The publication of RESPONSE fellow Katrin Sievert shows that costs of removing large quantities of CO2 from the air will fall in the medium term, but not as much as previously hoped.
Let’s start by demystifying the acronyms. IPBES, often dubbed as the IPCC for biodiversity, is a global panel synthesizing scientific and traditional knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Complementing this, NFF serves as a tool for scenario development, offering three unique values perspectives: Nature for Nature, Nature for Society, and Nature as Culture.
Setting the scene
On this scenic island, which is itself a symbol for nature and biodiversity conservation, participants were comprised of early career researchers and students from various nations within the regional chapter Europe and Central Asia. This regional chapter, being a geographical sub-unit of the global IPBES, spans all the way from Portugal to Kazakhstan. Each participant was representing their country of residency or origin as well as their respectively affiliated (inter)national youth networks and academic institutions.
Crafting Positive Scenarios
During the workshop on Vilm, individual groups developed scenarios for positive futures based on a mix of the above mentioned three value perspectives. The core principle when applying the NFF, is to envision futures without any rational constraints. In other words, conceptualize scenarios without any limits, to foster a more radical approach to transformative change. This was best done in an iterative moderated group discussion. Starting from seeds, innovative projects for positive future groups collected key elements and states for envisioned futures before identifying synergies between different future states. Again, feasibility was never assessed throughout the process to avoid limiting ideas. Eventually, a narrative was formed through an interview-like process where moderators encouraged group members to put forward descriptions of a daily routine in the developed future to understand organization of society and nature.
Creative Summaries
The workshop’s outcomes were as diverse as the participants themselves. Various scenarios were not just documented but creatively summarized. Focusing on the interface between Nature for Culture and Nature for Society, Simon’s group, for instance, created a fairy tale on the envisioned future in a graphic novel style using artificial intelligence. Such aimed to summarize the core values and components of the visions and highlight human-nature relationships in an engaging way.
Insights and Future Exploration
The workshop’s impact has not ended on Vilm. Ongoing efforts involve translating the insights gained into a scientific publication as well as creating a new youth network. Simon and his colleagues are actively contributing to the conversation on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the pivotal role of youth. By sharing lessons learned and making experiences accessible, the group aims to spread the motivational spark for positive futures and highlight the importance of collective discussion with people from different backgrounds to bring upon transformative change.
Simon Landauer is a fellow of the RESPONSE Doctoral Programme (DP) «RESPONSE – to society and policy needs through plant, food and energy sciences» funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 847585.
The photos are owned by Simon Landauer and Jutta Stadler (group picture).
Bessie Noll, a RESPONSE fellow in the PhD program Science and Policy, successfully completed her PhD this past September! Her dissertation, entitled “Modeling the Low-carbon Road Transport Transition: Policy Insights and Implications”, seeks to expand our comprehension of how public policy can accelerate transformative change in the road transport sector towards low-carbon technologies. The thesis argues and demonstrates that policymakers need up-to-date, quantitative, approaches to evaluate and project dynamic technology competition and to assess prospective policy impacts on the transition.
Im Rahmen der Doktorarbeit von Fabia Hess (ETH Zürich) «Erschliessung genetischer Ressourcen von Buchweizen zur Diversifizierung der Schweizer Landwirtschafts- und Ernährungssysteme», die u.a. von ProSpecieRara betreut wird, fand im August 2023 ein erster Fachtag Buchweizen statt.
Im Rahmen der Doktorarbeit von Fabian Hess (ETH Zürich) zum Thema «Erschliessung genetischer Ressourcen von Buchweizen zur Diversifizierung der Schweizer Landwirtschafts- und Ernährungssysteme», die u.a. von ProSpecieRara mitbetreut wird, fand im August 2023 ein erster “Fachtag Buchweizen” statt.
Am Fachtag hat sich eine äusserst vielfältige Gruppe zusammengefunden, um sich gemeinsam vertieft mit dem Buchweizen auseinanderzusetzen und über die Chancen und Herausforderungen entlang der Wertschöpfungskette zu diskutieren.
Dieser sehr erfolgreiche Fachtag ist Teil des aktuellen und zukünftigen Engagement von ProSpecieRara, die Buchweizenvielfalt für die Praxis nutzbar zu machen.
Der umfassende Online-Artikel zum Fachtag befindet sich hier.
Diese Veranstaltung wurde geleitet von Fabian Hess (Doktorand an der ETH Zürich). Fabian Hess ist Stipendiat im Doktorandenprogramm RESPONSE (DP) ” RESPONSE – to society and policy needs through plant, food and energy sciences”, das durch das Forschungs- und Innovationsprogramm Horizon 2020 der Europäischen Union finanziert wird. Dies geschieht im Rahmen des Marie-Skłodowska-Curie-Fördervertrags Nr. 847585.
Die Fotos wurden zur Verfügung gestellt von ProSpeciaRara und Michelle Nay (Agroscope).
In the ETH News article RESPONSE fellow Julie Lestang introduces a novel analytical method aimed at swiftly and accurately determining the chemical profile of cacao beans. This technique serves as the foundation for achieving controlled fermentation, crucial for producing high-quality chocolate.
In multi-energy systems (MES), different energy carriers such as electricity, heat, and gas interact with each other. When optimally designed and operated, MES can outperform energy systems without sector coupling in terms of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. MES can thus contribute to the transition towards affordable, low-carbon and secure energy.
In multi-energy systems (MES), different energy carriers such as electricity, heat, and gas interact with each other. When optimally designed and operated, MES can outperform energy systems without sector coupling in terms of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. MES can thus contribute to the transition towards affordable, low-carbon and secure energy.
Navigating the complexities of bioenergy, its potential for carbon neutrality, and its conflicts with land, food, and feed resources is a pressing issue. What if we could circumvent these issues and focus solely on land-free bioenergy, similar to growing mushrooms on waste coffee grounds for a delicious dish? Waste and byproducts can generate valuable bioenergy, playing strategic roles in a future sustainable energy system.
The ETH Energy Blog post of RESPONSE fellow Fei Wu presents key findings from our latest research papers, providing insights into the strategic applications of land-free bioenergy and its policy implications. Join us in exploring the ‘why,’ ‘what’, and ‘how’ of deploying land-free bioenergy effectively in the quest for carbon neutrality.