News Archive
Conference and Call for Papers: Joint Actions on Climate Change
Call
for Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference (OSC2)
"Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting to
change"
Call for papers for the GECHS Synthesis Conference: “Human Security in an era of global change"
Vacancy research position for Phd candidate on: ‘Transitions to sustainability’
Call
for papers for the 1st European Conference on Sustainability
Transitions: “Dynamics & Governance of Transitions to
Sustainability”
Vacancies for a new research group "Innovation in Governance" at the Berlin Institute of Technology in Germany
New Publication: Steps Centre Working Paper 8: Transitions
Call for Papers 2nd round for the Openmeeting 2009
Conference: Biodiversity and society: understanding connections, adapting to change
Book: Transitions - Pathways Towards Sustainable Urban Development in Australia
Call for Pre-Proposals for one year of research grants related to global environmental change in Africa
Vacancie: Professor of sustainable resource use
Call for Papers: Journal of Industrial Ecology - Special Issue on Applications of material flow analysis
Announcement:Video and discussion - MEAT THE TRUTH, Livestock farming creates majorenvironmental problems: A reduction in meat consumption is inevitable
Book: Fundamental principles of energy
Conference Transitions towards sustainable agriculture, food chains andperi-urban areas
Conference: The 2008 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in Industrial Ecology
Request for abstracts - Water and Sanitation in International Development and Disaster Relief
Call for Papers and conference announcement for the Scientific Conference on
„Globalization, Energy and Environment” 2008
Call for Papers - Globelics: "New insights for understanding innovation andcompetence building for sustainable development and social justice”
Call for Papers - Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP): Framework for Action
 IHDP Strategic Plan 2007-2015 Released
Call for proposals for the conference "Resilience, Adaptation and Transformation in Turbulent Times"
Debate announcement - "Cross thinking about Sustainability, Long Term Solutions for Climate Change: A Southern Perspective"
Call for Contributions - Social Challenges of Global Change - IHDP Open Meeting 2008
International Conference: Climate changes Spatial Planning
Call for proposals: Environmental economics issues in Africa
Journal: The Global Impact of Cities
International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology 2007
Book: Advances in Ecological Economics
Report: Slow Trade - Sound Farming. A Multilateral Framework for Sustainable Markets in Agriculture
Book: Fair Future - Resource Conflicts, Security, and Global Justice
IHDP announces a new institutional affiliation and sponsorship model, a new office location, and a new logo
Vacancy: Communications Officer at the IHDP Secretariat (part time: 60-80%)
Vacancy: Senior Scientific Officer at the IHDP Secretariat
Forum on Eco-Innovation: Markets for Sustainable Construction
Vacancy: Research position for the Global Carbon Project
Call for papers: International Workshop "Globalizing lifestyles between McDonaldization and sustainability perspectives – The case of the new middle classes“
Summer school on ecohydrology 2007
New START Project "Conserving Biodiversity in a Changing Climate"
Special issue on Southeast Asia in Transition in winter 2005 from the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues
Advanced Institute on Global Environmental Change and the Vulnerability of Africa's Water Resources in the context of the Millennium Development Goals
Report: Urban Transportation and the environment: in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Journal of Industrial Ecology on Priorities for Environmental Product Policy, Special Issue
Invitiation for contributions to the Encyclopedia of Earth
Book: Reflexive Governance For Sustainable Development
Greener Management International" Issue 47 special theme issue released
 Top
Conference and Call for Papers: Joint Actions on Climate Change
Climate change has been pointed out as the biggest challenge of our
time. International consensus regarding the problem, its causes and
impacts has been reached, but a broad range of solutions has still to
be developed and discussed. This conference deals especially with
solutions and actions to combat climate change. The conference is a
joint endeavour bringing together four conferences in the field:
European Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (ERSCP),
The Greening of Industry Network (GIN); Nordic Life Cycle Association
(NorLCA), Sustainable Consumption Research Exchanges (SCORE!) and
EuroSustainability. After 15 years of separate growth, it is now time
to join forces to bring action and consensus on solutions. The
conference welcomes all stakeholders involved in developing solutions
to climate change, including Governments, industry, retailers,
researchers as well as NGOs, consumer organisations and the financial
sector. Bringing together different stakeholders and research
disciplines will help fostering a fruitful dialogue and bridging gaps
in views and positions.
Conference will be held from the 8th to 10th of June 2009, Alborg Congress and Culture Centre, Denmark
You can download the final call for papers including themes, topics and deadlines here
Registration, information and abstract submission details (Deadline 15 February 2009) can be found here
Top
Call for
Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference (OSC2)
"Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting to
change"
The Call for Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference
(OSC2) "Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting
to change" held from 13nd to the 16nd of October 2009 in Cape Town,
South Africa is now open. To access to abstract submission form and
guidelines please visit the conference website here
Note that the deadline to submit your abstract is Tuesday 31 March 2009.
Top
Call for papers for the GECHS Synthesis Conference: “Human Security in an era of global change"
June 22-24, 2009, University of Oslo, Norway
We would like to invite paper and poster abstracts from different fields and perspectives that address a
wide range of themes related to environmental change and human security. The conference is structured
around three broad themes and under each of these a number of session topics are listed. Submitted
abstracts should preferably fit within one or several of these identified session topics. We would especially
like to encourage young scholars to submit abstracts, in order to highlight up-and-coming research projects
and ideas. There will be a young scholars category at the conference. Also some funds will be made available
to provide financial support for attendance at the conference for participants from developing countries.
Conference Theme 1: Conceptualizing Human Security in an Era of Global Environmental Change
* Double Exposure: Interactions between Globalization and Global Environmental Change
* Ethics and Environmental Change
* Culture, Values, Worldviews and Global Change
* Global Environmental Change and Gender Perspectives
* Rethinking Human Security in a Changing Climate
* Food Security and Global Change
* Social-Ecological Resilience and Human Security
Conference Theme 2: Global Environmental Change and Implications for Human Security
* Water Scarcity and Governance
* Cities and Climate Change: Human Security Challenges
* Global Environmental Change, Migration and Conflicts
* Environmental Change, Poverty and the MDGs
* The Politics of Global Environmental Change: The Role of Power and Interests
* Global Environmental Change and Human Security in Coastal Urban Areas
* Security Issues in the Arctic
Conference Theme 3: How to Increase Human Security in the Context of Global Environmental Change
* Sustainable Adaptation: From Theory to Practice
* Limits to Climate Change Adaptation
* Addressing Equity Dimensions of Environmental Change
* Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Human Security
* Environmental Change and Integral Theory
* Children and Future Generations
* Reducing Water Insecurity through Stakeholder Participation
* Responding to Multiple Stressors
Deadline is 31st of January 2009
Additional information can be found here
Top
Vacancy research position for Phd candidate on: ‘Transitions to sustainability’SPRU
(Science and Technology Policy Research) at the University of Sussex is
pleased to offer a 3.5 year research position, to start in March 2009
(or April with negotiation). One of the stipulations for this position
is that the successful applicant will be required to undertake a PhD
degree at SPRU, starting October 2009. The successful applicant will
work as part of a larger ERC funded research programme (DESTABLE), led
by Professor Frank W. Geels, which investigates ‘transitions to
sustainability’ from a new angle. Instead of focusing on the emergence
of promising green novelties, the programme addresses the
destabilisation and decline of existing (unsustainable) industries. The
programme analyzes the mechanisms in destabilisation, focusing on the
interplay between institutional, economic and strategic pressures and
processes. The research programme is multi-disciplinary and combines
insights from evolutionary economics, sociology of technology, and
neo-institutional theory. Empirical work in this PhD project focuses on
the car industry, using case studies as the main method.
More information about salary, selection criteria and application procedures can be found here .
The deadline for application is 17.00 hours, 23 January 2009.
Top
Call for
papers for the 1st European Conference on Sustainability Transitions:
“Dynamics & Governance of Transitions to Sustainability”
The 1st European Conference on Sustainability Transitions will bring
together a rapidly growing community of researchers and practitioners
interested in broad societal transitions towards sustainability. The
common goal is to inform strategies for the governance of
sustainability through a better understanding of the dynamics of
transitions.
Transitions involve the transformation of the socio-technical
configuration of whole sectors (such as materials or chemicals) or of
patterns of production and consumption in areas such as housing and
mobility. Recent research has aimed to better understand the ways in
which transitions unfold and the process dynamics which can lead to
them succeeding or failing. Particularly in the Netherlands there has
also been a great interest in recent years in the potential for
governing transitions to sustainability and a number of innovative
experiments have been facilitated by the Dutch government. This work
has been supported by a major research programme on the opportunities
and barriers to system innovations in the context of addressing climate
change and sustainability. There have been similar developments in
other European countries and a number of research programmes have been
initiated.
Deadline for paper abstracts: January 31, 2009
additional information can be found here
Top
Conference and Call for Papers: Joint Actions on Climate Change
Climate change has been pointed out as the biggest challenge of our
time. International consensus regarding the problem, its causes and
impacts has been reached, but a broad range of solutions has still to
be developed and discussed. This conference deals especially with
solutions and actions to combat climate change. The conference is a
joint endeavour bringing together four conferences in the field:
European Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (ERSCP),
The Greening of Industry Network (GIN); Nordic Life Cycle Association
(NorLCA), Sustainable Consumption Research Exchanges (SCORE!) and
EuroSustainability. After 15 years of separate growth, it is now time
to join forces to bring action and consensus on solutions. The
conference welcomes all stakeholders involved in developing solutions
to climate change, including Governments, industry, retailers,
researchers as well as NGOs, consumer organisations and the financial
sector. Bringing together different stakeholders and research
disciplines will help fostering a fruitful dialogue and bridging gaps
in views and positions.
Conference will be held from the 8th to 10th of June 2009, Alborg Congress and Culture Centre, Denmark
You can download the final call for papers including themes, topics and deadlines here
Registration, information and abstract submission details (Deadline 15 February 2009) can be found here
Top
Call for
Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference (OSC2)
"Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting to
change"
The Call for Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference
(OSC2) "Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting
to change" held from 13nd to the 16nd of October 2009 in Cape Town,
South Africa is now open. To access to abstract submission form and
guidelines please visit the conference website here
Note that the deadline to submit your abstract is Tuesday 31 March 2009.
Top
Call for papers for the GECHS Synthesis Conference: “Human Security in an era of global change"
June 22-24, 2009, University of Oslo, Norway
We would like to invite paper and poster abstracts from different fields and perspectives that address a
wide range of themes related to environmental change and human security. The conference is structured
around three broad themes and under each of these a number of session topics are listed. Submitted
abstracts should preferably fit within one or several of these identified session topics. We would especially
like to encourage young scholars to submit abstracts, in order to highlight up-and-coming research projects
and ideas. There will be a young scholars category at the conference. Also some funds will be made available
to provide financial support for attendance at the conference for participants from developing countries.
Conference Theme 1: Conceptualizing Human Security in an Era of Global Environmental Change
* Double Exposure: Interactions between Globalization and Global Environmental Change
* Ethics and Environmental Change
* Culture, Values, Worldviews and Global Change
* Global Environmental Change and Gender Perspectives
* Rethinking Human Security in a Changing Climate
* Food Security and Global Change
* Social-Ecological Resilience and Human Security
Conference Theme 2: Global Environmental Change and Implications for Human Security
* Water Scarcity and Governance
* Cities and Climate Change: Human Security Challenges
* Global Environmental Change, Migration and Conflicts
* Environmental Change, Poverty and the MDGs
* The Politics of Global Environmental Change: The Role of Power and Interests
* Global Environmental Change and Human Security in Coastal Urban Areas
* Security Issues in the Arctic
Conference Theme 3: How to Increase Human Security in the Context of Global Environmental Change
* Sustainable Adaptation: From Theory to Practice
* Limits to Climate Change Adaptation
* Addressing Equity Dimensions of Environmental Change
* Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Human Security
* Environmental Change and Integral Theory
* Children and Future Generations
* Reducing Water Insecurity through Stakeholder Participation
* Responding to Multiple Stressors
Deadline is 31st of January 2009
Additional information can be found here
Top
Vacancy research position for Phd candidate on: ‘Transitions to sustainability’SPRU
(Science and Technology Policy Research) at the University of Sussex is
pleased to offer a 3.5 year research position, to start in March 2009
(or April with negotiation). One of the stipulations for this position
is that the successful applicant will be required to undertake a PhD
degree at SPRU, starting October 2009. The successful applicant will
work as part of a larger ERC funded research programme (DESTABLE), led
by Professor Frank W. Geels, which investigates ‘transitions to
sustainability’ from a new angle. Instead of focusing on the emergence
of promising green novelties, the programme addresses the
destabilisation and decline of existing (unsustainable) industries. The
programme analyzes the mechanisms in destabilisation, focusing on the
interplay between institutional, economic and strategic pressures and
processes. The research programme is multi-disciplinary and combines
insights from evolutionary economics, sociology of technology, and
neo-institutional theory. Empirical work in this PhD project focuses on
the car industry, using case studies as the main method.
More information about salary, selection criteria and application procedures can be found here .
The deadline for application is 17.00 hours, 23 January 2009.
Top
Call for
papers for the 1st European Conference on Sustainability Transitions:
“Dynamics & Governance of Transitions to Sustainability”
The 1st European Conference on Sustainability Transitions will bring
together a rapidly growing community of researchers and practitioners
interested in broad societal transitions towards sustainability. The
common goal is to inform strategies for the governance of
sustainability through a better understanding of the dynamics of
transitions.
Transitions involve the transformation of the socio-technical
configuration of whole sectors (such as materials or chemicals) or of
patterns of production and consumption in areas such as housing and
mobility. Recent research has aimed to better understand the ways in
which transitions unfold and the process dynamics which can lead to
them succeeding or failing. Particularly in the Netherlands there has
also been a great interest in recent years in the potential for
governing transitions to sustainability and a number of innovative
experiments have been facilitated by the Dutch government. This work
has been supported by a major research programme on the opportunities
and barriers to system innovations in the context of addressing climate
change and sustainability. There have been similar developments in
other European countries and a number of research programmes have been
initiated.
Deadline for paper abstracts: January 31, 2009
additional information can be found here
Top
Conference and Call for Papers: Joint Actions on Climate Change
Climate change has been pointed out as the biggest challenge of our
time. International consensus regarding the problem, its causes and
impacts has been reached, but a broad range of solutions has still to
be developed and discussed. This conference deals especially with
solutions and actions to combat climate change. The conference is a
joint endeavour bringing together four conferences in the field:
European Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (ERSCP),
The Greening of Industry Network (GIN); Nordic Life Cycle Association
(NorLCA), Sustainable Consumption Research Exchanges (SCORE!) and
EuroSustainability. After 15 years of separate growth, it is now time
to join forces to bring action and consensus on solutions. The
conference welcomes all stakeholders involved in developing solutions
to climate change, including Governments, industry, retailers,
researchers as well as NGOs, consumer organisations and the financial
sector. Bringing together different stakeholders and research
disciplines will help fostering a fruitful dialogue and bridging gaps
in views and positions.
Conference will be held from the 8th to 10th of June 2009, Alborg Congress and Culture Centre, Denmark
You can download the final call for papers including themes, topics and deadlines here
Registration, information and abstract submission details (Deadline 15 February 2009) can be found here
Top
Call for
Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference (OSC2)
"Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting to
change"
The Call for Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference
(OSC2) "Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting
to change" held from 13nd to the 16nd of October 2009 in Cape Town,
South Africa is now open. To access to abstract submission form and
guidelines please visit the conference website here
Note that the deadline to submit your abstract is Tuesday 31 March 2009.
Top
Call for papers for the GECHS Synthesis Conference: “Human Security in an era of global change"
June 22-24, 2009, University of Oslo, Norway
We would like to invite paper and poster abstracts from different fields and perspectives that address a
wide range of themes related to environmental change and human security. The conference is structured
around three broad themes and under each of these a number of session topics are listed. Submitted
abstracts should preferably fit within one or several of these identified session topics. We would especially
like to encourage young scholars to submit abstracts, in order to highlight up-and-coming research projects
and ideas. There will be a young scholars category at the conference. Also some funds will be made available
to provide financial support for attendance at the conference for participants from developing countries.
Conference Theme 1: Conceptualizing Human Security in an Era of Global Environmental Change
* Double Exposure: Interactions between Globalization and Global Environmental Change
* Ethics and Environmental Change
* Culture, Values, Worldviews and Global Change
* Global Environmental Change and Gender Perspectives
* Rethinking Human Security in a Changing Climate
* Food Security and Global Change
* Social-Ecological Resilience and Human Security
Conference Theme 2: Global Environmental Change and Implications for Human Security
* Water Scarcity and Governance
* Cities and Climate Change: Human Security Challenges
* Global Environmental Change, Migration and Conflicts
* Environmental Change, Poverty and the MDGs
* The Politics of Global Environmental Change: The Role of Power and Interests
* Global Environmental Change and Human Security in Coastal Urban Areas
* Security Issues in the Arctic
Conference Theme 3: How to Increase Human Security in the Context of Global Environmental Change
* Sustainable Adaptation: From Theory to Practice
* Limits to Climate Change Adaptation
* Addressing Equity Dimensions of Environmental Change
* Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Human Security
* Environmental Change and Integral Theory
* Children and Future Generations
* Reducing Water Insecurity through Stakeholder Participation
* Responding to Multiple Stressors
Deadline is 31st of January 2009
Additional information can be found here
Top
Vacancy research position for Phd candidate on: ‘Transitions to sustainability’SPRU
(Science and Technology Policy Research) at the University of Sussex is
pleased to offer a 3.5 year research position, to start in March 2009
(or April with negotiation). One of the stipulations for this position
is that the successful applicant will be required to undertake a PhD
degree at SPRU, starting October 2009. The successful applicant will
work as part of a larger ERC funded research programme (DESTABLE), led
by Professor Frank W. Geels, which investigates ‘transitions to
sustainability’ from a new angle. Instead of focusing on the emergence
of promising green novelties, the programme addresses the
destabilisation and decline of existing (unsustainable) industries. The
programme analyzes the mechanisms in destabilisation, focusing on the
interplay between institutional, economic and strategic pressures and
processes. The research programme is multi-disciplinary and combines
insights from evolutionary economics, sociology of technology, and
neo-institutional theory. Empirical work in this PhD project focuses on
the car industry, using case studies as the main method.
More information about salary, selection criteria and application procedures can be found here .
The deadline for application is 17.00 hours, 23 January 2009.
Top
Call for
papers for the 1st European Conference on Sustainability Transitions:
“Dynamics & Governance of Transitions to Sustainability”
The 1st European Conference on Sustainability Transitions will bring
together a rapidly growing community of researchers and practitioners
interested in broad societal transitions towards sustainability. The
common goal is to inform strategies for the governance of
sustainability through a better understanding of the dynamics of
transitions.
Transitions involve the transformation of the socio-technical
configuration of whole sectors (such as materials or chemicals) or of
patterns of production and consumption in areas such as housing and
mobility. Recent research has aimed to better understand the ways in
which transitions unfold and the process dynamics which can lead to
them succeeding or failing. Particularly in the Netherlands there has
also been a great interest in recent years in the potential for
governing transitions to sustainability and a number of innovative
experiments have been facilitated by the Dutch government. This work
has been supported by a major research programme on the opportunities
and barriers to system innovations in the context of addressing climate
change and sustainability. There have been similar developments in
other European countries and a number of research programmes have been
initiated.
Deadline for paper abstracts: January 31, 2009
additional information can be found here
Top
Conference and Call for Papers: Joint Actions on Climate Change
Climate change has been pointed out as the biggest challenge of our
time. International consensus regarding the problem, its causes and
impacts has been reached, but a broad range of solutions has still to
be developed and discussed. This conference deals especially with
solutions and actions to combat climate change. The conference is a
joint endeavour bringing together four conferences in the field:
European Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (ERSCP),
The Greening of Industry Network (GIN); Nordic Life Cycle Association
(NorLCA), Sustainable Consumption Research Exchanges (SCORE!) and
EuroSustainability. After 15 years of separate growth, it is now time
to join forces to bring action and consensus on solutions. The
conference welcomes all stakeholders involved in developing solutions
to climate change, including Governments, industry, retailers,
researchers as well as NGOs, consumer organisations and the financial
sector. Bringing together different stakeholders and research
disciplines will help fostering a fruitful dialogue and bridging gaps
in views and positions.
Conference will be held from the 8th to 10th of June 2009, Alborg Congress and Culture Centre, Denmark
You can download the final call for papers including themes, topics and deadlines here
Registration, information and abstract submission details (Deadline 15 February 2009) can be found here
Top
Call for
Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference (OSC2)
"Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting to
change"
The Call for Abstract for the Second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference
(OSC2) "Biodiversity and Society: Understanding connections, adapting
to change" held from 13nd to the 16nd of October 2009 in Cape Town,
South Africa is now open. To access to abstract submission form and
guidelines please visit the conference website here
Note that the deadline to submit your abstract is Tuesday 31 March 2009.
Top
Call for papers for the GECHS Synthesis Conference: “Human Security in an era of global change"
June 22-24, 2009, University of Oslo, Norway
We would like to invite paper and poster abstracts from different fields and perspectives that address a
wide range of themes related to environmental change and human security. The conference is structured
around three broad themes and under each of these a number of session topics are listed. Submitted
abstracts should preferably fit within one or several of these identified session topics. We would especially
like to encourage young scholars to submit abstracts, in order to highlight up-and-coming research projects
and ideas. There will be a young scholars category at the conference. Also some funds will be made available
to provide financial support for attendance at the conference for participants from developing countries.
Conference Theme 1: Conceptualizing Human Security in an Era of Global Environmental Change
* Double Exposure: Interactions between Globalization and Global Environmental Change
* Ethics and Environmental Change
* Culture, Values, Worldviews and Global Change
* Global Environmental Change and Gender Perspectives
* Rethinking Human Security in a Changing Climate
* Food Security and Global Change
* Social-Ecological Resilience and Human Security
Conference Theme 2: Global Environmental Change and Implications for Human Security
* Water Scarcity and Governance
* Cities and Climate Change: Human Security Challenges
* Global Environmental Change, Migration and Conflicts
* Environmental Change, Poverty and the MDGs
* The Politics of Global Environmental Change: The Role of Power and Interests
* Global Environmental Change and Human Security in Coastal Urban Areas
* Security Issues in the Arctic
Conference Theme 3: How to Increase Human Security in the Context of Global Environmental Change
* Sustainable Adaptation: From Theory to Practice
* Limits to Climate Change Adaptation
* Addressing Equity Dimensions of Environmental Change
* Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Human Security
* Environmental Change and Integral Theory
* Children and Future Generations
* Reducing Water Insecurity through Stakeholder Participation
* Responding to Multiple Stressors
Deadline is 31st of January 2009
Additional information can be found here
Top
Vacancy research position for Phd candidate on: ‘Transitions to sustainability’SPRU
(Science and Technology Policy Research) at the University of Sussex is
pleased to offer a 3.5 year research position, to start in March 2009
(or April with negotiation). One of the stipulations for this position
is that the successful applicant will be required to undertake a PhD
degree at SPRU, starting October 2009. The successful applicant will
work as part of a larger ERC funded research programme (DESTABLE), led
by Professor Frank W. Geels, which investigates ‘transitions to
sustainability’ from a new angle. Instead of focusing on the emergence
of promising green novelties, the programme addresses the
destabilisation and decline of existing (unsustainable) industries. The
programme analyzes the mechanisms in destabilisation, focusing on the
interplay between institutional, economic and strategic pressures and
processes. The research programme is multi-disciplinary and combines
insights from evolutionary economics, sociology of technology, and
neo-institutional theory. Empirical work in this PhD project focuses on
the car industry, using case studies as the main method.
More information about salary, selection criteria and application procedures can be found here .
The deadline for application is 17.00 hours, 23 January 2009.
Top
Call for
papers for the 1st European Conference on Sustainability Transitions:
“Dynamics & Governance of Transitions to Sustainability”
The 1st European Conference on Sustainability Transitions will bring
together a rapidly growing community of researchers and practitioners
interested in broad societal transitions towards sustainability. The
common goal is to inform strategies for the governance of
sustainability through a better understanding of the dynamics of
transitions.
Transitions involve the transformation of the socio-technical
configuration of whole sectors (such as materials or chemicals) or of
patterns of production and consumption in areas such as housing and
mobility. Recent research has aimed to better understand the ways in
which transitions unfold and the process dynamics which can lead to
them succeeding or failing. Particularly in the Netherlands there has
also been a great interest in recent years in the potential for
governing transitions to sustainability and a number of innovative
experiments have been facilitated by the Dutch government. This work
has been supported by a major research programme on the opportunities
and barriers to system innovations in the context of addressing climate
change and sustainability. There have been similar developments in
other European countries and a number of research programmes have been
initiated.
Deadline for paper abstracts: January 31, 2009
additional information can be found here
Top
Vacancies for a new research group "Innovation in Governance" at the Berlin Institute of Technology in Germany
The Berlin Institute of Technology in Germany has the following job openings starting in september 2009:
1. Post-doc “governance dynamics & social-ecological change”
2. PhD “design and dynamics of tradable-permit schemes”
3. PhD “design and dynamics of deliberative procedures”
4. Project manager “research administration & group process facilitation”
Applications are expected until 5 December 2008.
Additional information can be found here
Top
New Publication: Steps Centre Working Paper 8: Transitions
'Social-ecological resilience and socio-technical transitions: critical
issues for sustainability governance' by Adrian Smith and Andy Stirling.
Abstract
Technology contributes both positively and negatively to the resilience
of social-ecological systems, but is not considered in depth in that
literature. A technology-focused literature on sociotechnical
transitions shares some of the complex adaptive systems sensibilities of
social-ecological systems research. It is considered
by others to provide a bridging opportunity to share lessons
concerning the governance of both. We contend that lessons must
not be restricted to advocacy of flexible, learning-oriented
approaches, but must also be open to the critical challenges that
confront these approaches.
The paper can be downloaded from here
Top
Call for Papers 2nd round for the Openmeeting 2009
IHDP is happy to announce that it is opening a second call for papers
for the 7th Open Meeting 2009 in Bonn, Germany. The call is now open
and will close 31 October 2008. This call builds largely on the results
of the first call, after which specific themes for new contributions
were identified.
This call is particularly addressed toward new applicants, who are
invited to submit their papers and posters for consideration to be
included in the Open Meeting 2009. Those who have already submitted to
the first call are also invited to submit one more paper or poster for
consideration.
The call for sessions is officially closed. New sessions may be
considered on a case-by-case basis. For more information on sessions
contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. The Deadline is 31 October 2008
Additional information can be found here
Top
Conference: Biodiversity and society: understanding connections, adapting to changeThe conference is entirely dedicated to biodiversity science and its
connections to human sciences. In keeping with the Conference
title, scientists worldwide are invited to submit proposals for
symposia on the following topics:
• Strengthening biodiversity science
Evolution of biodiversity – Inventorying biodiversity –
Monitoring biodiversity changes – Drivers of biodiversity
changes – Prediction of biodiversity changes – Biodiversity
and ecosystem functioning – Linking ecosystem functioning
to ecosystem services
• Supporting the science – policy interface
Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity – Valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services – Economic incentives – Biodiversity and development
• Integrated approaches to topical issues
Agrobiodiversity – Biodiversity and health – Freshwater
biodiversity – Invasive species – Marine biodiversity –
Mountain biodiversity – Etc.
• Focus on African issues is welcome
Symposium submission available online here
Submission deadline is 15 September 2008
Top
Book: Transitions - Pathways Towards Sustainable Urban Development in AustraliaFormidable challenges confront Australia and its human settlements: the mega-metro regions, major and provincial cities, coastal, rural and remote towns. The key drivers of change and major urban vulnerabilities have been identified and principal among them are resource-constraints, such as oil, water, food, skilled labour and materials, and carbon-constraints, linked to climate change and a need to transition to renewable energy, both of which will strongly shape urban development this century.
Transitions identifies 21st century challenges to the resilience of Australia’s cities and regions that flow from a range of global and local influences, and offers a portfolio of solutions to these critical problems and vulnerabilities. The solutions will require fundamental transitions in many instances: to our urban infrastructures, to our institutions and how they plan for the future, and perhaps most of all to ourselves in terms of our lifestyles and consumption patterns.
With contributions from 92 researchers - all leaders in their respective fields - this book offers the expertise to chart pathways for a sustainability transition.
Additional information can be found here
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Call for Pre-Proposals for one year of research grants related to global environmental change in Africa
START, the global change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training, seeks to enhance scientific capacity for global environmental change (GEC) research in developing regions is seeking Pre-Proposals from African scientists for one-year projects on global environmental change in Africa. The Pre-Proposal must provide specific information on how the proposed research will contribute to:
- Improving knowledge of the Earth’s changing climate and environment, including its natural variability, and/or how the research will improve understanding of the causes of observed variability and change.
- Improving quantification of the driving forces of changes in the Earth’s climate and systems.
- Reducing uncertainty in projections of how the Earth’s climate and related systems may change in the future.
- Understanding the sensitivity and adaptability of different natural and managed ecosystems and human systems to climate and related global changes.
- Assessing impacts, adaptation and risk management strategies related to climate variability and change.
Timeline
- Deadline for Pre-Proposals is midnight (24:00) US Eastern Time on Friday, 15 August 2008.
- Successful proponents will be invited to submit a full proposal by 25 September 2008.
- Full proposals must be submitted by 01 November 2008.
- Funding decisions will be made by mid January 2009.
Additional information can be found here
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Vacancie: Professor of sustainable resource use
The Institute of Social Ecology at Klagenfurt University in Vienna, Austria invites applications for the position of a Professor of sustainable resource use. The position will be a full professor (according to § 98 UG) for an initial period of three years that may then be transformed into an unlimited contract.
The successful candidate for this position requires, on the basis of a natural science background (preferably biology), a thorough understanding of approaches from social sciences and the humanities and experience in directing interdisciplinary research projects in the field of sustainability science. He or she is expected to contribute to an existing team by developing formalized methods for the empirical
analysis of system interrelations and long term trajectories in the societal use of materials, energy, water and land. The new position will be instrumental to advance research into integrated socioecological analysis and modelling and foster the integration of biophysical variables into macroeconomic models as part of international collaboration. The professor should help to establish international master and doctoral programmes in Human and Social Ecology by offering courses in English and by raising funds for doctoral candidates. Candidates should be able to teach in English and German, and have acquired a venia docendi (habilitation) or an equivalent. In case of equal qualification, female candidates will be preferred.
Letters of application can be sent until 23rd of July, 2008. Please find details here
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Call for Papers: Journal of Industrial Ecology - Special Issue on Applications of material flow analysis
Deadline: September 1, 2008
The Journal of Industrial Ecology invites you to submit articles for a special issue on Applications of Material Flow Analysis (MFA) by September 1, 2008.
Material flow analysis (MFA), the tracking and analysis of materials through the environment and the economy at various scales, is growing in sophistication and generating increased interest among environmental researchers around the world. MFA holds out the promise of a unique lens through which to examine environmental challenges, providing a valuable addition to the toolkit available to analysts and decision makers. Despite the dramatic growth in the methodological rigor of MFA, its practical utility remains to be fully appreciated. The goal of this special issue is to document examples of the practical use of MFA, explore the insights obtained from it, and assess the leverage for environmental problem solving that it provides.
MFA is often divided into two categories: economy-wide MFA (EW-MFA) and substance flow analysis (SFA).
Suggested Topics for the Special Issue
The goal of this special issue is to document how, when and where MFA has been used for business, policy and related decision making and to assess the strengths and weaknesses of MFA for those purposes using concrete examples. Appropriate topics include, the use of MFA to:
- Identify sources of pollutants
- Identify the fate of chemicals or materials entering society
- Identify potential future pollution problems
- Quantify resource availability with respect to investment in industrial capacity by firms or governments
- Identify specific resource scarcities for the future in light of current and new developments in technology and society
- Identify gaps in emissions inventories at the facility, firm or regional level
- Assess effectiveness and identify side-effects of pollution oriented policies
- Develop management strategies for a sustainable use of resources
- Identify risk and risk management strategies with respect to pollution and resource scarcity.
How to Submit
Manuscripts should be original, previously unpublished, in English, and between 3,500 and 7,000 words in length. Submission implies that the manuscript has not been submitted for publication elsewhere. Papers should be submitted electronically via Manuscript Centralhere . Details about the preparation of the manuscript can be obtained from the Journal's web page here
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Announcement:Video and discussion - MEAT THE TRUTH, Livestock farming creates majorenvironmental problems: A reduction in meat consumption is inevitable
Meat the Truth is the very first documentary to address therelationship between livestock farming and climate change. The film ispresented by the Dutch politician Marianne Thieme, member of parliamentfor the Party for the Animals in the Netherlands. Meat the Truth isbased on authoritative and influential scientific sources from underothers the Institute of Environmental Studies of the VrijeUniversiteit Amsterdam, which demonstrate that livestock farming is oneof the most important causes of global warming. The conclusions reachedby this Dutch production have already generated more societal debatethan the underlying reports upon which it is based.
In the documentary it becomes clear that worldwide the livestockindustry is a far greater cause of global warming than all of the cars,lorries, aeroplanes and ships added together. A dairy cow emits just asmany greenhouse gasses as 4.5 cars. The issues of the impact oflivestock farming on water shortages and the unequal distribution offood resources are also raised in this documentary. At the end of thefilm, practical solutions to tackle climate change at the level of theindividual consumer are presented.
After the film there is time for a discussion with Karen Soeters,director of the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation, Harry Aiking, associateprofesor of the Institute for Environmental Studies and Kees Knip,science editor NRC Handelsblad.
Tuesday 27th of May 2008 15.30 hr Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
More information can be found here in Dutch
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Book: Fundamental principles of energy
The concept of energy as we now understand it—a conserved quantity thatrepresents the ability to do work—has been with us for less than twocenturies. Yet its central role in human affairs dates to the time ofthe first humans, its role in shaping the physical and biologicalnature of the Earth dates to the planet's birth, and the story of BigBang itself is told in terms of energy and matter.
Advances in our understanding of energy have produced unparalleledtransformations of society, as exemplified by James Watt’s steam engineand the discovery of oil and its use as a fuel. Formalization of theconcept of energy and identification of the laws governing its use by19th century physical scientists such Mayer and Clausius arecornerstones of modern science.
Crude oil gushing from the prodigious Spindletop, TX field in 1901. Thediscovery of other large oil fields in the early 20th century launcheda global economic and population boom, as well as wide scaleenvironmental change.
Enlarge
Crude oil gushing from the prodigious Spindletop, TX field in 1901. Thediscovery of other large oil fields in the early 20th century launcheda global economic and population boom, as well as wide scaleenvironmental change.
The study of energy has played a pivotal role in understanding thecreation of the universe, the origin of life, the evolution of humancivilization and culture, economic growth and the rise of livingstandards, war and geopolitics, and significant environmental change atlocal, regional and global scales.
additional information can be found here
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Conference Transitions towards sustainable agriculture, food chains and peri-urban areas
Wageningen, 26 - 29 October, 2008
The agro-food sector and peri-urban rural areas are changing. Foodchains industrialise and globalise. In the rural areas in the vicinityof urban metropolises space becomes scarce and it has many ‘owners’.Farmers look for new roads in the tension between the demands of the
international food chains and the local requirements concerning natureand the environment. The structural changes in the scarcity ofproducts, energy, space and nature lead to fundamental changes in theviews on the role of agriculture in urban areas. This implies long-term societal change. In such transitions stakeholders such asconsumers, citizens, policy makers and farmers change their views ontheir own role and contribution to the problems and the solutions.Sometimes new stakeholders enter the arena.
The conference will cover recent developments on a wide range of topics:
- New farm systems in peri-urban areas
- New institutional arrangements in the country side
- Urban views on peri-urban farming systems and new coalitions in the rural area
- Need for and experience with new policy instruments
- Changes in the agro-innovation system
- Methods for research on transition
Call for papers
The Programme Committee invites submissions - a 3-page abstract - on the abovementioned topics for:
- Contributed papers
- Poster presentations
Theoretical as well as empirical research results are welcome.
The deadline for submission is 29 February 2008.
Aditional information can be found here
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Conference: The 2008 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in Industrial Ecology
GRCsare unique among research meetings for their quality of content,relatively small size (100-120 people), diversity of participants,cutting-edge science often still unpublished, and a schedule allowingfor extended discussion and informal interactions. Background onGordon Conferences can be found at < www.grc.org/about.aspx>.Celebrating their 75th anniversary, GRCs, are among the mostprestigious research conferences in science and technology.
Industrial ecology is a highly interdisciplinary field that focuses onenvironmental challenges related to sustainable production andconsumption often by examining materials and energy flows at variousscales. The field includes concepts and tools such as life-cycleassessment, materials flow analysis, input-output analysis, industrialsymbiosis, design for environment, and integrated product policy. Formore information visit the website here
The theme of this year’s GRC is: Transforming the Use of Energy, Materials, Water, and Wastes. See the program here
Application information can be found here
Application deadline: July 27, 2008, but participation is limited to 120 attendees.
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Request for abstracts - Water and Sanitation in International Development and Disaster Relief
you are warmly invited to attend or submit a late abstracts to ourInternational Workshop 'Water and Sanitation in InternationalDevelopment and Disaster Relief' which will take place in Edinburgh,Scotland 28-30 May 2008. Deadline for Full papers is 31 January 2008.Papers of oral and poster presentation will be refereed and publishedin the conference proceedings as well as in an edited Book and/orDesalination.
Details of the event such as draft programme as well as abstract/paper submission details can be found on the event website here.
*The programme* is presented by invited speakers from academia,industry, aid organisations, and end user representatives. A broadrange of issues will be discussed in order to develop new strategiesand sustainable as well as appropriate technologies to solve thiscomplex and multi disciplinary problem.
o Outline current state-of-the-art as well as practical limitations in water supply and sanitation in international development
o Establish strategic linkages between research & teachinginstitutions, industry, aid organisations, and end users ininternational development and disaster relief
o Identify research needs and appropriate methodology to deliver on the UN millennium goals related to water and sanitation.
The invitation extends to general participants to present case studies,new technologies, policy development, projects and research in a posterformat.
The organisers are also seeking sponsorship and are looking intoways to facilitate the attendance of small NGOs as well as developingcountry participants through such sponsorship. Interested donoursplease do not hesitate to contact the organisers.
Planning
Abstracts due: 15 December 2007 - Abstract Submission page
Please Note - 18th December 2007: Late abstracts may be accepted if submitted within the next few days
Full papers due: 31 January 2008
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Call for Papers and conference announcement for the Scientific Conference on
„Globalization, Energy and Environment” 2008
“Globalization, Energy and Environment” is an interdisciplinaryConference aimed at natural scientists, technologists, economists andthe international social science and policy communities covering thedirect and indirect environmental impacts of energy acquisition,transport, production and use. A particular objective is to cover thesocial, economic and political dimensions of such issues at local,national and international level.
Consequently, the forthcoming Conference is inviting participants fromall countries with contributions that would help us to outline moreclearly the major debate around taming versus uncritically supportingglobalization and global energy/environmental policy. The Conferenceaims to engage experts on exporting developing and transition economiesas well as specialists from industrialized countries to share theirexperience on various aspects of the resource exploitation, itsenvironmental consequences, on consumption patterns, and markets.
Conference goals and concerns
A major aim of the Conference is to facilitate constructive andprofessional debate between scientists and technologists, socialscientists and economists from academia, government and the energyindustries on energy and environment issues in both a national andinternational context.
The following packaged topics are proposed to be discussed:
Geography of energy resources. Important questions, like where theenergy resources are available now and in the future, their currentstatus, use, availability, and future potential need to be answered.
Renewable and non-conventional sources of energy. While they arealready concerned in environmental and energy policies over the world,their use and management, their global distribution, moderntechnologies and potential are still the focus of the debate.
Energy transportation and distribution. Global transportationcapabilities of energy, including maritime and land transportation,seem to be a serious environmental and economic concern since thecountries have to spread their supply sources over the world.
Energy policy. Current strategies, their structures and instruments,including energy security, costs of supply disruption, nationalpetroleum reserves, efforts of importing countries to assure directaccess to the energy resources and diversity of supply sources.
Environmental policy. While energy and environmental policy are goingto be more integrated, there are still some inconsistency between keyinterests and policy instruments in these two areas.
additional information can be found here.
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Callfor Papers - Globelics Mexico 2008: "New insights for understandinginnovation and competence building for sustainable development andsocial justice”
Conference date: September 22nd -24th, 2008, Mexico City, Mexico
GLOBELICS (Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, andCompetence Building Systems) is an international network of scholarswho apply the concept of "learning, innovation, and competence buildingsystem" (LICS) as their framework dedicated to the strengthening ofLICS in the South and East. The research aims at locating uniquesystemic features as well as generic good practices to enlighten policymaking relating to innovation, competence building, internationalcompetitiveness, regional development, labor market and human capitaldevelopment. In an increasingly global and knowledge-basedcompetition, management strategies need to be based upon anunderstanding of these framework conditions and public policies.
For the sixth conference to be held in Mexico City papers thatcontribute to the understanding of "'Styles' of Development (orPolitical Economy of
Development): paradigms of public policies, conflicts, trade-offs andchoices among alternative public policies" will be welcome. Theconference will be
organized around the following themes on the following issues:
- Innovation, economic development and inequality (Education, Health, Employment, Migration, Gender Equity, Income Distribution).
- The conditions for developing sustainable systems of innovation. Biofuel, energy systems, water supply, transport, tourism and sustainable development.
- The role of new ‘horizontal technologies’ (ICTs and biotechnologies).
- Innovation in indigenous knowledge systems and in traditional sectors (e.g. agriculture, handcraft, clothing, eco-tourism, etc.).
- Factors affecting differences in economic growth rates: convergence vs divergence in productivity and welfare standards. Patterns of sectoral catching-up.
- The links between microeconomic learning and macroeconomic policies.
- Forces inducing learning and the expansion of domestic technological capabilities.
- Innovation, SME and local development. Factors of attractiveness and embeddedness of the MNCs in local/regional/national systems.
- Privatization of knowledge, Intellectual Property Right (IPR) and development.
- International cooperation and national innovation policies to face global challenges (poverty, diseases, natural disasters).
Additonal information can be found here.
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Call for Papers - Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP): Framework for Action
Conference date: Monday 10th - Tuesday 11th March 2008, Brussels, Belgium (free of charge)
SCORE! (Sustainable Consumption Research Exchanges) is an EC-fundednetwork project that supports the development of the UN's 10 YearFramework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production(SCP). The mission of SCORE! is to organise a leading science networkthat provides input to this framework.
Conference concept
The conference will:
* Launch a global Framework for Action on SCP co-developed by science and NGOs
* Provide an opportunity for presenting conceptual and case studies onSCP relevant for the further work in the UN’s 10 Year Framework ofPrograms
* Provide space for a dedicated session on the contribution of SCP to control Climate Change
* Consolidate the structure for a broad platform for presenting work ofscience and scientists that may be of direct relevance for theactivities of the UN’s 10 Year Framework Task Forces
Conference topics
'Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP): Framework for Action'welcomes conceptual and research-based as well as case describingpapers covering SCP in the context of a range of issues:
Actor perspectives
- Consumers: behaviour, education and lifestyles
- Business: eco-design, supply chains, marketing, sustainable business models
- Policy: instruments for stimulating SCP (GPP, labeling, other)
Regional perspectives
- Base of the Pyramid economies / Human development through the market
- Fast developing economy perspectives / Leapfrogging
Sector perspectives
- Mobility
- Agro-food
- Housing: activities in and around the house including energy use
- Tourism
- Sustainable Urban Development
Special topics
- SCP and transitions: radical change, system innovation and paradigm shifts
- Quantitative impact of change to SCP (with a focus on benefits for climage change)
Draft program and abstract submission details (deadline 19 November 2007), can be found here
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IHDP Strategic Plan 2007-2015 Released
We are happy to present the IHDP Strategic Plan 2007-2015. It hasentered into force as a plan to guide for the work of IHDP's seconddecade. The Strategic Plan inserts will be released periodically andwill outline the most current activities of IHDP,
The Strategic Plan can be downloaded in pdf form here.
The first Strategic Plan Insert for September 2007 can be downloaded here.
Hard copies are available upon request from secretariat@ihdp.unu.edu
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Call for proposals for the conference "Resilience, Adaptation and Transformation in Turbulent Times"
The aim of “Resilience, adaptation and transformationin turbulent times - preparing for change in social-ecological systems”is to bring together scientists working with the complex dynamics ofinterconnected social-ecological systems and to present, discuss, andif possible, summarise the current understanding of resilience,adaptability and pathways of transformation in such systems.Representatives from government, business and other major actors willbe invited to discuss the challenges facing societal development, andtogether with scientists propose directions to go and pathways toavoid. To explore this, and to complement and enhance the scientificsymposium, a Resilience Art Exhibition will be held in connection withthe international science and policy conference.
We invite artists to submit proposals for the Resilience Art Exhibitionto be held at a special venue at Stockholm University in April 2008.The exhibition will take place in connection with theResilience2008-conference. Deadline for submission of proposals:November 16, 2007. The Resilience Art Exhibition is a joint project ofthe Royal Academy of Fine Arts, through Mejan Labs in Stockholm and theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences through the Beijer Institute and theStockholm Resilience Centre, in collaboration with the ResilienceAlliance.
Additional information can be found here
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Debate announcement - "Cross thinking about Sustainability, Long Term Solutions for Climate Change: A Southern Perspective"
Over the past year, the sense of urgency about global warming has significantly increased, both amongst policy makers and amongst the wider public. Al Gore’s movie has led to increased public awareness of nature and size of the problem. The Fourth Assessment report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has strengthened the claim that the contribution of human activities to climate is significant. And the Stern review has brought to our attention the economic consequences of climate change.
Against this background, even those countries of the world who previously insisted on a “polluter pays first” stance – the Developing countries – are considering what they might do to reduce greenhouse emissions on the long run, combining highly needed development with sound climate policies. What paths of economic growth may they choose which both are environmentally sound and fits their development priorities?
Date: 23 October 2007
Language: English
Start lecture: 8pm
Entrance fee: € 10,- / € 7,50 with discount
Reservations: 020 623 13 11 or
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Earlier debates in the series Cross-thinking about sustainability:
Peter Marcotullio (Institute for Advanced Studies of United Nations University) - debate: Cross-thinking about Sustainability: Sustainable cities - what Europe can learn from Asia?, The Presentation can be downloaded from the following link: Sustainable urbanization? What Europe may learn from Asia
Danielle Nierenberg (Worldwatch Institute, Washington, USA) - "Cross thinking about sustainability" on "Factory farming" The original TROUW newspaper report can be found in PDF here and on the TROUW website here.
John Adams (University College, London) - debate on "Hypermobility - the challenge to governance" introduced by a lecture by Prof. John Adams. The original TROUW newspaper report can be found in PDF here and on the TROUW website here.
Wolfgang Sachs (Wuppertal Institute) - debate on the question "Can globalisation become a driver of sustainable development?" The original TROUW newspaper report can be found in PDF here and on the TROUW website here part 1 only.
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Call for Contributions - Social Challenges of Global Change - IHDP Open Meeting 2008
With the theme of the 7th Open Meeting, “Social Challenges of Global Change,” IHDP wants to indicate the need to incorporate not only the general discussion about climate change, but also many other environmental changes which happen in our society: resource shortages, the destruction of ecosystem services, new threats to human health. At the first planning meeting of the ISPC, which took place in Bonn at the end of June this year, the planning committee agreed on four core questions, which should cover the widespread aspects of Social Challenges of Global Change:
- How do we deal with demographic challenges?
- How do we deal with limitations of resources and ecosystem services?
- How do we maintain social cohesion while increasing (global) equity?
- How do we adapt institutions to address global change?
Contributions to this conference will need to relate to one of the questions mentioned above and the numerous cross-cutting issues and topics that intersect them, as laid out in the 7th Open Meeting concept note
Call for Contributions opens at the end of August 2007!
Additional information can be found here
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International Conference: Climate changes Spatial Planning
This conference will contribute to the current European and international science and policy debate on adaptation to climate change and will draw the intermediate balance sheet of the Programme.
The conference will start on September 12 with plenary presentations and discussions by leading international climate experts, policy makers, principal scientists from the Programme and by selected representatives of the stakeholders.
On the second day of the conference, project leaders and project consortia will present their interim results. An extended poster session will be organized during both days, where specific issues of the projects will further be highlighted, including the work in progress of more than 50 PhD students and a range of communication projects.
A mini-exposition of climate proofing solutions and technologies is also under preparation.
All sessions on both conference days are fully open for attendance by all interested participants.
The two day conference will be held on September 12 – 13, 2007 in The Hague, The Netherlands.
additional information can be found here.
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Call for proposals: Environmental economics issues in Africa
The Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy in Africa (CEEPA) is mandated to enhance the capacity of African researchers to conduct environmental economics and policy inquiry of relevance to African problems and increase the awareness of environmental and economic managers and policy makers of the role of environmental economics in sustainable development.
The Research Grant will fund research projects for up to a maximum amount of US$12,500.00 per project. Members of the research team of funded projects will also enjoy additional support through technical and scientific mentorship arrangements and participation in CEEPA research workshops and other activities. CEEPA encourages research proposals that focus mainly on broader issues in environmental economics and policy in African countries. Proposals that seek to suggest alternative strategies, policies and programs to reduce present and future environmental burdens in African countries, as well as proposals whose potential output could lead to improvement in monitoring and measurement of changes in environmental phenomenon are also encouraged.
Deadline for proposals is 31 August 2007.
Additional information can be found here.
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Journal: The Global Impact of Cities
Cutting-edge research on the global impact of cities is the focus of a special issue of Yale’s Journal of Industrial Ecology.
Cities are an environmental paradox. As dense centers of commerce and industry, they are responsible for more than their population share of global environmental impacts. On the other hand, their compactness provides opportunities for economies of scale in transportation, waste and water services and infrastructure.
The environmental impact of cities importantly extends beyond their borders. Cities produce greenhouse gases whose impact is global. More subtly, urban residents engender resource extraction and manufacturing—with all the attendant environmental pressures— beyond the city boundaries.
Contributors to the special issue, Industrial Ecology and the Global Impact of Cities, examined environmental impacts of cities in Singapore, Barcelona, Toronto, China and Southeast Asia as a whole. The topics ranged from the prospects for addressing global warming in urban policy to resource flows in cities.
From the IHDP - Industrial Transformation (IT) perspective cities are opportunities – they permit economies of scale and technological efficiencies not achievable in less dense forms of human settlement. They also provide with prospects for change in the incentive structures and macro systems that regulate production and consumption systems. This locates cities at center of the IT research.
The selected articles in the special issue are available here.
International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology 2007
The Fifteenth Conference of the Society for Human Ecology on "Local populations and diversity in a changing world" will take place October 4-7, 2007, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sessions hosted by Team Social Ecology: "Integrated analysis of local socio-ecological systems: Combining agent-based and stock-flow modelling approaches", "Sustainability and the impact of aid on indigenous people"
Deadline for submission of abstracts is July 30, 2007.
Additional information can be found here
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Book: Advances in Ecological Economics
Fischer-Kowalski, M. and H. Haberl (eds.), 2007. Socioecological Transitions and Global Change. Trajectories of Social Metabolism and Land Use. In “Advances in Ecological Economics,” series editor: Jeroen van den Bergh. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, USA.
This volume summarizes the results of one of the flagship projects of IHDP-IT by analyzing fundamental changes in society-nature interaction: the socioeconomic use of materials, energy and land, analysed within the materials and energy flow accounting framework. It explicitly addresses the interrelations between changes in society and the economy, and changes in the biophysical characteristics of production and consumption systems.
Additional information can be found here.
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Report: Slow Trade - Sound Farming. A Multilateral Framework for Sustainable Markets in Agriculture.
Edited by Wolfgang Sachs/Tilman Santarius et al.
The report is the outcome of a two-years dialogue among a dozen farmer representatives, trade analysts, policy advisors, and researchers from Southern and Northern countries.
The report can be downloaded from here.
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Book: Fair Future - Resource Conflicts, Security, and Global Justice
The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed.’ Mahatma GandhiOil crisis, water conflicts, declining food security - we hear one report after another about resource scarcity - while with growing populations and huge poverty, nations are demanding their right to development. In the age of globalization this right cannot be disputed, yet the planet is already exhibiting signs of acute environmental stress. Indians want more roads and Chinese more oil: the struggle over nature will partly shape the crises of the twenty-first century. Clashes over resources, both major and minor, are often the unseen factor behind chaos and violence and it is vital to start thinking about how the distribution of resources can be made more just.
This book, written by specialists from the internationally renowned Wuppertal Institute, provides an account of what is involved in the resource conflicts of today and tomorrow. It puts forwards perspectives for resource justice and outlines a global economic and environmental policy equally committed to nature and to humanity This new work, rich in analysis and information, offers a compass to anyone looking for ways in which global society might face the challenge of the future.
The book has been edited by Wolfgang Sachs and Tilman Santarius.
additional information can be found here or on the following website
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IHDP announces a new institutional affiliation and sponsorship model, a new office location, and a new logo
Major changes have been underway at IHDP. In the last several weeks, IHDP has moved its International Secretariat into the United Nations Campus in Bonn, and is now hosted by the United Nations University (UNU). This step followed IHDP's new institutional affiliation and sponsorship model, which entered into force on 1 January 2007. IHDP is now a joint programme of the International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), and the United Nations University (UNU).
IHDP also proudly presents a new logo and corporate image as part of its updated Communications Strategy. In addition, the IHDP Strategic Plan 2007-2015 defines the pathways and strategic priorities for ongoing and innovative cutting-edge science, calls for closer ties to and collaboration with policy and decision makers, and enhances the programme's capacity development and outreach activities.
Additional information can be found here.
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Vacancy: Communications Officer at the IHDP Secretariat (part time: 60-80%)
IHDP is an international, interdisciplinary science programme. It promotes, co-ordinates andcommunicates research on the human dimensions of global environmental change. Thisresearch focuses on the ways human beings and societies (a) contribute to and drive globalenvironmental change; (b) are influenced by and impacted upon by global environmental change, and (c) respond to global environmental change. IHDP takes a social, human,behavioural and economic science perspective and works at the interface between science and practice.
Principal Responsibilities
1. Act as the IHDP Secretariat’s key liaison to press, media, experts and the public. Provide clearing house functions to various IHDP Science Projects and joint researchprojects with partner programmes.
2. Develop, organize, implement and monitor IHDP’s various publications, its publicinformation and outreach strategies and products.
3. Organize and oversee the Secretariat’s web, reference and database management.
4. Act as the programme’s main spokesperson.
Individual Responsibilities
- Design and implementation of the IHDP communications strategy, including information and outreach activities and production of relevant information material
- Editor-in-Chief of IHDP’s scientific newsletter UPDATE, including contacts to authors,editing and writing of texts, supervising layout and distribution
- Editor-in-Chief of IHDP’s Annual Report, supervising layout and distribution
- Editor-in-Chief of IHDP’s E-zine, supervising layout and distribution
- Acting as the spokesperson of the IHDP SC Chair and the IHDP Executive Director
- Drafting of IHDP Press Releases; organizing outreach and press activities for IHDP and the core research projects
If you are interested the preferred starting date is 1 September 2007. Please submit your full application (letter ofmotivation, CV, references, work samples and salary expectations).
Deadline for application extended to 15 July 2007
Additional information can be found here
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Vacancy: Senior Scientific Officer at the IHDP Secretariat
IHDP is an international, interdisciplinary science programme. It promotes, catalyzes, coordinates and communicates global research describing, analyzing, and understanding the human and societal dimensions of global environmental change. This research focuses on the ways human beings and societies (a) contribute to and drive global environmental change; (b) are influenced by and impacted upon by global environmental change, and (c) respond to global environmental change. IHDP takes a social, human, behavioural and economic science perspective and works at the interface between science and practice.
The IHDP Secretariat is currently seeking to fill the position of Senior Scientific Officer (SSO). The position is central to the Secretariat’s goal of promoting, supporting, and co-ordinating research, analysis and policy advice. The SSO works closely with IHDP’s International Project Offices and partner programmes, is in charge of a portfolio of ongoing and fast-track activities, and reports directly to the IHDP Executive Director. He/She contributes to programme planning, reporting, and the development of new activities.
Deadline for application is 21st of june 2007.
Additional information can be found here.
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Forum on Eco-Innovation: Markets for Sustainable Construction
The European Forum brings together business and policy perspectives in a series of unique events that explore strategic orientations for eco-innovation and environmental technologies, in support of the EU Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP).
This second edition of the Forum will be held in Brussels the day before the Green Week, the Commission's key annual awareness raising event on environmental policy, and will be devoted to Markets for Sustainable Construction.
"How can the construction sector - so important for our every-day life and well-being, with about 10% of EU GDP and 7% of total employment - become more sustainable?"
EU policies related to climate change, in particular the commitments to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020, and the drive for sustainable consumption and production, require fundamental changes in the way we plan, design, construct, use, and maintain buildings. What are the technology solutions available to reduce the use of energy and resources? How can public policies facilitate the move? Where are the priorities – for new buildings and for retrofitting?
The present Forum on Eco-Innovation gathers business experts and policy-makers to try and address these questions, identify good practices and on-going projects, and propose scope for further cooperation between stakeholders.
Decision makers and actors from finance, technology development, business, policy development, academia and NGOs will debate and discuss relevant topics.
The programme will include:
- Forum address featuring prominent speakers from politics and business.
- Moderated parallel sessions aiming to arrive at recommendations on specific topics.
Recommendations of the Forum will provide pertinent and timely suggestions for future action aimed at business and finance, as well as National and European policy makers.
Additional information can be found here.
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Vacancy: Research position for the Global Carbon Project
Research position for one researcher to work on a project which started in April 2007 as part of a larger team (about 40 researchers) that includes members from a number of key research institutions in Japan. The goal of the overall project is to conduct a synthetic study on next-generation climate change scenarios. The project is funded by the Global Environment Research Fund from the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. The successful candidate will provide input on a component of this research, entitled “spatially-explicit emission and land use change scenarios”. In particular, the sub-component on which the researcher will work is entitled “Research on validating spatially-explicit scenarios and building an international network”. The researcher will work under the guidance and supervision of the Leader of this sub-component Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal. The researcher will also be required to contribute to research and activities related to the Urban and Regional Carbon Management initiative (www.gcp-urcm.org) of the Global Carbon Project (www.globalcarbonproject.org).
Position Post-doctoral researcher or Research fellow
The position is also open to people on sabbatical leave or secondment from other research institutions.
Period of Employment
The successful applicant will be offered an annual contract which will expire at the end of the Japanese fiscal year (March 31, 2008). Initial hiring will be done for one year. The contract may be renewed (to a maximum of five years) subject to performance evaluation and budgetary review.
Additional information can be found here.
Deadline is 15 june 2007 or until a candidate is hired.
Call for papers: International Workshop "Globalizing lifestyles between McDonaldization and sustainability perspectives – The case of the new middle classes“
The main focus lies on the globalisation of lifestyles and on related consumption patterns. To come to a more comprehensive understanding of the issue, pertinent inquiries and findings from other fields of research will be reviewed in the workshop. These include the socio-economic characteristics exhibited by the promoters of specific consumption patterns (“new middle classes”), the infrastructures and political frameworks impacting on consumption patterns (“systems of provision” and “transition management”) and societal “modernisation” as a framework of socio-cultural homogenisation and/or of differentiation.
The objective is:
- to contribute to a conceptual framework in which the relation between sustainability and consumption is analysed under the conditions of globalisation with a reasonable of social-scientific complexity.
- to enhance the scientific discussion about sustainability and consumption by relating current research on societal change in a globalised world with research on sustainable consumption.
The workshop is structured in four panels:
- The characteristics and the development of the “new middle classes”
- The importance and the dynamics of lifestyles in these milieus
- The impact of systems of provision and of governance systems
- Convergence and divergence of societal paths of modernisation
Abstracts from a wide variety of disciplines are welcome. These include sociology, geography, economy, political science and anthropology. The conference language is English. We are planning to publish the outcome as an edited volume. Travel expenses will be covered.
We appreciate a 700-word abstracts by June 15, 2007, as a Word or Rich Text document to: Andrea Meier, email:
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The abstracts should touch the methodological background, the empirical basis and the panel which fits to your presentation. Please add a short CV including your current scientific work focus.
The workshop held from 4th - 5th of October 2007, University of Bremen, ARTEC Institute.
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Summer school on ecohydrology 2007
The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and partners from the Boussinesq Center for Hydrology and the Bsik program 'Climate changes Spatial Planning' are organizing a summer school on Ecohydrology that is taking place June 11th - 15th of 2007. The course will consist of 10 half-day sessions. The aim of the course is to provide an overview of the current state of ecohydrology, and to give several in-depth examples of the ecohydrological functioning of different ecosystems around the globe.
To view more information on the course and/or to register, you can go to the website here. The course is limited to 50 participants; if more than 50 participants apply, priority will be given to PhD students that are closely related to the field of
ecohydrogy. When you register yourself, please provide a short description of why you would like to join the summerschool and information on your background. This will allow us to cater more towards the interest and background of the participants.
The fee for the course is 250 euro, including beverages, fieldtrip, and dinner on the last day. Lodging and travel are not included, more information on lodging can be found on the website after April 2nd.
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New START Project "Conserving Biodiversity in a Changing Climate"
START has been awarded a grant of $300,000 from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to support capacity building for conservation of biodiversity in a changing climate in the Albertine Rift region of Africa.
START and the Institute for Resource Assessment of the University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, will develop and implement masters' level courses and externships for early to mid-career conservation researchers and professionals and graduate students. The courses will focus on the risks to biodiversity resulting from climate change, and strategies to manage the risks. The program will be implemented at the campus of the University of Dar Es Salaam and will be open to participants from across Africa, with emphasis on the Albertine Rift countries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Successful participants will receive credits toward a master of science degree and will acquire enhanced knowledge and skills that will enable them to contribute substantively to adapting biodiversity conservation practices to changing risks in a changing climate. Development of the curriculum will be done in 2007 and the courses and externships will be offered beginning in 2008.
Contacts for further information:
Dr. Neil Leary,
Senior Scientist, START
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Professor Pius Yanda,
Director, Institute for Resource Assessment,
University of Dar es Salaam
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Special issue on Southeast Asia in Transition in winter 2005 from the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues.
The special issue resulted from an EU funded research project aiming at understanding the relation of socio-economic development and resource use and related environmental impacts. The special issue presents a methodological tool for a multi-scale integrated analysis of sustainability and a number of case study applications.
Case studies include
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A land-time budget analysis for farming systems in Laos to assess poverty alleviation policies,
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An analysis of resource use and poverty issue in the Philippines,
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A material flow account for rural communities in Viet Nam and the Philippines
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Scenarios for future development and resource use for Viet Nam.
It also presents graphic tools for data representation for integrated analysis of farming systems.
The introduction to the special issue and abstracts of all papers are available at the journal’s website here.
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Advanced Institute on Global Environmental Change and the Vulnerability of Africa's Water Resources in the context of the Millennium Development Goals
START, in partnership with the Global Environmental Change and Human Security project of IHDP, the Global Water Systems Project of ESSP, the Vrije University of Amsterdam, UNESCO-IHE located in Delft, The Netherlands, and the International Foundation of Science (Sweden) invites applications for Institute Fellows to participate in the Advanced Institute on Global Environmental Change and the Vulnerability of Water Resources in the Context of the Millennium Development Goals. The Institute will focus on issues of water demand, management and governance.
The Advanced Institute will have three components: 1)a three-week long intensive Seminar to be held at UNESCO-IHE, Delft, The Netherlands during September and October 2007; 2) research grants for successful Institute Fellows; and 3) a synthesis workshop following completion of the research.
The Advanced Institute is open to young scientists and professionals, 35 years of age or younger at the time of application. They must be a citizen and resident of a country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In early January 2007, a formal announcement and the related application information will be posted on the START website here.
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Report: Urban Transportation and the environment: in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, by Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal, from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), 2006
The report: "Urban Transportation and the environment: in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal", has been released by Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal. The report can be downloaded here.
Executive Summary abstract
This study presents analyses of the current status of the emission of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) and the energy use in the Kathmandu Valley which is associated with urban transportation. It also includes a discussion of past trends and future scenarios in order to help identify plausible synergistic mitigation measures. In this pursuit, the study developed an inventory of priority air pollutants, energy use and CO2 emission associated with passenger transportation in the Kathmandu Valley for the past and projected these values into the future with the help of a bottom-up, dynamic accounting model and a scenario approach.
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Journal of Industrial Ecology on Priorities for Environmental Product Policy, Special Issue
The Journal of Industrial Ecology has recently published a special issue on Priorities for Environmental Product Policy that might be of interest to some of the members of the IT Community .
The issue provides rigorous and comprehensive insight into the life-cycle impacts of consumption -- what we buy and what we use -- on the environment. The articles identify high-impact product categories at the level of city (Cardiff), country (Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands), and continent (the European Union).
A review article from the special issue is available on the web for free download. The Journal of Industrial Ecology is a peer-reviewed international quarterly published by MIT Press, owned by Yale University, and headquartered at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.
Despite the immense differences in approaches, all studies derive the same major priorities. The following activities and product groups cause 70 to 80% of the total environmental impacts in society:
Mobility: automobile and air transport;
Food: meat and dairy, followed by other types of food; and
The home, and related energy use: buildings, and heating-, cooling-, and other energy using appliances.
Important reductions in environmental impacts thus can be reached by policies that target this limited group of product categories.
The special issue is based on research prepared for the EU-funded project Environmental Impacts of Products. The project was led by Dutch research organizations TNO and CML and provides an important basis for the EU’s Integrated Product Policy.
For more information about this special issue, please click here
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Invitation for contributions to the Encyclopedia of Earth
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I invite you to help build what is fast becoming a seminal reference on understanding and managing the environment. With the recent public release of the Encyclopedia of Earth , scientists from around the world are joining to create a comprehensive, authoritative source of information about the environments of Earth and their interactions with society. The Encyclopedia is written and governed by experts working in a unique collaborative environment, and it has been released through the initial work of about 300 Authors and 100 Topic Editors. The Encyclopedia's oversight comes from an outstanding group of international scholars, our International Advisory Board (see below).
You can write on or edit any topic that interests you and that falls within the scope of Encyclopedia. Entries are from 250 to 5,000 words, geared to a general audience. Your articles can be drawn directly from existing material you have written, subject to any copyright restrictions. The Encyclopedia is built, maintained, and governed by experts like you via a specially adapted "wiki," an online resource that allows users to add and edit content collectively. Significantly, unlike other wikis, access to the Encyclopedia wiki is restricted to approved experts, and all content is peer reviewed and approved prior to being published at the free public site.
I encourage you to circulate this invitation widely within your community.
Thanks for your consideration.
With best regards,
Cutler J. Cleveland, Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Earth
Professor, Department of Geography and Environment and Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, Boston University
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Book: Reflexive Governance For Sustainable Development
Innovations are introduced in the hope that they will have positive impacts
on their targets, but also in the certain knowledge that there will be
negative and unintended effects as well. In time, these less desired effects
may also come to generate innovative and adaptive responses in a continuous,
reflexiv? process. This book sets out to analyse the consequences for
sustainability research and policy analysis. This collection, by many of the
leading thinkers in the field, blends sophisticated theoretical discussion
with practical perspectives on how to deal with the conundrum the only
thing certain about the future is that you will be wrong about it!?
Frans Berkhout, Vrije University, The Netherlands
This book deals with the issue of sustainable development in a novel and
innovative way. It examines the governance implications of reflexive
modernisation - the condition that societal development is endangered by its
own side-effects. With conceptualising reflexive governance the book leads a
way out of endless quarrels about the definition of sustainability and into
a new mode of collective action.
Edited by Jan-Peter Voß, Research Fellow, Dierk Bauknecht, Research Fellow,
Öko-Institut, Institute for Applied Ecology, Germany and René Kemp, Senior
Research Fellow, MERIT, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Copyright 2006, hardback 480 pp, ISBN13 978 1 84542 582 1
Click here for additional information
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"Greener Management International" Issue 47 special theme issue released
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND REGULATION IN THE CAR INDUSTRY
Guest Edited by Paul Nieuwenhuis and Peter Wells, Cardiff University, UK
Philip J. Vergragt, Tellus Institute, USA
A limited number of individual copies of this special issue are available for purchase at the price of £25.00/$45.00. Postage worldwide is gratis.
To place an order, to view all paper abstracts, or to view the " Introduction" by Paul Nieuwenhuis and Peter Wells, Cardiff University, UK and Philip J. Vergragt, Tellus Institute, USA please visit the Greenleaf website here
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