander Janetzko

Nino Jordan, currently Klaus Töpfer Sustainability Fellow at RIFS and Associate Professor at University College London (UCL), and Rixt van der Valk, PhD candidate at UCL, brought together experts involved with the Buy Clean movement in the USA and with regulations limiting carbon emissions from construction materials in Denmark, the Netherlands and France. In interactive sessions they explored the limitations and potentials of different policies designed to cap the carbon footprints of industrial products and buildings.

The housing shortage is growing worldwide. It doesn't take a fortune teller to predict that CO2 emissions from buildings will become increasingly significant. CO2 emissions are generated not only during the use of buildings, but also during their construction and eventual deconstruction. How are CO2 emissions distributed across the life cycle?
Rixt van der Valk (R. vdV): Globally, the built environment is responsible for approximately 14 gigatons of carbon each year, which is around 40 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions in total. About 27 per cent of global carbon emissions are operational, meaning that they are generated during the utilization of the building. The other 13 per cent are embodied emissions, associated with the extraction, manufacturing, transport, and sometimes even dismantling/end of life of materials and products in the built environment. Within the embodied emission life cycle stages, the biggest contributor of carbon is the production of building materials such as cement and steel.

Why are carbon footprint policies necessary to decarbonize the building industry?
R. vdV.: Most policies so far have focused on operational carbon reduction. These policies do not address the other 13 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which the built environment is responsible for, namely embodied emissions. If we want to meet the goal established in the Paris Agreement of keeping global temperature rise well below 2 C, and limiting it to 1.5 C, it is inescapable that policies are necessary that focus on emissions across the whole life cycle.

Carbon pricing is the EU’s flagship policy for tackling climate change. Why is that not enough for decarbonising industry and construction?

Nino Jordan (N. J.): The EU has been worried that an effective carbon price on carbon intensive, trade-exposed sectors would lead to competitive advantages for regions with no or lower carbon prices. That’s why they have allocated free emissions permits to certain industries, such as steel and cement. Those industries have been effectively shielded from carbon pricing. Now the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is supposed to solve the problem by fading-in carbon pricing for importers while fading-out free emissions for domestic industry. However, this is a slow and uncertain process and current political developments in member states make it risky to put all your chips on the sustained climate ambition of the EU. Also, in the USA there is no carbon price at the federal level and so other measures are needed.

What is so special about the Buy Clean movement in the USA? Can you describe it in one sentence? Could it be a blueprint for the European Union?
R. vd V: The Buy Clean movement is a great example of a sub-national policy initiative that brings together industry and governmental actors to address the problem of embodied carbon emissions in the built environment. It has been embraced by multiple states in the US and has also been incorporated into the Inflation Reduction Act. It is a good instrument as part of a tool-box of approaches for reducing embodied carbon emissions.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization coordinates the Clean Energy Ministerial Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI), which is working on government pledges to procure low carbon materials. Are we likely to see more public and private pledges to buy ultra-low carbon products?
N. J.: I think we are, eventually, going to see increasingly ambitious public and private pledges to buy ultra-low carbon products. The question is whether this will occur fast enough and who will show real leadership.

How do Denmark’s carbon thresholds for building lifecycle emissions work?
R. vd V :Danish building regulations require that a buildings’ whole life carbon emissions be calculated at the planning stage and not exceed certain limit values.

The Dutch mandatory maximum threshold for buildings comprises an environmental lifecycle assessment (LCA) for 11 impact categories, including embodied carbon. What are its advantages versus the Danish approach?
R. vd V: The Global Warming Potential (GWP) of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is a very important environmental indicator, but it is not the only one. Other pollutants in the lifecycle of products can also heavily impact the environment, and many of these are included in the Dutch mandatory threshold. This approach could help to mitigate disproportionate increases in other environmental impacts as a result of efforts to reduce carbon intensity.

What are the next steps for advancing carbon footprint policies for the construction and industrial sectors? Do the advantages of mandatory whole-life/embodied carbon standards outweigh the challenges for policymakers and industry?
R. vd V.: It is clear that we will see more countries adopting carbon footprint policies. The more difficult question is: what approach should these policies take? There are different advantages and disadvantages to adopting policies focusing on either materials or buildings, and using regulatory, economic or strategic investment instruments, or a combination thereof. I suspect that we will see a mixture of all of these.
N. J.: The conference has shown that concrete policies already exist in practice. Now we need to learn from them, tinker around the edges and adapt to local conditions.

The interview with the two was conducted by Christina Camier.

More information:

Grubb, Michael and Jordan, Nino David and Hertwich, Edgar and Neuhoff, Karsten and Das, Kasturi and Bandyopadhyay, Kaushik Ranjan and van Asselt, Harro and Sato, Misato and Wang, Ranran and Pizer, William A. and Oh, Hyungna, Carbon Leakage, Consumption, and Trade (October 2022). Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Vol. 47, pp. 753-795, 2022. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4252380 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-120820-053625

Mark Lawrence, Klaus Töpfer und Nino Jordan (v.l.n.r.). Klaus Töpfer, former German environment minister, former UNEP director, founding Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) - now RIFS - gave the opening speech at the conference. RIFS/ Alexander Janetzko

Jan-Willem Groot, Director of the foundation NMD, presenting on Dutch embodied emission policy. RIFS/ Rixt van der Valk

Helle Redder Momsen (right) from the Danish Authority of Social Services and Housing, Mona Abdulghani Naji Mohammed (middle) from UNEP, and Julia Visman (left) as moderator. RIFS/ Rixt van der Valk

Groupphoto of participants at the conference at the RIFS "Policies limiting the carbon footprint. Key to accelerate decarbonization of industrial products and buildings". RIFS/ Alexander Janetzko

Conference 2311_Accelerator Grouphoto

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Nino Jordan cca Environmental and Societal Change

Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination to Advance Ocean Governance

bsc — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:42:05 +0000

Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination to Advance Ocean Governance bsc Mon, 11/20/2023 - 10:42

Dr. Bianca Schröder

Marine Regions Forum 2023

bne

The Marine Regions Forum 2023 was designed as an interactive conference to encourage the active involvement of experts - from the choice of topics to the staging of the conference and participation. Interactive plenary sessions and dialogue workshops addressed issues guided by four thematic strands related to the conference theme: Tackling the triple planetary crisis; Fostering a sustainable blue economy; Implementing global goals at the regional level; and Regional ocean governance. As if woven into a strong rope, these thematic stands were bound together by three daily themes - Inclusivity, Innovation and Implementation - yielding significant insights and outcomes for robust and collaborative ocean governance in the WIO region.

The first day of the Marine Regions Forum focused on “Inclusivity" – setting the stage for the exploration of diverse perspectives and discussions on efforts to promote equality and inclusivity.

On the second day, the focus shifted to "Innovation", with parallel workshop sessions and a plenary session to discuss ground-breaking ideas and technologies to tackle the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution, for example.

On the final day, the Forum concluded with discussions under the theme of “Implementation,” emphasizing practical application and strategies to turn ideas into action. Participants shared insights on overcoming challenges and ensuring tangible outcomes, contributing to the translation of discussions into real-world results.

Photo gallery: opening session

Barbara Neumann, Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Dixon Waruinge, Nairobi Convention IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Charlina Vladimirova Vitcheva, Director General, Marine Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Denis Matatiken, Permanent Secretary of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Seychelles IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Aboud Jumbe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Zanzibar
IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Mary Ngelela Maganga, Permanent Secretary of the Environment, Tanzania IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

David Obura, Founding Director, CORDIO East Africa IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

The thematic strand, Tackling the triple planetary crisis, involved extensive discussions on the urgent need to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution together as interrelated environmental emergencies. Among other things, the sessions highlighted:

the accelerated rate of warming of the WIO, with an emphasis on the impacts on marine species, ecosystems, and potential food webs;
the potential of a circular economy to tackle marine plastics, and the need to involve the plastics industry in combating plastic pollution;
the importance of Locally Managed Marine Area Networks (LMMAs) for community involvement in sustainable resource management;
nature-based solutions (NbS), such as constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment;
technological advancements including artificial intelligence (AI) to improve maritime transparency and tackle illegal fishing; and
the need for specific guidance on adapting the blue economy in the face of climate change.

Photo gallery: Tackling the triple planetary crisis

Nirmal Shah, Nature Seychelles
IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy, IUCN Madagascar IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Jared Bosire, Nairobi Convention IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

A view of the room IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Michael John Roberts, Nelson Mandela University IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

The discussion on the thematic strand, Fostering a sustainable blue economy, acknowledged the potential for economic growth and underscored the importance of sustainability, equity, and inclusivity in the blue economy. Among other things, the sessions highlighted the need for:

responsible ocean resource utilization, with a focus on protecting vital ecosystems;
a Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) strategic framework for developing blue economy strategies;
international cooperation mechanisms, such as the WIO Symphony; and
the crucial role played by the private sector in catalyzing a sustainable blue economy, and their role in driving Africa’s aspirations and benefiting communities.

Photo gallery: Fostering a sustainable blue economy

Susana W. Kihia, WIOMSA, and Christina Fernandez, Earth Negotiations Bulletin IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Michele Quesada da Silva, IOC UNESCO IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Jaqueline Nduku Uku, KMFRI IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

View of the room IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Kerry Sink, South African National Biodiversity Institute IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

George Rushingisha, Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Miranda Naiman, Empower IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

The strand on Implementing global goals at the regional level focused on the importance of achieving global goals at the regional level. Discussions addressed the relevance of:

the recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF);
the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment;
the agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Treaty); and
ongoing negotiations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) on deep seabed mining.

Photo gallery: Implementing Global Goals At The Regional Level

Anthony Akpan, Pan African Vision for the Environment, Nigeria IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Ben Boteler, RIFS IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Nancy Soi, UNEP IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Robert Kiptoo Kibiwot, Kenya International Boundaries Office IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Torsten Thiele, Founder, Global Ocean Trust IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Mina Epps, Head, IUCN Ocean, and Pradeep Singh, RIFS IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

View of the room IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

The Regional ocean governance strand delved into the roles of diverse entities in WIO ocean governance, with an emphasis on the development of the Nairobi Convention’s Regional Ocean Governance Strategy (ROGS). Participants discussed institutional setups, financing mechanisms, and lessons learned from the ROGS process. Among other things, the participants:

emphasized the importance of participatory processes in the development of ocean governance strategies in order to build credibility and ownership;
outlined priorities for regional marine governance, such as maritime security, blue economy, environment and natural resources as well as knowledge management and science;
proposed the institutionalization of an apex decision-making body in the WIO region; and
emphasized the need to draw lessons from the African Union (AU) multi-stakeholder task force and to share best practices and lessons with other regions.

Photo gallery: Regional ocean governance

Participants following the discussions IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Kieran Kelleher, Nairobi Convention IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

L-R: Christopher John Corbin, UNEP, Lorna Veronica Inniss, Head, IOCARIBE, UNESCO, and Abdoulaye Diagana, Abidjan Convention, UNEP IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

The Marine Regions Forum 2023, which took place on 7–9 November in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, brought together 160 participants from the WIO and other marine regions. The conference was co-financed by the European Union (EU), the Swedish Ministry for Climate and Enterprise and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and supported by the Secretariat of the Nairobi Convention. The Marine Regions Forum 2023 was jointly organized by RIFS, IDDRI and TMG - ThinkTank for Sustainability and its regional partners, namely the Secretariat of the Nairobi Convention, CORDIO East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) together with Empower Ltd.

Source: IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin

Further information:

• Website of the Marine Regions Forum
• Blog post by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA)

A group photo of Marine Regions Forum 2023 participants
IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Marine Regions Forum 2023: Highlights Day 1

Marine Regions Forum 2023: Highlights Day 2

Marine Regions Forum 2023: Highlights Day 3

Taking notes: The Marine Regions Forum 2023 explored diverse perspectives. IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

Hosted in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region by the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Seychelles, the Marine Regions Forum 2023 convened under the theme, “Navigating ocean sustainability in the WIO and beyond.” The three-day conference was co-hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Seychelles and brought together experts from the WIO and other marine regions to strengthen cooperation and coordination for marine governance in the WIO region and beyond by sharing knowledge and best practices. MRF Taking notes

Marine Regions Forum in the Western Indian Ocean Ocean Governance Environmental and Societal Change 0

Environmental and Societal Change

Für eine Arktisforschung, die indigene Rechte wahrt

Indigenizing Arctic research

Wie normal ist unsere Realität?

Spielend mit der Wissenschaft zu einem nachhaltigeren Lebensstil

Große Mehrheit für Beibehaltung von Tempo 30 an der Leipziger Straße

Cyclists feel unsafe

Partizipation und Innovation sind entscheidend für künftige Meeres-Governance

Planetare Gemeinschaftsgüter: Wie globale Kooperation den Schutz zentraler Funktionen des Erdsystems stärken kann

A planetary shift towards collective global scale solutions transcending national boundaries

Der Arktis ihr Eis zurückgeben

Ein Netz für gesündere Städte

Air quality monitoring sites that are to be further expanded in Net4Cities. Eight of the eleven participating cities have at least three stations. All eleven cities will also have three measuring stations for noise and traffic.

Will provide both citizens and politicians with relevant information

Net4Cities outputs can be applied to other cities in Europe

Decarbonisation of construction and industry

More information:

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Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination to Advance Ocean Governance

Photo gallery: opening session

Photo gallery: Tackling the triple planetary crisis

Photo gallery: Fostering a sustainable blue economy

Photo gallery: Implementing Global Goals At The Regional Level

Photo gallery: Regional ocean governance

Marine Regions Forum 2023: Highlights Day 1

Video hosted on YouTube

Marine Regions Forum 2023: Highlights Day 2

Video hosted on YouTube

Marine Regions Forum 2023: Highlights Day 3

Video hosted on YouTube