Environment

01 Jan How Sweden reaches its climate goals

Posted at 15:37h in - Classification of publications - All, - Classification of themes - All, - Member Academies - All, Academic report, by a Commission or a Working Group, Energy and Climate Change, Environment, Other, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering (IVA), Society and Technology by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering (IVA)
2020
In accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement the Swedish ambition is to become climate neutral by 2045. However, the investments that are made today are not enough - Sweden will not achieve its climate goals at the current rate of development. With the project Choices for the climate, IVA wants to contribute with a holistic perspective on the climate issue to help decision-makers weigh up different alternatives, while at the same time strengthening Swedish competitiveness. IVA focuses on the following questions: What technical measures are required on a system level, to meet the climate targets? How much more electricity and biomass are needed to replace fossil energy and fossil resources? And how should politics work to achieve the climate goals? The project's summary report, “How Sweden will reach its climate goals”, is based on other reports, studies and public statistics already published. Seven main strategies that IVA has identified for Sweden to achieve its climate goals are outlined, including the need for more international cooperation, the need to share and mitigate economic risks so that the necessary technology shifts can be made, and the need to ensure access to electricity and a secure electricity system. The report is available in Swedish.
Read More

01 Jan Greenhouse gas emissions in the agri-food system

Posted at 09:37h in - Classification of themes - All, - Member Academies - All, Communications to the Academy by its members, Energy and Climate Change, Environment, Other, Other publications, Real Academia de Ingenieria (Spain) (RAI) by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
Real Academia de Ingenieria (Spain) (RAI)
2020
The study "Greenhouse gas emissions in the agri-food system and the carbon footprint of food in Spain", which began in the last academic year, has continued to be developed. It is estimated that all stages of the "agri-food system" are responsible for 27% of global anthropogenic GGE emissions. http://www.raing.es/es/publicaciones/libros/emisiones-de-gases-efecto-invernadero-en-el-sistema-agroalimentario-y-huella-de
Read More

24 Nov Energy and Innovation Observatory

Posted at 09:42h in - Classification of themes - All, - Member Academies - All, Communications to the Academy by its members, Energy and Climate Change, Environment, Ethics, Other, Other publications, Real Academia de Ingenieria (Spain) (RAI) by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
Real Academia de Ingenieria (Spain) (RAI)
2019
The conference "Towards a competitive development of demand management", organised within the framework of the Energy and Innovation Observatory in collaboration with Endesa, took place on 26th November 2019, with the participation of the Secretary of State for Energy, Mr José Domínguez Abascal, who showed the Spanish Government’s view on demand management. The conference was divided into two well defined sessions, the first addressing demand management, an opportunity for consumers, and the second regulatory barriers to the development of demand management.
Read More

28 Oct Municipal Solid Waste: What to do with the biodegradables?

Posted at 13:47h in - Classification of publications - All, - Classification of themes - All, - Member Academies - All, Academic report, by a Commission or a Working Group, Biotechnologies, Environment, National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), Technologies and Health by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2010
Based on the disciplines of biology, molecular biology, chemistry, biotechnology as well as information technology and engineering sciences, a new field of research is evolving, called synthetic biology. It has attracted special attention recently, also on an international basis. Synthetic biology can make an essential contribution to the gaining of knowledge in basic research. Beyond that, it opens up options for biotechnological applications in the medium term, i.e. in the area of new and improved diagnostic agents, vaccines and drugs as well as the development of new biosensors and biomaterials or even biofuels. Concurrently, the research area opens up new questions, e.g. about legal aspects in the context of biological safety or the protection from abuse; likewise, questions about the economic use and ethical aspects. Against this backdrop, the German Research Foundation (DFG), acatech, which is the German Academy for Science and Engineering, and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina have pooled their strengths and crafted a joint statement on possible opportunities and risks of synthetic biology.
Read More

21 Oct Strategy of Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Slovenia (50 pages)

Posted at 13:59h in - Classification of publications - All, - Classification of themes - All, - Member Academies - All, Academy’s advice and position paper, Engineering Academy of Slovenia (IAS), Environment, Ethics, Other, Research, Technologies, Innovation and Employment, Society and Technology by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
Engineering Academy of Slovenia (IAS)
2012
Analysis of educational system in Slovenia and Research, development and innovative achievements of Slovenia has now become an annual task and receives and generates substantial interest from interested parties. In 2012 it has been upgraded to Strategy of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Slovenia. It contains propositions that connect engineering, industry, innovation, research, economy, environment, sustainability for further development of Slovenia.
Read More

21 Oct Technology Highway – Consensus for an Innovative Slovenia (104 pages)

Posted at 13:58h in - Classification of publications - All, - Classification of themes - All, - Member Academies - All, Academy’s advice and position paper, Engineering Academy of Slovenia (IAS), Environment, Ethics, Other, Research, Technologies, Innovation and Employment, Society and Technology by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
Engineering Academy of Slovenia (IAS)
2012
Knowledge is the only way out of the economic crisis, is the foreword of the collection of articles  of speakers at the conference “Technology Highway - Consensus for an Innovative Slovenia”, organised by the Slovenian Academy of Engineering. The conference has discussed on the Strategy of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Slovenia, the Euro-CASE Innovation platform and Horizon 2020. The collection of articles presents contributions of five speakers at the conference.
Read More

18 Oct Drought, even in Flanders?

Posted at 14:45h in - Classification of publications - All, - Classification of themes - All, Academic report, by a Commission or a Working Group, Belgium Academies (ARB), Environment by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
Belgium Academies (ARB)
2009
Industry, agriculture and households as well as nature lay claims to the fresh water supplies. Mainly because of the high population density in Flanders the mean water availability per capita is low, to the extent that during certain periods water scarcity occurs. The effects of climate change are expected to worsen the situation. Apart from promoting a water saving attitude, the re-use of water and the use of precipitation have to be encouraged. By establishing quotas for groundwater abstraction, introducing an adjusted concession granting policy and a steering water pricepolicy, groundwater bodies being at poor quantitative status may be improved, whilst those who are at good status may stay in equilibrium. Urban and space planning should support the groundwater recharge, among other things by aiming at increased infiltration.
Read More

18 Oct Global Water Security – an engineering perspective

Posted at 14:38h in - Classification of themes - All, Co-studies, Environment, Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) (RAEng) by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) (RAEng)
2010
This report addresses water security as a global issue as well as considering the situation of the UK in that context.  It makes the following six recommendations:  1. Inter-governmental bodies and key discussion fora must elevate the issues of water security in their strategies. 2. Water security should become a core component of UK policy making. 3. UK industry must show leadership on global water security. 4. The regulation of the water sector globally needs to have integrated water resource management and sustainability informed by a systems approach at its core. 5. The Government should bolster investment in the research and development of solutions to global water security.  6. The UK engineering institutions should ensure that their global memberships are appropriately equipped, through professional development, to apply a systems led approach to water engineering, incorporating the technical, geo-political, societal and ethical dimensions of the challenge.
Read More

18 Oct Rare Metals

Posted at 14:37h in - Classification of publications - All, - Classification of themes - All, Academic report, by a Commission or a Working Group, Academy’s advice and position paper, Environment, Other, Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) by administrateur 0 Comments
0 Likes 
Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW)
2010
Through their increasing use in innovative technical products our society is dependent upon rare metals as never before. It is unclear how the rising demand can be satisfied in the future. Workable deposits of rare metals are often restricted to just a few regions, resulting in political and economical critical dependencies. Generally, moreover, rare materials are not mined in isolation, but occur as by-products of the extraction of other elements. Thus the availability of rare materials is not just influenced by the direct demand for a specific element. An added complication is that rare metals are nowadays only recycled to a limited extent. The concrete examples in this paper show that the way we handle rare materials today could lead to critical situations in the future. We therefore need to find more sustainable ways of handling them. This will require a better understanding of the corresponding material cycles and specific, coordinated measures anchored in international institutions.
Read More