News
Click on the links below to view the latest Living With Environmental Change stories.
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08/07/2010: IPCC Scholarship Programme
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has announced a call for sholarships to develop the knowledge, skills and capacity of young scholars from some of the regions most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and to strengthen the ability of developing countries to contribute to climate science and research.
For more information see the IPPC site.
23/06/2010: Loss of bees could be 'a blow to UK economy'
Speaking at a news briefing at the Science Media Centre, Professor Andrew Watkinson, director of the Living with Environmental Change, said that the new initiative "allowed us to bring in new skills in gene sequencing and epidemiological modelling with the expertise that already exists in the pollinator research community".Some projects will look at factors affecting the health and survival of pollinators in general. Others will focus on specific species and diseases.
Read the rest on the article on the BBC's website
23/06/2010: Where have the bees gone? Professor Andrew Watkinson on the BBC Radio 4 "Today" Programme
Professor Andrew Watkinson, director of the Living with Environmental Change programme, outlines the importance of pollinators.
22/06/2010: Press release New projects to address decline of honeybees and other insect pollinators
Projects worth up to £10M from the Insect Pollinators Initiative are announced today (22 June 2010), during National Insect Week.
These projects will explore the causes and consequences of threats to insect pollinators and ask questions about the decline of honeybees and other pollinating insects over recent years. The aim is to inform the development of mitigation strategies that will ensure that the pollination of agricultural and horticultural crops is protected and biodiversity in natural ecosystems is maintained.
What is clear at present is that there is no one factor causing the problem. The causes of pollinator declines are likely to be complex and involve interactions between pollinators, the environment and the pests and diseases that affect these insects. Insects pollinate around a third of the agricultural crops grown globally and the total loss of insect pollinators could cost up to £440M per year in the UK (about 13% of the UK's income from farming). Because of the vital role pollinating insects play it is absolutely crucial that we generate knowledge that can be applied to strategies aimed at reversing the decline.
The Insect Pollinators Initiative is a joint initiative from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Natural Environment Research Council, The Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust, and is funded under the auspices of the Living With Environmental Change partnership.
The projects will look at different aspects of the decline of insect pollinators. Some will focus on specific species and/or diseases; others will look more broadly at factors affecting the health and survival of some or all pollinating insects. The initiative brings together researchers from many disciplines including ecology, molecular biology, mathematics, and computing.
Professor Andrew Watkinson, Director of the Living with Environmental Change programme said "To tackle a complex problem like the decline of pollinating insects, where there are a number of potential causes, requires wide-ranging research. That is why it is so important that a number of funding organisations have come together in this initiative to provide the essential breadth and critical mass of research that would not be possible if the individual funders worked in isolation. It has also allowed us to bring in new skills in gene sequencing and epidemiological modelling with the expertise that already exists in the pollinator research community. I am delighted to see the broad and innovative range of projects being funded."
Professor Douglas Kell, BBSRC Chief Executive said "The UK leads the world in biology, and we have a strong community ready and able to tackle important social and economic issues that scientific research can help address. To this end it is a priority for BBSRC to fund bioscience research that will contribute to meeting the challenge of feeding a global population set to reach 9 billion by 2050. The Insect Pollinators Initiative supports our aim to fund high quality research across BBSRC's scientific remit that will inform sustainable food production in the future. With such a complex problem, multidisciplinary and systems-based approaches will be extremely valuable and BBSRC's community is well placed to provide the necessary expertise to make this happen. Not only this, but these projects will also generate UK-based knowledge, skills and technical innovation in areas as diverse as genetics, virology, ecology and mathematical modelling."
Defra minister Lord Henley said "Defra takes the health of Britain's insect pollinators including bees, butterflies and moths very seriously as they play an essential role in putting food on our tables through the pollination of many vital crops.
"This initiative will help some of our world-class researchers to identify why bee numbers are declining, and that will help us to take the right action to help.
"It is crucial we all work together on this and the biggest challenge will be to better understand the complex relationships between biological and environmental factors that affect pollinators' health and lifespan."
Professor Alan Thorpe, NERC Chief Executive said "We can take for granted the variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers that we can enjoy every day but some of the insect pollinators on which they rely are in serious decline. Understanding the complexities of environmental ecosystems is a priority that will help to ensure the survival of pollinators and the benefits they provide. This new research will give us vital knowledge about the effect changing environments, habitats and emerging diseases have on the health and wellbeing of these insects. As part of the Living With Environmental Change initiative, the essential multidisciplinary research and policy partnership has been created to find solutions to this critical problem."
Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead said "Insect pollinators are an essential part of agriculture and landscape in Scotland. Their place in maintaining the biodiversity of our countryside is crucial. In pollinating crops and plants, such as the £68M soft fruit industry, they have a valuable role in the economy as well as the fruits of their activities supporting a wide range of other species.
"As the impact of environmental change unfolds we must learn and understand more about the threats faced by these insects because they are so important to us. I am, therefore, delighted that we have been able to invest in this wide ranging programme of research which will complement the Scottish Government's own work on the Bee Health Strategy."
Sir Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust said "The decline in the populations of bees and other pollinators could have a devastating effect on our environment, and this will almost certainly have a serious impact on our health and wellbeing. Understanding what is causing this decline is an urgent challenge facing the scientific community and it is important we work across disciplines to find ways that it can be reversed."
For more details on the projects funded see http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/opportunities/2009/insect-pollinators-ini...
21/06/2010: Press release UK science spotlights ocean acidification
The UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme was launced on the 21 June 2010 and is the UK’s first research programme to investigate the impacts of ocean acidification.
Ocean Acidification
The world’s seas are absorbing high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) mainly produced by human activities, such as fossil fuel burning. The absorbed CO2 fundamentally changes the chemistry of oceans which results in a rise in ocean acidity. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution ocean acidity has risen by about 30%. Ocean acidification is estimated to be currently occurring at a rate faster than has been experienced during the last 20 million years. If CO2 emissions continue to rise and the acidity of the World’s oceans and seas continues to increase at this rate this could have serious consequences for important cycles that drive the climate as well as marine life (e.g. corals, shellfish, algae and the plankton that
form the base of the food chain) within this century.
Such impacts could reach far beyond the marine environment, to that of climate, food provision and human health and well-being.
Richard Benyon, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries, said:“The effects of climate change on land have been well documented yet we are only just beginning to explore the damage that rising CO2 levels could have on our marine ecosystems. The UK is the world leader in marine science and it is projects such as this that will help us understand the effects of ocean acidification on the world’s seas and oceans. This research programme is vital to help us meet the challenges ocean acidification presents.”
The need for more knowledge about ocean acidification and how it will impact upon the oceans environmentally, socially and economically is recognised as a key issue, and the six
new projects have been designed to answer some of the most pressing questions.
NERC Chief Executive, Professor Alan Thorpe, said
“Ocean acidification is an important scientific priority in NERC’s Strategy as well as in the recently published UK Marine Science Strategy. I am very pleased that we have been able to address this critical science and policy issue with Defra and DECC, as part of the Living with Environmental Change programme. This initiative, one of the first to be funded by any nation, ensures that the UK will remain at the forefront of ocean acidification research.”
Professor Robert Watson, Defra’s Chief Science Adviser, commented:
"Ocean acidification may be a relatively recently identified phenomenon but its potential impact is likely to have wide ramifications through the ocean. We need to understand how much of a problem it might be, how quickly we will start to feel its effects and how we might mitigate any impacts. The UK has been at the forefront of ocean acidification research and this Programme will ensure the excellent work continues. By following a multi-disciplinary approach, looking at a range of aspects of ocean acidification, we can bring together scientists across disciplines in order to gain as complete a picture of how the ocean will react to increasing acidity and how its diverse life forms will cope or adapt in the future."
Funders
They are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) under the auspices of the Living with Environmental Change partnership.
More information
15/06/2010: Report published - Chemistry-using Industries and Living with Environmental Change
Environmental change is happening and the chemical industry needs to adapt to it. In March 2010, Chemistry Innovation held a workshop on behalf of the Living with Environmental Change programme, as part of a study to assess the business opportunities and threats for the chemical sector and identify where funding bodies should focus their efforts. A report detailing the output and background information can now be downloaded here.
The science and technology gaps to address these issues, and support required from Living with Environmental Change and government, will be identified in a second workshop later in the year. If you are interested in attending this event of for further information please contact Rebecca.Farnell@ciktn.co.uk
10/06/2010: Press release Living with Environmental Change announces merger between three leading environmental coordinating bodies
A merger between the Living with Environmental Change programme, the Environment Research Funders’ Forum and the Global Environmental Change Committee was agreed at the Partners’ Board meeting in London this week. The new partnership brings together 22 major UK public sector funders and users of environmental research to align strategic and delivery activities more effectively under one partnership.
The partnership will operate under the identity of Living with Environmental Change to continue to ‘optimise the coherence and effectiveness of UK environmental research funding and ensure government, business and society have the foresight, knowledge and tools to mitigate, adapt to and capitalise on environmental change’.
Living with Environmental Change Director Professor Andrew Watkinson says ‘I am delighted to announce this merger which will strengthen both the strategic and delivery aims of the partnership and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations. This is essential at a time when we are facing both rapid environmental change and severe financial pressures. The merger of the three bodies will improve our ability to respond to the big challenges of environmental change’.
Lord Selborne, Chair of the Partners Board says ‘I very much welcome this merger between the Environment Research Funders Forum, Global Environmental Change Committee and the Living with Environmental Change programme. Recognising there are many areas of mutual interest between the three bodies, it makes sense to build on the successes and join the strategic and delivery functions to form a partnership that can speak with a single clear voice on environmental science.’
The functions previously held under the Global Environmental Change Committee and the Environment Research Funders’ Forum, including the UK Environmental Observation Framework (www.ukeof.org.uk), will continue under the auspices of Living with Environmental Change.
For more information contact
Ruth Welters
Living with Environmental Change Communications Specialist ruth.welters@lwec.org.uk tel 01603 593906 or 07780 993084
Susan Ballard, Environment Research Funders’ Forum Communications Manager
sull@erff.org.uk tel 01793 442896 or 07827 980767
04/06/2010: New Rural Economy and Land Use projects launched
Successful projects in Relu's (Rural Economy and Land Use) 4th and final round "Adapting Rural Living and Land Use to Environmental Change" - a joint call with the Living With Environmental Change programme - have now been announced. They are:
- Building Adaptive Strategies for Environmental Change in River Catchments
- Linking Evidence and Policy for Managing Biodiversity in the Agricultural Landscape
- Sustainable Uplands: Transforming knowledge for upland change
- Managing Environmental Change at the Rural-Urban Fringe
- Market-Based Mechanisms for Protection of Water Resources
- Collaborative Conservation in Agri-Environment Schemes
- Flood Management in Borderlands
- Sustainable Cultivation of Upland Environments
- Rural Communities Adapting and Living with Climate Change
Project descriptions may be found on the Relu site
A project launch will take place in Manchester on 1 July and a few places are still available for people from stakeholder organisations interested in making contact with project teams.
Contact relu@ncl.ac.uk for information and bookings.
26/05/2010: NERC Council approves new research actions
NERC's governing Council has approved five new research actions which will contribute to the delivery of NERC's seven strategic science themes over the next five years. These are:
- Aerosols and Clouds (£3m, contributes to climate system, Earth system science and technologies themes)
- Ocean Shelf-Edge Exchange (£3.8m, contributes to climate system, Earth system science, biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources themes)
- Understanding and Predicting the Ocean Boundary Layer (£3.8m, contributes to climate system, Earth system science and technologies themes)
- Probability, Uncertainty and Risk (£2.4m, contributes to natural hazards theme)
- Coastal Sediment Systems (£3m, contributes to natural hazards theme)
For further information, please click on the following link
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/themes/tap
20/05/2010: Natural hazards - invitation to tender
Tenders are invited to bid to deliver a review on the UK and international natural hazards research landscape.
The funders NERC, UKCDS, ESRC, DfID, AHRC and EPSRC are seeking an individual or a small team from a higher education institute, research organisation or limited company to provide a high-level programmatic review of UK and international research funders of natural hazards research, their historical, current and planned programmes of research, their implementation and evaluation to identify broad content and outcomes. The outputs will be used to inform future research funding priorities in the UK and internationally and to assist funders to review or refresh their funding strategies.
Closing date: 7 June 2010
For further information see: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/themes/hazards/events/itt-review.asp
18/05/2010: Challenger Society Conference on Marine Science 6-9 September 2010
Challenger Society Conference on Marine Science on 6-9 September 2010, will address major marine science issues under the overarching theme "Ocean Challenges in the 21st Century"
The meeting will be held in Southampton. For more information and to submit an abstract please see http://www.challenger2010.org.uk
18/03/2010: Workshop on Science-Policy Interactions
NERC / British Ecological Society Science-Policy Interactions Workshop on 18th and 19th May 2010
Theme "Living With Environmental Change"
A Science-Policy interactions workshop, organised by the Natural Environment Research Council and the British Ecological Society is taking place on 18th and 19th May at the Defra innovation Centre in Reading. This workshop is aimed at early career researchers funded by NERC and/or members of the British Ecological Society and is aimed at supporting attendees' science to policy activities through:
- Provision of information about means of engagement with policy and how this can best proceed, with some sessions including input from Defra and Environment Agency policymakers
- An opportunity to practice communication skills
- Establishment of a science - policy professional network to facilitate ongoing science to policy discussion and sharing of best practice
The workshop itself is funded by NERC and BES, including accommodation in Reading for one night, refreshments for both days and a dinner on the evening of 18th May. Travel costs are not covered by NERC and BES.
Deadline for submitting application forms is Friday 16th April 2010: further information is available on the application form below:
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16/03/2010: Report published: UK NEA’s Progress and Steps Towards Delivery
UK NEA’s Progress and Steps Towards Delivery brochure is now available. It can be download from the Communications page of our website (http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/Resources/NEACommunications/tabid/105/Default...)
16/03/2010: Press release- UK to host international science conference
Joint press release from the Royal Society, the Living with Environmental Change programme and the Natural Environment Research Council
UK to host international science conference
The UK has successfully bid to host a major international science conference in 2012. The London conference, Planet Under Pressure: new knowledge, new solutions, is expected to attract 2,500 of the world’s leading thinkers in global change research.
The four-day conference will be hosted by the UK’s Royal Society, the Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), together with the International Council for Science’s (ICSU) four global environmental change research programmes.
The conference, provisionally booked for 7-10 May 2012, will take place prior to the next UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, also scheduled for that year.
Presenting the latest research findings, the London conference is anticipated to provide a solid scientific foundation for the summit.
Professor Lorna Casselton, Foreign Secretary and Vice-President of the Royal Society, said, “It is a tribute to the quality of UK science that London has been chosen as a venue for the conference. The Royal Society is dedicated to building international links within the science community and is therefore delighted to be hosting an event that will bring together such a wide range of specialists from around the globe to address many of the big challenges of our time.”
The sponsors aim to discuss the world’s most pressing environmental issues – such as ensuring we have a sustainable supply of food and water, providing resilient infrastructures in our towns and cities that will withstand the pressures environmental changes will bring, and protecting people, animals and plants from hazards and diseases.
Director of Living with Environmental Change, Professor Andrew Watkinson, said, “An overarching aim of the conference will be to discuss solutions to the environmental challenges we face. We need to find ways to increase the speed with which we move to a low carbon society and ensure food, water and energy security for the billions of people across the globe in a changing world. The Living with Environmental Change partners are already addressing these critical issues, so I am very pleased that we are co-hosting the 2012 conference, which I am sure will become a catalyst for more innovative research collaborations to address the needs of society."
The conference will bring together natural, physical and social scientists, economists, engineers, health specialists and many other disciplines, along with national and international policy makers, NGOs, industry representatives, technologists, and development experts. It will offer an important forum to consolidate these relationships and discuss the future.
The conference has been initiated by ICSU’s International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP). Executive Director, Professor Sybil Seitzinger said “We need to set research priorities that fully integrate the information needs of diverse groups of people. We need to communicate a comprehensive picture of the state of the planet and its future to the institutions charged with global environmental stewardship. We will work with these institutions to help develop a planetary management approach that tackles all the challenges in a truly integrated way.”
The final day of the conference will be dedicated to communicating with policymakers, industry and the public so as to help the international global change research community connect with society at large.
More information:
Alice Henchley, Senior Press Officer
Royal Society
Tel. +44 (0)20 7451 2514
Email: alice.henchley@royalsociety.org
Ruth Welters, Communications Specialist
Living with Environmental Change
Tel. office: +44 (0)1603 593906; mob: +44 (0)7780 993084
Email: ruth.welters@lwec.org.uk
Marion O’Sullivan, Senior Press Officer
Natural Environment Research Council
Tel: +44 (0)1793 411561; mob. +44 (0)7917 086369
Email: pressoffice@nerc.ac.uk
Owen Gaffney, Director of Communications
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme
Tel: +46 86739556; mob: +46 730208418
Skype: owengaffneyigbp
Email: owen.gaffney@igbp.kva.se
Notes for editors
1. The Royal Society is an independent academy promoting the natural and applied sciences. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles, as the UK academy of science, as a learned Society, and as a funding agency. It responds to individual demand with selection by merit, not by field. As we celebrate our 350th anniversary in 2010, we are working to achieve five strategic priorities, to:
• Invest in future scientific leaders and in innovation
• Influence policymaking with the best scientific advice
• Invigorate science and mathematics education
• Increase access to the best science internationally
• Inspire an interest in the joy, wonder and excitement of scientific discovery
More information: www.royalsociety.org
2. The Living with Environmental Change programme is a partnership of 20 UK organisations that fund, carry out and use environmental research, including the Research Councils, government departments, devolved administrations and delivery agencies. For more details of the partner organisations and accredited activities, see www.lwec.org.uk
3. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is the UK's main agency for funding and managing world-class research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences. It coordinates some of the world's most exciting research projects, tackling major issues such as climate change, environmental influences on human health, the genetic make-up of life on earth, and much more. NERC science is delivered under seven themes, namely Climate system; Biodiversity; Sustainable use of natural resources; Earth system science; Natural hazards; Environment, pollution and human health; and Technologies. www.nerc.ac.uk
4. The International Council for Science (ICSU) is a non-governmental organisation representing a global membership that includes both national scientific bodies (117 members) and international scientific unions (30 members). ICSU sponsors the four leading international global environmental-change programmes:
DIVERSITAS – an international biodiversity programme
www.diversitas-international.org
- International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change www.ihdp.unu.edu
- International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme www.igbp.net
- World Climate Research Programme http://wcrp.wmo.int/
The four Programmes form the Earth System Science Partnership
09/03/2010: Have your say on geoengineering
Geoengineering is activities to counter or reverse climate change. A survey commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council gives you an opportunity to find out more about nine possible geoengineering techniques that could do this and asks you to say what you like and dislike about each.
This survey is currently open from 5 March 2010 to 12 April 2010.Take part here: http://geoengineering.dialoguebydesign.net
Here are some of the issues and technologies that the survey looks at:
- Carbon dioxide removal techniques (CDR)
- Air capture - Using ‘artificial trees’ to remove CO2 from the air
- Iron fertilisation - Algae grow by adding iron to the ocean. The algae absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere and sink from the upper ocean
- Liming the ocean - Adding lime reduces the acidity of the oceans, making them absorb more CO2
- Biochar - By turning dead vegetation into a fine charcoal and burying it, the CO2 in the plants will remain locked away rather than released into the atmosphere
- Afforestation- Planting more trees to absorb more CO2
- Solar radiation management techniques (SRM)
- White roofs - Painting surfaces of man-made structures to be more reflective would reflect heat and could lower temperatures
- Mirrors in space - Giant mirrors would act as a sunshade to reflect sunlight away from the earth and prevent warming
- Cloud whitening - Spraying seawater droplets into the air would increase cloud cover, increasing reflectivity
- Sulphate particles - Sulphur sent into the atmosphere would reflect the suns rays back into space
08/03/2010: How climate change affects people in the UK and how can we best develop an equitable response?
The report on ‘How climate change affects people in the UK and how can we best develop an equitable response?’ is now available.
The report follows a seminar which was organised in collaboration with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Local Government Association (LGA) and held on 30th November 2009, London. The seminar’s aim was to inform ideas about potential future research funding opportunities through the Living with Environmental Change and other research programmes, building on existing research being commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on the social justice implications of climate change.You can download the seminar’s agenda, presentation slides and the report here:
http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/about/CI/events/esrcseminar/climatechange.aspx
09/07/2010: Andrew Watkinson and Nigel Lawson in a debate at the local government association conference
''LGA conference: Councils offered mixed message on climate change
Local authorities were sent a mixed message from speakers at today’s Local Government Association climate change workshop. Former chancellor, Lord Lawson, who is chairman of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, and Professor Andrew Watkinson, director of Living with Environmental Change, both agreed that climate change was real. But their perspectives on how best councils should deal with the issue were worlds apart...''
To read the rest of this article see
http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=90196
12/07/2010: An assessment of lessons learned in the communication and dissemination of emerging scientific issues to environmental policymakers
For science to influence government environmental policy effectively, scientists really need to present their findings in a format that policymakers can use and understand, says a team of European researchers.
Managed by the UK Environment Agency and funded by the SKEP (Scientific Knowledge for Environmental Protection) ERA-NET, this project involved a team of European researchers, led by LTS International, first conducting a comprehensive literature review of the science-to-policy process.
Using the findings from this review as a guide, the researchers then carried out in-depth case studies of five real-world examples of the science-to-policy process, as well as a further four mini-case studies.
The six recommendations from the study are
- Identify your target audience by mapping the communication landscape.
- Develop an understanding of your target audience.
- Encourage co-production of knowledge, dialogue and learning between researchers and policymakers.
- Develop adaptive management mechanisms to open policy windows where new knowledge can be fed into the policymaking process.
- Use translators, in one form or another, to bridge the gap between stakeholders and to facilitate dialogue between them.
- Deal with uncertainty or scientific conflicts by identifying common grounds for progress.
You can read the summary here or download the full reports from the Environment Agency website.
Part 1: Comprehensive Report
Product Code: SCHO0310BSHE-E-E
ISBN: 9781849111874
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/eapublications.stor...
Part 2: Recommendations
Product Code: SCHO0310BSHG-E-E
ISBN: 9781849111881
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/eapublications.stor...
Technical Summary
Product Code: SCHO0310BSHF-E-E
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/eapublications.stor...
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13/07/2010: NERC Arctic Programme - workshop 29 and 30 September 2010
NERC is investing £15 million in an Arctic Research Programme and it is anticipated that this programme will be put forward for LWEC accreditation in the near future. The programme is now at the investment phase and there are opportunities for other organisations to form partnerships with NERC at the programme and project level.
A workshop will be held on 29-30 September 2010 (at the University of Warwick), to help develop the research proposals.
If you are a stakeholder with interests in the Arctic (e.g. from government departments, NGOs, industry), and you are interested in being involved in this programme right from the start then you are encouraged to apply to attend the workshop.
Please fill in the form by 18 August 2010 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/arctic/events/100929
15/07/2010: Succesful Living With Environmental Change parliamentary reception
Living with Environmental Change yesterday held a reception at the House of Lords, hosted by Lord Selborne.
Around 60 guests from the partner organisations, from business and other organisations interested in the work of LWEC, gathered in the Lords yesterday to hear talks from Lord Henley - Defra Under Secretary of State, Professor Andrew Watkinson - LWEC Director and Colin Drummond, Chair of the LWEC Business Advisory Board.
Lord Henley talked about Defra’s involvement with Living with Environmental Change; the advantages of partnership working generally and the specific advantages in working under Living With Environmental Change.
Colin Drummond talked about the need for a greater emphasis on resources and resource flows as this aspect of environmental change is as much of an opportunity/threat to business as climate change.
LWEC Director Andrew Watkinson talking about the Living with Environmental Change programme
To see more photos of the event please visit our Facebook page
22/07/2010: Report published Recommendations for future research priorities in the UK Energy Sector and its Infrastructure
The Adaptation and Resilience to a Changing Climate (ARCC) Coordination Network recently held an internet workshop to explore current challenges, identify knowledge gaps and to suggest priority areas for potential research into climate change adaptation in the UK energy sector and its infrastructure.
This report synthesises the issues and priorities raised during the internet workshop and during those previous consultations for the purpose of informing the development of a call for research.
You can download the report here
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03/03/2010: EPSRC policy fellowships in Defra
EPSRC, in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), is piloting a new “policy fellowship” scheme. The idea of the scheme is to provide greater engineering involvement in developing the Department’s policy in key areas. Such placements will provide engineering researchers with a broader context for their work and a greater understanding of the policy process and the evidence base that is required to develop policy.
Applications are sought from UK academics to undertake policy fellowships within Defra, in three areas, to begin summer 2010. The areas are:
1. Secure storage and transmission/collection of data from field-based rapid diagnostic devices.
2. New technologies for enhanced water use efficiency or waste-water treatment.
3. Exploring synergies and integrated working opportunities within the context of developing a medium-term evidence strategy for SCP and waste.
For more information see
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/open/Pages/defrapolicyfellowships.aspx
01/03/2010: Developing an action plan for research to enable the UK to adapt to climate change
This project identifies the key gaps between what is known, and what needs to be known, to enable the UK to adapt to climate change. The prioritised action plan that identifies where research is required in order to contribute to the process of adaptation to climate change in the UK, under the Living with Environmental Change programme. You can read the report here
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01/03/2010: Climate Change Impacts and Opportunities Conference 16-17 June 2010
Key topics
- The impact on UK businesses from climate change and from the Climate Change Act 2008
- Environment and Heath: the possible effects of climatic change
- Groundwater and climate change
- Opportunities for regional development in Carbon Capture and Storage
- The transition to a low carbon economy: implications for UK businesses
- The impacts of climate change on present and future land use, infrastructure & development
Where? British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham
When? 16–17 June 2010
For more information and to register see
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/climateconference/home.html
01/03/2010: Call for Proposals for Systematic Reviews in International Development
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) is piloting a systematic review project that aims to strengthen evidence-informed decision making. DFID has developed a set of systematic review questions based on policy and practice priorities and is now calling for proposals from interested reviewers to conduct a systematic review, focusing on 5 thematic areas:
•Agriculture and Food
•Climate and the Environment
•Governance in Challenging Environments
•Growth
•Human Development
Please see the full list of questions, the call in more detail and the application form here:
http://www.research4development.info/SystematicReviewFeature.asp
22/02/2010: The social science of encouraging water efficiency
The report 'The social science of encouraging water efficiency' is a collaborative project between the Environment Agency, Natural England and Wessex Water to understand more about the application of social science and marketing practice to encouraging water efficiency in the home.
You can download the report from the Environment Agency website http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk by searching for 'The social science of encouraging water efficiency report'
05/02/2010: Researchers invited to Earth System Science 2010 Conference
The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme’s project Analysis, Integration and Modelling of the Earth System (AIMES), will hold the conference 'Earth System Science 2010:Global Change, Climate and People' on 10 - 13 May, Edinburgh UK
The event will showcase recent advances in the understanding of Earth system dynamics and highlight new directions for the analysis of the interactions between humans and our environment.
Conference themes:
- Earth system modelling: from observations and process understanding to prediction and risk assessment
- Dynamics of biogeochemical cycles and climate: transitions, instabilities and feedbacks
- People and resources: perspectives on the relationships among environment, ecosystems and human needs.
Participants and contributors from the growing international community, engaged in all aspects of global change research are all welcome to attend.
The aim is to help in the building of much needed bridges between
the natural science, social sciences and humanities, as well as
between policy, assessment and research.
For further information, to register and submit abstracts for the
conference please visit http://earthsystemscience2010.org
04/02/2010: UK Marine Science Strategy launch
The UK Marine Science Strategy has now been launched; this a 15 year strategy to deliver world class marine science to inform decisions on food and energy security, managing the seas sustainably and climate change.
03/02/2010: Event on Innovation for inclusive growth: addressing social and economic development issues in Energy and Environment
The goal of this event is to encourage and showcase innovation for inclusive growth and provide a forum to share opportunities and challenges in energy and environment. The explicit aim is to build on technological and managerial strengths in the UK to address social and economic challenges in less developed parts of the world.
The Innovation for inclusive Growth conference aims to highlight innovation in organisations to foster ‘inclusive growth'. More than one billion people live in extreme poverty and more than 1.5 billion people have no access to electricity. The effects of climate change are felt more painfully in less developed and emerging economies. Businesses are constrained in finding solutions to help address these problems through partnerships with local, national, and international organisations. New technological insights, new business models, and new forms of organising are essential to succeed.
Date and time
Thursday 15 April 2010
08.30 to 17.30
Sir Alexander Fleming, Lecture Theatre G16
(Followed by an evening reception at 17.30)
How you can benefit from the conference
We focus on ‘energy and environment' as a specific area where businesses and academics can engage to shape policy and practice. Our goal is to share leading technological and managerial practices in the following as they apply to the social and economic development:
- Renewable energy technologies and managerial challenges
- Alternative models to energy generation and consumption
- Rural electrification, technologies, and business models
- Urban infrastructure, design, and development
- Cities of the future
Who should attend
Industry practitioners and academics who are engaged in innovation at low cost, innovation that serves underdeveloped or developing economies in the following specific areas:
Energy and environment
Urban design
This event is co-sponsored by:
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC); The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council(EPSRC); Ecocit; Design London; Rajiv Gandhi Centre at Imperial College Business School; BP.
Register for this event by emailing icbs.events@imperial.ac.uk
There will be a £50 charge per person for the conference. All payments should be made by cheque, payable to Imperial College Business School. Please send to:
Rachael Barham
Imperial College Business School
Tanaka Building
South Kensington Campus
London
SW7 2AZ
For further information please contact Imperial College Business School Events Team on 0207 594 9169 or email icbs.events@imperial.ac.uk
02/02/2010: Living with Environmental Change Feb newsletter published
The February 2010 edition of the Living with Environmental Change newsletter highlights developments since November 2009. You can download the newsletter here:
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02/02/2010: NERC interview with Chief Scientific Advisor
See the NERC website for an interview with Professor John Beddington:
'UK's chief scientific advisor backs climate scientists: In the wake of recent climate change controversies, including how fast the IPCC stated Himalayan glaciers would disappear, the Government's chief scientific advisor, Professor John Beddington, talks frankly to the Natural Environment Research Council about the issues.'
29/01/2010: The Times newspaper runs series of articles on 'climategate'
The Times newspaper is currently running a series of articles on 'climategate'
January 27, 2010
'Science chief John Beddington calls for honesty on climate change'
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7003622.ece
January 28, 2010
'Scientists in stolen e-mail scandal hid climate data'
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7004936.ece
January 28, 2010
'Research is robust but communication is weak'
This is a commentary from Vicky Pope at the Met office
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7005385.ece
15/01/2010: Facing up to rising sea levels report
Building Futures and the Institution of Civil Engineers have published a report to scrutinise current practice of coastal flood management in the urban context and lead on thinking about the future. Download the report here http://www.buildingfutures.org.uk/projects/building-futures/facing-up/fa...
08/01/2010: The Lancet magazine - special issue on climate change and human health
The Lancet magazine published a special issue on human health and climate change in Nov 2009. 'Climate change already affects human health, and, if no action is taken, problems such as malnutrition, deaths and injury due to extreme weather conditions, and change in geographical distribution of disease vectors will worsen. This Series is the result of an international collaboration of scientists supported by a consortium of funding bodies coordinated by the Wellcome Trust, UK. The Comments and Articles make a strong case for linking climate and health goals, and provide a quantitative underpinning for this important health message.'
Read the articles here: http://www.thelancet.com/series/health-and-climate-change
08/01/2010: Report published: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study is a major international initiative to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity, to highlight the growing costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and to draw together expertise from the fields of science, economics and policy to enable practical actions moving forward.
For more information and to download the report go to http://www.teebweb.org
01/06/2009: Sweet news for insect pollinators
Pollinating insects face a potentially brighter future with the launch by Natural England of a UK reintroduction programme for a vanished bumblebee, and the announcement from other Living With Environmental Change partners of an event inviting research proposals for their new Insect Pollinator Initiative.
The Short-haired Bumblebee Bombus subterraneus became extinct in England in 2000, but for over a century a small remnant of the original English population has clung on in New Zealand, having been introduced there in the late nineteenth to pollinate clover crops. The bees were shipped aboard the first refrigerated lamb boats and established small populations in the South Island, where they remain unprotected and under threat.
The project hinges on the creation of healthy bumblebee habitat with the help of farmers in South East England, many of whom are already taking part in schemes to support the pollinating powers of bees.
Short-haired Bumblebee: Dave Goulson
Globally there is evidence that insect pollinators are currently declining in number, and are under serious threat from rapid changes in the environment, for example, from emerging diseases, habitat loss, intensive agriculture and climate change. In Europe both managed and wild insects contribute significantly to the pollination of a large variety of crops and wild plants. However, we need an evidence base to help conserve and manage these pollinators, improve husbandry of managed species and insure against the potential catastrophic loss of the ecosystem services insect pollinators provide.
BBSRC, Defra, NERC, the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust have come together under the Living With Environmental Change umbrella to fund research into a better understanding of the threats to insect pollinators, and to develop appropriate mitigation strategies. They have committed up to £10M over five years to support multidisciplinary research in this area, launching the 'Insect Pollinator Initiative' in April of this year.
An event calling for new proposals for the initiative will be held in London on 3 July. Details of the nature and scope of proposals will be given at the meeting, but systems-based approaches will be important, along with state-of-the-art technologies and methods.
- For further details of the Insect Pollinator Initiative meeting click here.
- To read more about the Short-haired Bumblebee reintroduction click here.
02/09/2009: Geoengineering report launched
Climate scientists from the University of East Anglia have contributed to a major new study into geoengineering.
Geoengineering the climate: science, governance and uncertainty launched at the Royal Society on Tuesday September 1.
Prof Andrew Watson FRS, Prof Tim Lenton and Nem Vaughan, all of University of East Anglia's (UEA) School of Environmental Sciences, contributed research to the call for evidence and will be attending the launch in London.
A new GeoEngineering Assessment & Research initiative (GEAR) has recently been established at UEA and a new website has been launched to draw together the university's work in this area.
More info: http://www.gear.uea.ac.uk
02/09/2009: Official launch of the 10:10 campaign at the Tate Modern
10:10 is the national effort to cut the UK’s emissions by 10% in 2010.
By committing to cut your emissions by 10% in 2010, you will join thousands of individuals and organisations all actively helping stop climate change by making simple changes to their lifestyles, homes and businesses. More importantly, your voice will be part of the national demand that the UK Government acts quickly to cut our country's emissions as a whole. If we in the UK can prove that fast, deep cuts can be made at a national level, then we may just inspire all the other big polluting countries to follow suit.
Website: http://www.1010uk.org
First 1,000 people to sign-up get free champers (in compostable glasses, of course) and the first 3,000 get a free tag made from our recycled plane
03/09/2009: Living With Environmental Change: debate, Guildford
A free public debate on 'Living With Environmental Change', sponsored by Research Councils UK (RCUK), is being held at the Stoke Pub in Guildford on Wednesday 9th September at 6.30pm.
Who takes responsibility for tackling environmental change is a topic that remains hotly contested: should it be a role for government; should business be more involved; or is it down to individuals and communities?
Join our panel as they discuss how environmental change, and how we deal with it, may affect our daily lives:
• Truth or myth: how can we sort the facts from the fiction when it comes to environmental change?
• What are the implications of moving to a low-carbon society for individuals and businesses? How can science and technology help?
• Can we protect our natural and cultural heritage and still slow environmental change?
Professor Andrew Watkinson, Director of the Living with Environmental Change research programme, said: "It is hugely important that people engage with the issue of environmental change and understand that responsibility for tackling it lies with all of us. Without a proper discussion of the challenges involved, we will not be able to progress fast enough and risk jeopardising our chance of a sustainable future."
Chaired by Fiona Fox, Director of the Science Media Centre, the debate will feature expert contributions from:
• Andrew Watkinson, Director of the Living with Environmental Change research programme
• Susan Roaf, Professor of Architectural Engineering at Heriot Watt University
• Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England
• Matthew Bird, Programme Manager at Climate South East
Chloë Somers, RCUK Press Officer, 01793 444592, chloe.somers@rcuk.ac.uk
or
Cheryl Hewer, 01793 413076, cheryl.hewer@rcuk.ac.uk
1. The 'Living With Environmental Change' debate, sponsored by Research Councils UK (RCUK), is being held at the Stoke Pub in Guildford on Wednesday 9th September at 6.30 - 8pm.
2. The debate is being held in a Question Time format and audience members will be able to comment and ask questions of the panel throughout the session.
3. 'Living With Environmental Change' (LWEC) is a ten year research programme with over 20 different funding partners. LWEC aims to meet the needs identified by the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, the United Nations’ Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. LWEC aims to bring together researchers from across the different disciplines in the natural, engineering, economic, social, medical, cultural, arts and humanities. It involves working with businesses, government bodies, NGOs and the public to understand the research challenges and the social and economic implications of environmental change.
4. Registration is free but places must be pre-booked: http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/forms/festival/booking/cart/Def...
5. This event is part of the British Science Festival which runs in Guildford from 5th-10th September.
http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/BritishScienceFestival/
6. Research Councils UK is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils; they invest annually around £3 billion in research, covering the full spectrum of academic disciplines from the medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry and engineering, social sciences, economics, and the arts and humanities.
7. The seven UK Research Councils are:
• Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
• Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
• Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
• Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
• Medical Research Council (MRC);
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
• Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
04/01/2010: Geoengineering public dialogue
NERC is carrying out a public dialogue on geoengineering to assess public opinion on how future research relating to the subject should be directed, conducted and communicated. We are working in partnership with Sciencewise-ERC, which supports public dialogue activities in government.
For more information and to comment please go to
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/about/consult/geoengineering.asp
04/12/2009: Press release New £40 million research investment to make ecosystem services work for the poor in the face of climate change
4 December 2009
New £40 million research investment to make ecosystem services work for the poor in the face of climate change
The £40 million Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme is launched today.
This pioneering research programme is a unique opportunity to strengthen the knowledge and understanding we need to develop resilient ecosystems and will also provide the evidence and tools for decision makers to manage ecosystems sustainably and in ways that will help to reduce poverty.
ESPA is funded by the UK Department for International Development, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Natural Environment Research Council. It is accredited under the Living with Environmental Change partnership programme.
Ecosystem services underpin human well being, especially that of the poor, providing a range of services such as food, clean air and water, and protection from flooding. But 60% of the world’s ecosystems have been severely degraded and major changes in climate or the economy could have dire consequences. For example, freshwater scarcity now affects 1 billion people, and as forests are destroyed so are their water conservation functions – resulting in reduced river flows. Ecosystem decline will continue to have very negative consequences for the poor and yet we still don’t know how to manage them properly.
Gareth Thomas, International Development Minister, said:
‘Billions of the world’s poorest people rely on ecosystems for survival, yet destructive activities such as deforestation or overfishing are ruining the livelihoods of millions, pushing them further into poverty. This project will provide accurate, detailed information that governments in the developing world can use to make decisions that safeguard the ecosystems that sustain their countries.’
Professor Alan Thorpe, Chair of Research Councils UK, said:
‘The Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation programme brings development policy and science communities together, and provides a unique opportunity to build strong links between the natural, social and economic sciences and international development. This interdisciplinary approach, combined with the delivery of high quality science, is vital for tackling the complex set of problems connecting ecosystem services and poverty reduction. By providing the science that can help us understand how and why ecosystems are becoming degraded and with what impacts, ESPA will find the solutions to reverse this.’
The ESPA interdisciplinary approach will also provide ways to assess the full value of ecosystem services weighing up both costs and benefits; and will determine what political and institutional changes need to be put in place for sustainable ecosystem management to maximise benefits for the poor.
For more information contact:
Ruth Welters, Living with Environmental Change Communications Specialist
+ 44 (0)1603 593906
+ 44 (0)7780 993 084
ruth.welters@lwec.org.uk
Marion O’Sullivan, Senior Press Officer
Natural Environment Research Council
+44 (0)1793 411727
+44 (0)7917 086369
mjo@nerc.ac.uk
Jeanine Woolley, Communications Manager
Economic and Social Research Council
+ 44(0) 1793 413119
Jeanine.Woolley@esrc.ac.uk
James Fulker, Press Officer
Department for International Development
+44 (0) 20 7023 0533
j-fulker@dfid.gov.uk
Notes to editors:
1. The Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation programme is a partnership between the Department for International Development (providing a total of £27 million), the Natural Environment Research Council (providing £10 million), the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (£3.5 million). The total investment is £40.5 million which is managed as part of the Living with Environmental Change programme.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is supporting ESPA in an advisory capacity.
ESPA will work mainly in four regions of the world that experience significant challenges in managing their ecosystem services in the context of poverty reduction. These are South Asia, China, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Amazon basin and its Andean catchments, and ESPA will seek to encourage cross-regional and cross-country collaboration.
The programme will be delivered through a number of projects, selected through rigorous competitive call processes. There will be a range of projects, including large inter-disciplinary consortia programmes and smaller specific and targeted pieces of work. ESPA will also provide catalyst grants to enable developing country partners to develop high quality proposals and partnerships. The first call for proposals is being made today. www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/espa
2. The Living with Environmental Change programme is an unprecedented partnership of 20 UK organisations that fund, carry out and use environmental research, including the Research Councils, government departments, devolved administrations and delivery agencies. For more details of the partner organisations and accredited activities, see www.lwec.org.uk
3. DFID, the Department for International Development: leading the UK Government's fight against world poverty. DFID’s investment in the ESPA programme is funded under its £1 billion commitment to research 2008-2013. DFID believes that without new knowledge, scientific innovation, rigorous evidence, and new ideas we have no chance of success in making poverty history. Find out more at www.dfid.gov.uk and www.research4development.info
4. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is the UK's main agency for funding and managing world-class research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences. It coordinates some of the world's most exciting research projects, tackling major issues such as climate change, environmental influences on human health, the genetic make-up of life on earth, and much more. NERC science is delivered under seven themes, namely Climate system; Biodiversity; Sustainable use of natural resources; Earth system science; Natural hazards; Environment, pollution and human health; and Technologies. www.nerc.ac.uk
5. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC’s planned total expenditure in 2009/10 is £204 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk
05/01/2010: Copenhagen policy briefings
The Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, accredited under Living with Environmental Change, has released two briefing papers related to the Copenhagen discussions in in Dec 2009. If you want to understand the background to what was discussed at Copenhagen and also to see exactly how reduction in greenhouse gas emissions will help to mitigate climate change then you can download both of the briefings here:
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05/01/2010: International Year of Biodiversity
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity - a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives.
Living with Environmental Change has many programmes which are related to biodiversity, under the objective 'manage ecosystem services for human well-being and protect the natural environment in a changing world', including the National Ecosystems Assessment http://www.lwec.org.uk/activities/nea
You can read more about the International Year of Biodiversity here
http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/
05/05/2009: All aboard ARCC
Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate (ARCC), one of the current Living With Environmental Change programmes, held its inaugural event in Birmingham on 5 May.
ARCC brings together research projects involving existing buildings and infrastructure, including transport and water resource systems in the urban environment. This £6M programme will enable the design of urban systems that are more resilient to climate change.
ARCC is a collaboration between the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) and the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP).
14 varied research projects are already underway at academic instituations around the UK. For further details of these please visit the ARCC website.
05/10/2009: Conference: Communities, Energy and the Environment, Westminster
This informative and innovative conference on Communities, Energy and the Environment will be held at Westminster on Tuesday 24th November 2009, with a reception afterwards in the House of Commons.
This conference brings together professionals from industry, government and academia to provide a powerful insight into the vital role of communities in policy and governance, focussing on key environmental issues, from radioactive waste facility siting to climate change.
We are sure the conference will appeal to everyone with an interest in community relations in respect of sensitive facility siting, community capacity building and regeneration, and the design and implementation of sustainability policy at local, national and wider levels.
Cost: conference and reception at the House of Commons
at £295 + VAT (£44.25 = £339.25
For more details contact: Rick Wylie
Senior Lecturer and Westlakes Campus Coordinator
University of Central Lancashire
Westlakes Science and Technology Park
Moor Row, Cumbria, CA24 3JY
07595 590970
rwylie@uclan.ac.uk
06/10/2009: Report published: Guidance on carbon neutrality from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published guidance on carbon neutrality, to provide anyone who wants to achieve carbon neutrality with the information and guidance they need to help them do so effectively.
The report follows from the “Consultation on the term ‘carbon neutral’: its definition and recommendations for good practice” earlier in the year.
The guidance sets out a three-stage process of calculating, reducing and offsetting emissions.
DECC is also publishing the summary of responses to the consultation.
These documents are available at http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/open/carbon_neutrali...
In addition the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in partnership with DECC, has published guidance to help organisations report on the emissions that they are responsible for.
The guidance explains how businesses and organisations can measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions as well as set targets to reduce them. It is aimed at all sizes of business as well as public and third sector organisations.
This includes two documents:
· ‘Guidance on how to measure and report your greenhouse gas emissions’
· ‘Small Business User Guide: Guidance on how to measure and report your greenhouse gas emissions’
These documents are available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/index.htm
07/10/2009: Event: Price no Object! Climate change: the challenge to cultural heritage
Venue: The Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS
Date: Thursday 22 October 2009 7.00pm - 8.45pm
Cultural heritage in the UK is a wonderfully rich resource which brings enjoyment and value to many people and communities, as well as adding to the UK economy through tourism and the leisure industry. Yet despite the very real contribution our heritage culture makes to our daily life, this non-renewable resource is under pressure.
Part of the Environmental Guidelines Opportunities and Risks research cluster sponsored by the AHRC/EPSRC Science and Heritage Research Programme.
For more information http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/News/Press/Pages/climatechange.aspx
How to book
For more information and to book, visit http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayEvent&id=947 or call 020 7409 2992.
Tickets cost £8 standard, £6 concessions, £4 Ri MembersPrice
08/06/2009: Press release £100 million for UK’s environmental challenges
A package of new research to help the UK prepare for the inevitable challenges of climate and environmental change has been announced today. £100 million is being invested in projects that will, among other things, tackle the spread of infectious diseases, produce resilient designs for cities and transport systems, and address the economic impacts of our changing environment.
This is the first set of research programmes to come under the Living With Environmental Change umbrella. The funding for the new research comes from the £1 billion committed in 2008 over the next ten years by the LWEC partners.
The research includes completely new programmes, such as the £6 million ARCC programme to enable the design of more resilient buildings, transport and water systems in cities. It contributes to established programmes such as the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. It also includes the development of new activities, such as ensuring that the technological, economic and social advances needed to combat environmental changes are acceptable to the public.
Living With Environmental Change is the biggest environmental research programme ever undertaken in the UK, and is revolutionising the way science is carried out. It allows a much closer relationship between the researchers and their ‘customers’ – who are decision makers in government, NGOs and businesses – and raises their understanding of both the societal and scientific needs that should be addressed when making policy decisions.
Science and Innovation Minister, Lord Drayson said: “Tackling climate change is the biggest challenge of our generation. Through this groundbreaking research programme, the public will benefit from the development of innovative green technologies that will tackle climate change while enhancing their quality of life, and motivate all of us to tackle this challenge.”
Director of LWEC, Professor Andrew Watkinson commented: “Living With Environmental Change aims to make sure that organisations funding, undertaking and using environmental research work efficiently and effectively together to provide value for money and help stimulate the green economy.”
Living With Environmental Change is looking at environmental changes at a range of scales from the local to the global. Some of the most significant challenges will undoubtedly occur in developing countries. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment showed that the loss of services from ecosystems (for example deforestation, soil degradation, water purification) is a significant barrier to reducing poverty, hunger and disease. LWEC is funding the development of Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA), a programme that aims to help reduce poverty and improve the wellbeing of people living in developing countries.
The LWEC partners’ board meets today (8 June) to decide on the next set of priorities for research funding. The board will be looking for research that will help the UK to deliver a low carbon economy, ensure food, water and security for people, and increase the resilience of vulnerable people, places and infrastructure.
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08/07/2009: Insect Pollinators Initiative Call for expressions of interest
Insects contribute substantially to the pollination of a wide variety of cultivated and wild plants, and play important roles in both crop production and the maintenance of natural ecosystems. However, there is evidence that populations of managed and wild insect pollinators are currently declining in the UK and elsewhere, in the face of threats from rapid changes in the environment such as emerging pests and diseases, habitat loss, intensive agriculture and climate change.
Closing date: 16:00 on 23 September 2009
An evidence base is needed to inform the conservation of wild insect pollinators and to improve the husbandry of managed species, in order to avoid the potentially catastrophic loss of the ecosystem services they provide.
The purpose of this initiative is to promote innovative research aimed at understanding and mitigating the biological and environmental factors that adversely affect insect pollinators. The causes of pollinator declines are likely to be multifactorial, involving complex interactions between pollinators, their pests and pathogens, and the environment. Multidisciplinary and systems-based approaches will be important in elucidating them. In particular, the funders are keen to bring to bear on these issues - alongside the expertise of the existing pollinator research community - relevant new skills such as state-of-the-art and high-throughput "post-genomic" technologies, and the latest techniques in epidemiological and ecological modelling.
The administration of the initiative is being led by BBSRC on behalf of all of the funding partners. Enquiries should be addressed to:
Debbie Harding
BBSRC
Tel: 01793 414653
Please see the below document for full details of the call.
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09/02/2009: Call for applications for managing ecosystems review
9 Feb 2009
NERC and Defra are pleased to welcome applications to conduct pilot reviews to better our knowledge of managing ecosystems for human well-being and how to protect the natural environment as the environment changes.
The closing date is 20 Feb 2009.
The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) are pleased to welcome applications to conduct pilot reviews to better understand existing data and highlight trends and gaps in our knowledge of managing ecosystems for human well-being and how to protect the natural environment as the environment changes.
Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) is one of six of the Research Council's cross council research programmes. It is a ten year programme designed by many partners and is made up of existing research, new programmes and schemes. LWEC will bring together researchers from across the different disciplines in the natural, engineering, economic, social, medical, cultural, arts, and humanities. It will engage with businesses, government bodies, NGOs and the public to understand the research colleges the social and economic implications of environmental change. The programme is governed by a Partners' board consisting of the different funding partners. The Director of the programme is Professor Andrew Watkinson.
Defra and the NERC are seeking applicants to compile pilot reviews on areas relating to LWEC Objective B, to manage ecosystems for human well-being and protect the natural environment as the environment changes. It is intended that these reviews will outline the existing data and highlight the trends and gaps in knowledge.
Awards
Applications can be made for up to £15,000 for each review. It is anticipated that awards will be conducted from a period of 2 March 2009 and end 30 April 2009. The final product of the review will be a written report to be submitted within 1 month of the end date. The pilot reviews will be assessed by the LWEC Partners' Board and those most relevant will be considered for full Systematic Review.
Eligibility/Requirements
This call is open to UK researchers eligible for NERC directed funding and UK organisations that are eligible for Defra research funding. NERC's funding web pages can provide further guidance with respect to eligibility for UK applicants.
Applications should fall within LWEC Objective B, to manage ecosystems for human well-being and protect the natural environment as the environment changes. We are keen to support activities that cover both aspects of Objective B. These include the assessment of links and feedbacks between the natural environment, ecosystem services and human well-being; how these might continue to develop within environmental limits in the face of major environmental change; and how decision-making and local and national planning can take account of these links and feedbacks to help in the development of new social, environmental and economic opportunities.
Example Review areas therefore include:
* Multifunctionality of landscapes
* How can we best institutionalise adaptive management of ecosystem services?
* Counterfactual studies of ecosystem services
* How could we increase effectiveness of regulating ecosystem services
* Valuing ecosystem services delivered from several sources
* Balancing positive and negative aspects of ecosystem services
* Linking targets and indicators to ecosystem services
* Resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services
* Eliciting individual and collective action/responsibility to secure dispersed ecosystem benefits
* Public understanding of different aspects of the ecosystem approach
* Cultural and non-monetary values of ecosystem services
* The factors affecting consideration of environmental change in decision making
* Social and economic opportunities from ecosystem service management
* The role that qualitative and quantitative environmental information plays in decision making
* Understanding what makes environmental evidence tangible and important to decision makers
* How changes to cultural ecosystem services affect human wellbeing
How to apply
The closing date for applications is 16:00 on 20 February 2009 via the paper application form.
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09/07/2009: Young Researcher Poster Session and Competition
Prizes of £500 and £250 (available as travel bursaries or to cover other research costs) will be awarded to the two best posters. In addition, awards will be available to cover the travel costs and expenses of all researchers whose posters are accepted.
Abstracts are invited for the poster session from UK-based post-graduate students (both Masters and PhD completed or in progress), and young researchers within 3 years of graduation.
Sustainable Development Research Network
SDRN 'LWEC' - themed Young Researcher Poster Competition - Call for Abstracts
SDRN Annual Sustainable Development Research Conference 2009
Thursday 24th September 2009
Conference Centre, Wellcome Collection,
183 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE
‘Living With Environmental Change’ (LWEC)
Young Researcher Poster Session and Competition
Call for Abstracts
For many years, the SDRN Annual Sustainable Development Research Conference has remained one of the highlights of the Sustainable Development Research Network calendar. Drawing together an exciting and high-level mix of academics, policy-makers and other representatives from business, NGOs and the research community, the 2009 Conference will provide an opportunity for the presentation and discussion of new, cutting-edge sustainable development research and policy issues.
Thanks to generous sponsorship from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), SDRN will again be running a Young Researcher Poster Competition and Session, to showcase the work of sustainable development researchers at the beginning of their careers. The session will provide young researchers with an opportunity to showcase their work at a high-profile conference, together with valuable networking opportunities.
Prizes of £500 and £250 (available as travel bursaries or to cover other research costs) will be awarded to the two best posters. In addition, awards will be available to cover the travel costs and expenses of all researchers whose posters are accepted.
Abstracts are invited for the poster session from UK-based post-graduate students (both Masters and PhD completed or in progress), and young researchers within 3 years of graduation.
Competition theme: Living With Environmental Change
2008 marked the launch of the 10-year ‘Living With Environmental Change’ (LWEC) initiative, a 10 year programme supported by the UK’s major funders of environmental research. LWEC aims to strengthen the environmental change evidence base for policy-makers, in part by addressing the uncertainties that remain about the impacts of climate change and the links between natural capital and human well-being. Following the high quality of applications exhibited in last year’s SDRN Young Researcher Poster Session, this year’s competition is once again themed ‘Living With Environmental Change’.
Submissions are invited from researchers working in all disciplines, whose work meets the broad objectives of the LWEC programme. These include but are by no means limited to: building effective mitigation, adaptation and resilience to climate change; water availability, quality, use and management; environmental change and human health and well-being; changes to the built environment and planning systems; interactions of transport, leisure and tourism with the environment; and, public attitudes, perceptions, changing behaviours and collective action.
Submission Details
Your abstract submission, to be submitted electronically, must include all of the following:
1) Paper Title
2) Author(s): Including author(s) name, affiliations and email addresses. The submission of co-authored papers is welcomed but please indicate corresponding author when providing details.
3) Abstract text: Maximum 400 words. Accepted abstracts will be included, together with the abstracts of main presentations, in conference delegates packs. Please only submit abstracts that are suitable for publication. These can include supporting data (graphs, diagrams, drawings, photos) of the presented research.
Conditions of Acceptance
The competition is open to all early career researchers, currently working within the UK. Please note that we are unable to reimburse travel expenses for international travel, and that international researchers will not be eligible for either prize.
Only original material should be submitted. By submitting your abstract you authorise SDRN to circulate your abstract to SDRN’s management and advisory committees for review and, if it is accepted, to publish your abstract in conference documentation and post-event proceedings. Authors are expected to attend the conference evening reception to present their work.
Please send electronic abstracts directly to Sarah Bell. For all enquiries, please contact Sarah Bell (tel: +44 (0)20 7911 7534, address: Policy Studies Institute, 50 Hanson Street, London W1W 6UP).
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 12.00pm (noon), Friday 10th July 2009. Successful submissions will be notified by no later than Friday 7th August 2009.
For more information on SDRN, the Annual Conference, and to sign up to the fortnightly SDRN mailing, which contains all the latest sustainable development research news, see www.sd-research.org.uk
09/10/2009: Winning poster on Pathways to Action on Climate Change
Sarah Hards, a researcher at the University of York, recently won the Sustainable Development Research Network competition with her poster 'Pathways to Action on Climate Change'. Sarah's research explores how individual behaviour is an important component of the UK policy response to climate change.
You can join the SDRN here http://www.sd-research.org.uk
Download Sarah's poster here:
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10/07/2009: "Research Associate" and "Senior Research Associate" vacancies at Living With Environmental Change (LWEC)
For further information please visit:
10/11/2009: Insect Pollinators Initiative: update
On 3 July 2009, a consortium of funders launched a call for proposals for an initiative to promote innovative research aimed at understanding and mitigating the biological and environmental factors that adversely effect both managed and wild insect pollinators. A total of 63 EoIs had been received, many of which outlined proposals for multidisciplinary projects, often based on collaborations between two or more institutions. Proposed studies of honeybees, bumble bees or other insect pollinators covered a very wide range of topics, which, collectively, addressed to varying degrees all of the five themes highlighted in the call. The total cost of the research proposed in the EoIs was around £52M; funding available for the IPI is up to £10M. Under the auspices of the Living With Environmental Change Partnership, the Insect Pollinators Initiative (IPI) is being funded jointly by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust. Expressions of interest (EoIs) submitted in response to the call for proposals were considered on 14 October 2009 by an independent scientific panel with the following membership:
Professor Chris Pollock CBE
formerly Director, Institute of Grassland Chairman) and Environmental Research, Aberystwyth; Council member, BBSRC
Professor Sue Hartley
Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Sussex
Sir Peter Lachmann FRS
Emeritus Professor, University of Cambridge
Professor Peter Neumann
Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern
Professor Mark Tatchell
Consultant in agricultural, horticultural and biological sciences; honorary professor, University of Warwick
Dr Alan Teale
Formerly University of Stirling; president, Scottish Beekeepers’ Association
On the advice of the assessment panel, the principal investigators of 33 of the proposed projects have been invited to submit full applications by 7 January 2010. Short-listed EoIs were considered by the panel to provide a basis for the development of proposals for high-quality research with potential to contribute to the understanding and mitigation of declines in pollinator abundance or diversity. Unsuccessful EoIs were judged to be outside the scope of the IPI, of insufficient scientific merit, or unlikely to make a significant contribution to addressing pollinator declines. A few proposals, although innovative and of high scientific merit, lacked immediate relevance to the aims of the Initiative, and might have been more appropriately submitted to the Research Councils’ responsive-mode funding schemes.
Full applications will be subject to peer review by expert referees, whose reports, together with applicants’ responses to the referees’ comments, will inform their consideration by an expanded assessment panel at a meeting in May 2010. Alongside the panel’s advice on the merits of individual applications, funding decisions will also have regard to the overall scope and balance of the portfolio of projects to be supported, with a view to ensuring an appropriate spread of activity across the themes of the Initiative. Funding will be provided to successful applicants through research grants awarded to their institutions by BBSRC on behalf of all of the funding partners.
A launch event to announce the outcome of the funding stage of the IPI is planned for July 2010. It is hoped that this event will facilitate the start of ongoing engagement between researchers and other stakeholders in the Initiative, building on contacts established at a meeting held on 3 September 2009 between the funders and representatives of a range of organisations with interests in beekeeping, wildlife conservation, agriculture and horticulture. Grant-holders will be expected to interact with relevant organisations by providing articles for publication in magazines and newsletters, participation in meetings etc. In due course, there will be an “end-of-programme” event, aimed at a wide audience, to disseminate the findings of completed projects.
12/10/2009: Report published 'Meeting Carbon Budgets - the need for a step change'
The Committe on Climate Change has today published the first annual progress report to Parliament called 'Meeting Carbon Budgets - the need for a step change'. The report assesses the progress that has been made by Government so far in reducing emissions and the implications of the recession and 'credit crunch' for meeting carbon budgets.
The report will set out the emission reduction indicators that will be used to judge progress and will provide a detailled analysis of the policies required to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from electricity generation, from buildings and industry, heat and transport in the years up to the end of the third carbon budget period in 2022.
Download the full report here http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/progress-reports
14/09/2009: Living With Environmental Change Knowledge Exchange Systematic Reviews - Construction
Funbding call: NERC is pleased to welcome applications to conduct Knowledge Exchange systematic reviews to characterise the evidence base, better understand existing data and highlight trends and gaps in our knowledge on the possible impacts of environmental changes on the construction industry.
This announcement is part of the Living with Environmental Change initiative and focuses on three key questions that are of interest to this industry. This is the first of a number of funding calls that will focus on the impact environmental change could on different industry sectors. The closing date for this call is 4pm on 23 September 2009. For further information on this funding opportunity, go to:
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/using/schemes/systematic.asp
Or contact Stephen Smith via email at srsm@nerc.ac.uk
15/07/2009: UK at forefront of a low carbon economic revolution
A comprehensive plan to move the UK onto a permanent low carbon footing and to maximise economic opportunities, growth and jobs was published by the Government today.
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan plots out how the UK will meet the cut in emissions set out in the budget of 34% on 1990 levels by 2020. A 21% reduction has already been delivered – equivalent to cutting emissions entirely from four cities the size of London.
Transforming the country into a cleaner, greener and more prosperous place to live is at the heart of our economic plans for Building Britain’s Future and ensuring the UK is ready to take advantage of the opportunities ahead. By 2020:
More than 1.2 million people will be in green jobs
7 million homes will have benefited from whole house makeovers, and more than 1.5 million households will be supported to produce their own clean energy
40% of electricity will be from low carbon sources, from renewables, nuclear and clean coal
We will be importing half the amount of gas that we otherwise would
The average new car will emit 40% less carbon than now.
To read more:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn081/pn081.aspx
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19/10/2009 Report published: POSTnotes on Coastal Management and Ocean Acidification
The Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology has just released a POST note that examines past and present coastal management policy and the main issues arising for the future from predicted sea level rise and higher storm surges.
The note was prepared for POST by Johanna Forster, a PhD researcher working with the Living with Environmental Change Director, Professor Andrew Watkinson, on an ESRC secondment to POST. Other recent POST notes of relevance to LWEC are on ocean acidification, deforestation and biodiversity and climate change.
COASTAL MANAGEMENT
Predicted sea level rise and higher storm surges will increase the risk of coastal erosion and flooding. In response to this challenge, flood and coastal erosion risk
management is undergoing direction and policy change. This POSTnote examines past and present coastal management policy and the main issues arising for the future English coastline.
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is acidifying the oceans. The resulting changes to ecosystems and marine biodiversity may have
negative impacts on fisheries and food security and reduce the coastal protection provided by coral reefs. This POSTnote outlines the science behind ocean acidification and summarises the threats to the marine environment.
All previous postnotes are available here http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_offices/post/pubs.cfm
You can download the Coastal Management and Ocean Acidification POSTnotes here:
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19/11/2009: Climate change and you - Andrew Watkinson talks about the costs
Living with Environmental Change Director, Professor Andrew Watkinson, talks about the costs of climate change as part of the Guardian 'climate change and you' site.
Do we have to move to a low carbon society? Will technology save us? You can listen to the talk and have your say here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/climate-change-and-you/video/professor-andrew-watkinson
20/01/2009: Changing Water Cycle Programme
This is a major new £10m research programme being developed as part of the Living With Environmental Change partnership and NERC is looking for members of the programme advisory group. The closing date is 13 Feb 2009 This announcement defines the recruitment process and the role of the Programme Advisory Group (PAG) of The Changing Water Cycle Programme. The initial role will be as a writing group for the programme Science Plan and the group will evolve into a full advisory panel, reporting to the Programme Executive Board. The PAG can be added to throughout the lifetime of the programme in order to maintain representation of all relevant stakeholder groups. Applications expressing interest in joining the PAG are being invited (deadline Friday 13 February 2009) in the format outlined in the full Announcement of Opportunity document and the first meeting of the writing group will be 25/26 March 2009. Guidance for applicants Eligibility This consultancy activity may be provided by any research organisation or company with a good knowledge of NERC science and UK stakeholders in this research area. We welcome UK-based applicants from all research backgrounds who are ready to make the necessary commitment to the Changing Water Cycle Programme. We are looking for members from both the public and private sectors who have experience of a range of activities that have given them a good understanding of how NERC science. We wish to avoid over-representation from any single department or establishment. Finances NERC will cover all reasonable travel and subsistence costs incurred through advisory group membership responsibilities. Governance & Performance Management Management, reporting and monitoring procedures will be in line with NERC policy. The advisory group will report to the Programme Executive Board. Assessment criteria The final choice of PAG membership will be made by the Programme Executive Board and will be based on the following criteria (not in priority order): * balance of representation across academic, stakeholder, international and co- funder communities; * relevant expertise; * cross-community knowledge; * track record. The Programme Executive Board will reserve the right to appoint members to the PAG to achieve the balance of representation required. Assessment Timetable The timetable is as follows: * An open announcement of opportunity calling for (self-)nominations published 21 January 2009 defining the role of the PAG and writing group, requirements and eligibility. * Closing date (13 February 2009) following the programme launch meeting (5 February 2009) * PAG members will be invited by 27 February 2009 and list of membership published by 13 March 2009. Application Format The application includes sections on expertise, relevance and relationship to the Changing Waters Cycle Programme aims, current and past membership of professional bodies, experience of NERC operations, recent publications and qualities and value nominee would bring to the PAG. To apply, please complete the application form using 12 point Times New Roman or Arial font. Applicants may attach a brief CV (no more than 2 sides A4) in support of their application. How to Submit Applications must be submitted as email attachments to Sasha Leigh by 4pm on Friday 13 February 2009. Contact details Initial queries should be directed to: Sasha Leigh Tel: 01793 442634
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21/04/2009: New initiative to tackle bee and pollinator decline
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today launched a £10 million Living With Environmental Change initiative to help identify the main threats to bees and other insect pollinators.
He said: “Aristotle identified bees as the most hard working of insects, and with one in three mouthfuls coming from insect-pollinated crops, we need to support bees and other pollinators.”
Photo by: Autan
Pollinators including honey and bumble bees, as well as butterflies and moths, play an essential role in pollinating many vital food crops.
However, these insects are susceptible to a variety of disease and environmental threats, some of which have increased significantly over the last five to ten years. Climate change – in particular warmer winters and wetter summers – has had a major impact on pollinators. As a result, the numbers of pollinators have been declining steadily in recent years, with the number of bees in the UK alone falling by between 10 and 15 per cent over the last two years.
To gain a better understanding of why this is happening, some of the UK’s major research funders have joined together under the Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) partnership to launch an important new research programme. The biggest challenge will be to develop a better understanding of the complex relationships between biological and environmental factors which affect the health and lifespan of pollinators.
Professor Alan Thorpe, Chief Executive of NERC, commented: "Through the Pollinator Initiative, the Living With Environmental Change partners will address what is a complex multidisciplinary problem. We need to conduct research that will help us to understand the links between bees and other pollinators and the range of environmental factors that affect them in various ways. This research will provide vital insights into why there has been a steep decline in these insect populations in recent years and help us to find solutions to the problem."
The funding will be made available to research teams across the UK under Living With Environmental Change, the major initiative by UK funders to help the UK respond effectively to changes to our environment. This is a joint initiative from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Defra, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Wellcome Trust and the Scottish Government.
21/09/2009: £1.4m of NERC funding awarded to End-to-end Quantification of Uncertainty for Impacts Prediction (EQUIP)
£1.4m NERC funding over 3 years has been awarded to End-to-end Quantification of Uncertainty for Impacts Prediction (EQUIP), part of the Quantifying Uncertainty Programme.
EQUIP brings together the UK climate modelling and impacts communities to work closely together for the first time on quantifying uncertainty and developing risk-based prediction for decision making.
EQUIP is a collaboration between University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, University of Oxford, University of Reading, University of Edinburgh, University of Exeter, Newcastle University, London School of Economics, Plymouth Marine Laboratory.
Confirmed contributing partners are the Met Office (Hadley Centre), Environment Agency and CAFOD.
Additional partners are welcome to become members of EQUIP.
EQUIP will engage Living With Environmental Change partners and involve a range of networking with users and is expected to start its activities in January 2010.
For further information please contact the EQUIP project leader Andrew Challinor at the University of Leeds (a.j.challinor@leeds.ac.uk)
http://gotw.nerc.ac.uk/list_them.asp?them=Quantifying+Uncertainty
21/12/2009: Changing Water Cycle call for proposals
The programme 'Changing Water Cycle' now invites proposals as part of the initial investment phase. This five-year, £10m programme is accredited under Living with Environmental Change and directly relates to the delivery of NERC strategy (in particular the climate system, sustainable use of natural resources and natural hazards science themes) and UK Government's strategic goals with respect to adaptation to, and mitigation of, climate change.
This programme will contribute to objectives on climate change, ecosystems and human well-being.
Closing date: 16:00 on 8 April 2010
For more information see www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/cwc/events/ao.asp
22/08/2009: Storm Risk Mitigation through Improved Prediction and Impact Modelling - Expert Group invitation
NERC is inviting applications from individuals interested in joining an Expert Group that will refine the specifications for a research programme on Storm Risk Mitigation through Improved Prediction and Impact Modelling and support the development of an announcement of opportunity. Applications expressing interest in joining the group are being invited (deadline Wednesday 2 September 2009) in the format outlined below.
Guidance for applicants to join the Expert Group
ELIGIBILITY
Applications are welcome from UK-based individuals - in both the public and private sectors - with relevant research backgrounds and who are able to make the necessary commitment to the Storms Research Programme.
FINANCES
NERC will cover all reasonable travel and subsistence costs incurred through expert group membership responsibilities.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
The final choice of Group membership will be made by NERC and will be based on the following criteria (not in priority order):
balance of representation across academic, stakeholder, international and co-funder communities;
relevant expertise;
cross-community knowledge;
contacts and links;
track record.
NERC reserves the right to appoint members to the Group to achieve the balance of representation required.
TIMETABLE
The timetable is as follows:
Closing date: 2 September 2009.
Expert Group members will be invited by 11 September 2009.
First Expert Group meeting: 17 September 2009. Applicants must be available on this date and can not send a substitute.
Second Meeting of the Expert Group: week commencing 28 September 2009.
APPLICATION FORMAT
The application consists of completion of the application form in 12 point Times New Roman or Arial.
Applicants may attach a brief CV (no more than 2 sides A4) in support of their application.
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22/09/2009: Adapting Rural Living and Land Use to Environmental Change: Call for Proposals
The Rural Economy and Land Use Programme (RELU), with additional funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), invites applications under a fourth call on the theme of "Adapting rural living and land use to environmental change". This RELU call has been codesigned with the Living With Environmental Change programme
The call has two objectives. The first objective is to build networks and capacity for creative knowledge exchange and learning between researchers and policy makers, businesses, practitioners, local communities and the wider public, with a view to strengthening adaptive capacities, primarily within the UK. The second objective is to explore and promote novel approaches and partnerships for interdisciplinary research and analysis on living with environmental change in rural contexts.
The call specification document and further guidance are available at http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/current_funding_oppor...
Deadline for applications: 4pm 28th October 2009.
23/08/2009: Conference at Westminster on Communities, Energy and the Environment
This conference brings together professionals from industry, government and academe to provide a powerful insight into the vital role of communities in policy and governance, focussing on key environmental issues, from radioactive waste facility siting to climate change. The conference will appeal to everyone with an interest in community relations in respect of sensitive facility siting, community capacity building and regeneration, and the design and implementation of sustainability policy at local, national and wider levels.
Please find attached the brochure for an informative and innovative conference we are holding in Westminster on Tuesday 24th November 2009, with a reception afterwards in the House of Commons.
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23/09/2009: Report published from the Natural Capital Initiative’s first symposium ‘Valuing our life support systems’.
The full report and executive summary from the Natural Capital Initiative’s first symposium ‘Valuing our life support systems’ are now available
http://www.naturalcapitalinitiative.org.uk/9-valuing_our_life_support_sy...
The Natural Capital Initiative, the Science Council and the British Library held a discussion event on ‘Sustainable Cities’ as a follow-up event. Short interviews with the panellists were filmed and are available to view on YouTube. Please follow the links on the ‘Sustainable Cities’ webpage
http://www.naturalcapitalinitiative.org.uk/31-sustainable_cities/
The Natural Capital Initiative is taking forward ideas and issues highlighted at the symposium on natural capital links with human health, social capital and the economy. New events will be announced here
http://www.naturalcapitalinitiative.org.uk/2-home/
Please contact nci@iob.org if you have any questions or comments.
24/03/2009: Programme awards. Pilot Review Scheme - Objective B
Timing
February – May 2009
Can I apply for a grant?
No. Awards were made in February 2009.
Budget
£100,000 for small contracts.
The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded six applicants to compile pilot reviews on areas relating to LWEC Objective B, to manage ecosystems for human well-being and protect the natural environment as the environment changes. These reviews will take place during March and April 2009 and will outline the existing data and highlight the trends and gaps in knowledge.
Awards made:
Prof R. Haines-Young. Centre for Environmental Management University of Nottingham Environmental limits, ecosystem resilience and supporting services.
Prof G. M. Mace. NERC Centre for Population Biology Imperial College London The biological limits to adaptation: what is know and not known about genetic and phenotypic responses to rapid and extreme environmental change.
Dr S. Magni. Plymouth Marine Laboratory Examining the contribution of Marine Protected Areas to human well-being and environmental protection
Prof R. H. Marrs & Dr L. A. Robinson. University of Liverpool. Assessing the resilience of ecosystem service delivery: Can the Earth bounce back?
Dr M. Potschin. Centre for Environmental Management. University of Nottingham Catchment planning and the ecosystems approach: progress towards application.
Prof A. D. Watt. CEH Edinburgh. Managing conflicts affecting biodiversity, ecosystems and human well-being in a changing environment.
24/04/2009: One hundred questions to conserve global biodiversity
Living With Environmental Change’s Director Andrew Watkinson is one of the authors of a new paper that identifies 100 scientific questions that, if answered, would have the greatest impact on conservation practice and policy.
Conservation experts from 21 world-leading organisations including the WWF, Conservation International and BirdLife International compiled a longlist of more than 2,000 questions which were then whittled down by a process of email voting and workshops to the final list of one hundred questions.
The questions are divided into 12 categories, most of which (including ecosystem function and services, and climate change) broadly relate to the key objectives of Living With Environmental Change.
What impact will the melting of polar ice have on the human use of high-latitude ecosystems? (Photo: Adventfjorden, Spitsbergen by E. Parnell)
"With the current crisis in the loss of habitats and species it is important that we ensure we are carrying out the most important research," says Professor William Sutherland of the University of Cambridge, lead author of the study and Miriam Rothschild Chair in Conservation Biology. "When research is designed to meet the needs of real natural resource protection projects, it can lead to substantial gains for biodiversity," he adds.
The research was funded by two of Living With Environmental Change’s partners, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The paper, 'One hundred questions of important to the conservation of global biological diversity', is published online in Conservation Biology, 23 April 2009, doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01212.x
It can currently be read online at:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/122351358/HTMLSTART
More information on this story can also be found at NERC's PlanetEarth Online pages.
24/08/2009: Annoucement of Opportunity for NERC LWEC Systematic Reviews - Construction
NERC is pleased to welcome applications to conduct Knowledge Exchange systematic reviews to characterise the evidence base, better understand existing data and highlight trends and gaps in our knowledge on the possible impacts of environmental changes on the construction industry.
This announcement is part of the Living with Environmental Change initiative and focuses on three key questions that are of interest to this industry. This is the first of a number of funding calls that will focus on the impact environmental change could on different industry sectors.
The closing date for this call is 4pm on 23 September 2009. For further information on this funding opportunity, go to:
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/using/schemes/systematic.asp
or contact Stephen Smith via email at srsm@nerc.ac.uk
24/09/2009: Funding announcement: Arts and Humanities Approaches to Researching Environmental Change
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Landscape and Environment Programme are pleased to announce a new network call entitled Arts and Humanities Approaches to Researching Environmental Change. The deadline is 4pm Thursday 10th December 2009.
Proposals are now being invited (please note that the JeS form will not be available until 20th October). The network activities funded under this competition will be expected to run for between six months and one year, and each award can be up to a value of £30,000 fEC.
For further information on the call please go to the Programme website http://www.landscape.ac.uk/LWEC.html or the AHRC website http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/resenvchange.aspx.
25/08/2009: New initiatives in environment and human health
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Medical Research Council (MRC), Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) and Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) are pleased to announce support for two new programmes of research that will tackle the major roles environmental and social factors play in human health.
The vision for these initiatives is the establishment of truly interdisciplinary teams of researchers, conducting high quality state-of-the-art innovative research, addressing national/international research priorities that will inform and impact on policy and practice.
Environmental and Social Ecology of Human Infectious Disease
To respond proactively to the threat of novel pathogens and emerging infections we need to generate new insights into how natural and social environments affect the emergence and spread of human infectious diseases. Since most emerging infections are zoonotic, there will be a particular focus on the animal reservoir as a source of infectious disease and how animal pathogens spill over into human populations and spread through communities in the UK and other parts of the world.
The call for proposals will be announced in early September 2009, followed up by a workshop in early October 2009 to facilitate new interdisciplinary collaborations to form and respond to the call.
Environmental Exposure and Health
To reduce the adverse health effects of contaminated water, land, food or air we need to provide important new knowledge on the interconnections and pathways between environmental pollutants and stressors, exposures, early effects (eg biomarkers) and health outcomes in humans, including variations in susceptibility and the definition of health risks. This integrated understanding is vital to inform development of evidence-based policies.
The call for proposals is expected in September 2009.
26/10/2009: Course on Environmental Risk Governance 23 - 27 November 2009
The Collaborative Centre of Excellence in Understanding and Managing Natural and Environmental Risks - The Risk Centre - is offering a course on Environmental Risk Governance from 23 - 27 November 2009.
The Risk Centre is accredited by Living with Environmental Change.
http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/sas/risk/index.jsp
For more details about the course please download the pdf.
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26/11/2009: Chair announced for Living with Environmental Change Business Advisory Board
Colin Drummond, Chief Executive of Viridor, Executive Director of Pennon Group plc and Chair of Environmental Sustainability Knowledge Transfer Network, has accepted the position of Chair of the Living with Environmental Change programme’s new Business Advisory Board.
Living with Environmental Change is an unprecedented partnership of UK research and policy-making organisations, with a commitment of £1 Billion of funding over 10 years. Since the programme began in 2007, over £450 million has been committed towards environmental change research programmes.
The Business Advisory Board will help to ensure that the UK will get the full economic benefits from this major government investment, by providing strategic business input and advice on how to achieve the greatest impact from current and future activities.
Colin Drummond says: ‘The Government’s £1 Billion Living with Environmental Change programme is a major commitment to the Green Economy. Changes in the environment present great challenges but also huge opportunities for UK industry. I am delighted to accept the position of Chairman of the Business Advisory Board and look forward to assisting in maximising the UK’s competitive advantage as we react to the challenges of environmental change.’
Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board one of the Living with Environmental Change member organisations, says: ‘This is an important and significant step forward for Living with Environmental Change. Many of the programme’s objectives will be met through business engagement and it is important that we encourage and invite business to take part in a movement towards a low carbon economy. Every single member organisation understands that while much can be done to mitigate climate change, we all have a responsibility to help society and the economy to adapt to it. The work of the Business Advisory Board will be an important contribution towards the preparation work that needs to be done to enable this adaptation to take place.’
Professor Andrew Watkinson, Director of the Living with Environmental Change programme, says: ‘The Business Advisory Board will help Living with Environmental Change deliver its vision of providing business with the foresight required to take up the opportunities presented by the need to adapt to and mitigate upcoming environmental changes.’
Contact details:
For more information please contact
Ruth Welters, Living with Environmental Change Communications Specialist
01603 593906
ruth.welters@lwec.org.uk
Download the full press release here
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27/10/2009: Research paper published: Priority research areas for ecosystem services in a changing world
Managing ecosystem services for human well-being and protecting the natural environment in a changing world, is one of the Living with Environmental Change top-level objectives.
This new paper on Ecosystem services 'Priority research areas for ecosystem services in a changing world' was published on 10 October 2009, in the Journal of Applied Ecology.
Summary:
Ecosystem services are the benefits humans obtain from ecosystems. The importance of research into ecosystem services has been widely recognized, and rapid progress is being made. However, the prevailing approach to quantifying ecosystem services is still based on static analyses and single services, ignoring system dynamics, uncertainty and feedbacks. This is not only partly due to a lack of mechanistic understanding of processes and a dearth of empirical data, but also due to a failure to engage fully with the interdisciplinarity of the problem.
You can download the whole paper here:
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30/09/2009: Event: How will climate change affect people in the UK and how can we best develop an equitable response?
This public policy seminar will provide an opportunity to discuss the social impacts and social justice implications of climate change in a UK context to consider how responses from policymakers, practitioners and communities can be developed to take account of issues of poverty and disadvantage.
Date: 30 November 2009
Tine: 9.30am for 10.00am until 4.00pm, including lunch and a workshop session
Venue: Local Government Association, Local Government House, Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HZ
This event involves two of the Living With Environmental Change partners; the Economic and Social Research Council and the Local Government Association, working with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
More details:
With the publication of the new UK climate change projections in 2009, it is clear that the impacts of climate change are likely to be very significant for the UK as we approach the middle of the 21st century. We can expect:
• Increased temperatures across the UK with greater warming in summer than in winter
• More winter rainfall and drier summers for much of the country
• Rising sea levels especially in the south of the country.
As yet however, our understanding of the consequences of climate change for people living in the UK is still at an early stage. We need to consider both the impacts of the direct and indirect effects of climate change and the short and longer term consequences of each in order to respond effectively.
Overall strategic interventions by policymakers and practitioners at both national and local level will need to consider how to support community resilience and adaptive capacity to face these challenges and address equity issues in emerging responses so that some groups are not disproportionately negatively affected.
It is intended that this seminar will inform ideas about potential future research funding opportunities through the Living with Environmental Change and other research programmes, building on existing research being commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on the social justice implications of climate change http://www.jrf.org.uk/work/workarea/climate-change-and-poverty
To register:
Places for this seminar are limited. Please e-mail your acceptance to the ESRC Knowledge Transfer Team knowledgetransfer@esrc.ac.uk
Queries:
If you have any queries about this seminar please contact Marzena Bien marzena.bien@esrc.ac.uk
30/10/2009: Report published on public attitudes to environmental change
The report 'Public Attitudes to Environmental Change: a selective review of theory and practice' is published today.
The report's authors summarise a selection of academic and non‐academic evidence relevant to public attitudes to environmental change in the UK. The main aim is to inform public engagement for the Living With Environmental Change programme, but the results will be of interest to any organisation working in a similar field.
The report addresses the public's attitudes to
* climate change and its impacts
* energy technologies and infrastructure
* changes in ecosystems, landscapes and species
You can download the executive summary and the full report here
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8/12/2009: Paper published 'A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2010'
Conservation professionals need to pay more attention to emerging threats to biodiversity, rather than focusing solely on issues such as climate change, habitat loss and invasive species, according to the paper 'A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2010' published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.
Pofessor Andrew Watkinson, Director of Living with Environmental Change, is a co-author on the paper.
Fifteen potential biodiversity threats and opportunities – including synthetic meat, nanosilver and pollution by tiny particles of plastic – were identified by a horizon scanning exercise held in Cambridge in September 2009.
Twenty-one policy makers, academics and environmental organisations from Europe, North America and Australasia took part in the exercise. The aim was to spot up-and-coming issues that might have major environmental impacts but which scientists currently know little about.
Download the paper here
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8/12/2009: Parliamentary Seminiar on 'Science, Technology and Innovation for Poverty Reduction'
Over a third of the world's population is affected by poverty, and lacks the resources and information to meet basic human needs, such as sufficient food, safe drinking water, sanitation, health, shelter and education. Science, technology and innovation can play a crucial role in alleviating poverty and have led to a vast array of developments, from boosting agricultural productivity, to improving livelihoods with Information Communication Technology. There is widespread awareness that science, technology and innovation can make a significant contribution to meeting key Millennium Development Goal commitments, such as halving the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015.
Details: Science, Technology and Innovation for Poverty Reduction
Parliamentary seminar, Wednesday 9th December 2009, 9.45am - 1.00pm,
The Attlee Suite, Portcullis House
This seminar, which is organised jointly by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, the Institute of Physics and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, will showcase promising new areas of UK research in developmental sciences, covering a range of areas including mobile communications, disease control, and provision of clean water and electricity. It will also address the challenges faced in ensuring that research is focused on the needs of the world's poorest people and will explore social and cultural factors affecting the uptake of new technologies in developing countries. Attendees will have the opportunity to look at practical demonstrations and network with researchers.
Places are limited and admission is by invitation. If you would like to attend please contact Chandrika Nath (nathc@parliament.uk)
9/12/2009: Expressions of interest call for Geoengineering event
EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in partnership under the Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme, intend to provide support to research within the Climate Geoengineering remit through a joint sandpit event. We aim to fund research which will allow intelligent and informed assessments about geoengineering technologies to be made. Expressions of Interest are now invited to attend our sandpit event. Please click here for more info www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/default.htm
9/12/2009: First Living with Environmental Change Pilot Reviews Published
Six pilot reviews are now published under Living with Environmental Change Objective B – ‘To manage ecosystem services for human well-being and to protect the natural environment in a changing world’.
The LWEC partners are keen to support activities that cover both aspects of Objective B. These include the assessment of links and feedbacks between the natural environment, ecosystem services and human well-being; how these might continue to develop within environmental limits in the face of major environmental change; and how decision-making and local and national planning can take account of these links and feedbacks to help in the development of new social, environmental and economic opportunities.
Each of the six reports provides an initial characterisation of the evidence base on their chosen subjects. This provides a resource with which to judge the potential value of full systematic reviews and the likely need for primary research.
The Pilot Reviews offer the opportunity to scope academic literature and public reports published on specific questions. It is intended that the reports of the reviews: outline the existing data and highlight the trends and gaps in knowledge, contain details of the search strategy employed, provide critical appraisal of the quality of the sample of the studies and may produce a draft protocol for a full systematic review.
This project was funded by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (project NR0133) with the support of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) under Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) Objective B.
Download the reports here:
News Archives: 2008
Critical next steps
The LWEC partners board held its first meeting in July 2007. This decided on LWEC's delivery aims, the progressive development of an LWEC Secretariat, and activities designed to develop LWEC further.
Recent developments and next steps:
At the first meeting of the LWEC Partners' Board in July 2007, the Board decided to invite Lord John Selborne to take on the role of Chair for the LWEC programme. Lord Selborne formally accepted this invitation in September 2007.
At this first meeting it was also agreed that there was a need to build beyond the defining characteristics, delivery aims and prospective areas for research to identify a set of common strategic objectives for the LWEC programme. A facilitated workshop was held at the DEFRA Innovation Centre in Reading in November 2007 that was attended by representatives from each of the Partner organisations and in part by the LWEC Chair.
The outputs of this workshop were used to form a set of draft strategic objectives for the programme, and these were subsequently agreed in principle at the second meeting of the LWEC Partners' Board in December 2007. This meeting also agreed, in principle, on the delivery mechanisms for these objectives, performance management requirements for the programme, recruitment of the LWEC Director and associated support staff, and communications strategies.
The programme launch took place on 18 June 2008 in at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster. Speakers at the launch event included Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP and Ian Pearson MP.
The third LWEC Partners' Board took place in London in June 2008. This meeting discussed draft implementation plans for the LWEC strategic objectives that were generated by Programme Design Groups comprising of representatives and scientific advisors nominated from each of the Partners interested in the specific objectives. The meeting also considered the economic impact and engagement with the public and other stakeholders, LWEC partnership/membership and accreditation, and communications issues.
Professor Andrew Watkinson, who is currently Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and a Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, will take up the post of LWEC Director during Autumn 2008. Negotiations are currently underway to recruit the LWEC Support Team which will be hosted at UEA.
The LWEC Programme Design Groups will reconvene to take forward the implementation plans for the LWEC strategic objectives, with guidance from the Partners Board and Director.
The fourth LWEC Partners' Board is expected to take place in December 2008 and is being hosted in Edinburgh by the Scottish Government.
Director appointed to take up the challenges of Living With Environmental Change
Professor Andrew Watkinson, Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, will take up the post during September.
Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) is an unprecedented partnership of 17 research, business and policy-making organisations working together to find ways for society and individual people to adapt to the environmental changes that we face now and in the future.
The partnership today announced the appointment of a Director for this ambitious UK programme. Professor Andrew Watkinson, who is currently Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and a Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, will take up the post during September.
Chairman of the LWEC Partners Board, Lord Selborne, said, "I am delighted that Andrew has agreed to join us. His extensive environmental research background and experience of running a major research centre, working at both national and international levels, will give LWEC the leadership it needs to deal with the huge range of environmental challenges that are already starting to affect people in the UK and across the world."
The LWEC programme will address environmental change in the short and medium-term at both the regional and global scale. A key objective is to provide the evidence-base which policy-makers and people need to make timely decisions that will enable us to prepare for the predicted changes and to manage the economic impacts.
Professor Watkinson's current research focuses on interdisciplinary aspects of climate change, ecology and coastal zone management, with particular emphasis on how science informs policy. He trained as an ecologist at York and the University of Wales, Bangor before moving to the University of East Anglia. He was presented in 2003 with the Marsh Award for Ecology by the British Ecological Society and is a visiting Professor at Fudan University in Shanghai. He is also currently Chair of the NERC/ESRC/DFID advisory committee on Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation, an initiative that will form part of the LWEC programme, and has already worked with most of the LWEC partners.
Professor Watkinson said, "Society is facing a range of challenges including climate change, population growth, globalisation and technological change. What I hope is that LWEC will play a vital part in securing the future wellbeing of the people and economy of the UK by providing the evidence base to inform policy debate and people's choices. I have no doubt that leading this partnership will itself be very challenging, but I am eager to start driving it forward."
His appointment will run initially for five years and his office will be hosted by the University of East Anglia during that period.
Further information
NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411727 or 411561
Mob: 07917 086369 or 557215
Notes
1. Living with Environmental Change was launched on 18 July 2008. It will transform how researchers, government and the public interact to tackle the key environmental challenges: climate change; loss of biodiversity; the availability of sustainable water and food supplies; preparing for and managing extreme events; protecting people, animals and plants from disease; and alleviating poverty in developing countries. The programme is an acknowledgement from researchers and policy-makers that climate change is only one part of a much bigger challenge: global environmental change caused by rapid economic and population growth.
Emerging funding opportunities
New funding opportunities are emerging amongst LWEC partners.
Ahead of the LWEC programme design, new funding opportunities are emerging amongst the partners that are being progressively steered towards LWEC's objectives.
Information about the status of such activities and opportunities can be found under these headings:
* Ecosystem Services & Poverty Alleviation programme
* EPSRC climate change portfolio
* Environment & Human Health programme
* ESRC / Defra Research Centre on Sustainable Behaviours
LWEC Programme Launch Event
The programme launch took place on 18 June 2008 in Westminster. Speakers' presentations from the launch.
Programme Launch
Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) is a ten year multi-partner programme to increase resilience to and reduce the costs of environmental change.
The programme launch took place on 18 June 2008 in Westminster. Speakers' presentations from the launch.
Our planet faces unprecedented change and this event gave policy makers and representatives from Government, academia, industry and other organisations the opportunity to learn about how the UK's major funders of environment related research are responding to this urgent situation through the LWEC programme.
Meetings held to date
Meetings and discussions for new research to secure resilient ecosystem services for the future.
NERC and other partners have held a range of meetings related to LWEC. These meetings have gathered the initial views, from both the research community and partners, on the scope and framework of the programme.
In a presentation at the Foundation for Science & Technology, NERC's Chief Executive, Alan Thorpe, outlined the challenges we face and how the environmental research community would be able to respond.
The LWEC Partners' Board held its first meeting in London in July 2007 which decided on LWEC's delivery aims, the progressive development of an LWEC secretariat, and activities designed to develop LWEC further.
This was followed by a facilitated workshop at the DEFRA Innovation Centre in Reading in November 2007. This workshop was attended by representatives from each of the LWEC Partner organisations with the aim of identifying a set of common objectives to be agreed upon at the next Board meeting.
The second LWEC Partners' Board was held in London in December 2007. In addition to agreeing on the LWEC strategic objectives, this meeting also decided on the delivery of these objectives, performance management requirements for the programme, recruitment of the LWEC Secretariat and communications strategies.
The programme launch took place on 18 June 2008 in at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster. Speakers at the launch event included Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP and Ian Pearson MP.
Prior to the third Partners' Board a Programme Design Group (PDG) meeting was held for each of the six LWEC strategic objectives. Each of these groups was lead by one of the Partner organisations and comprised of a representative from the Partners that have an direct and active, or indirect and reactive interest in a particular objective. Each Partner was also invited to appoint two scientific advisors to attend this meeting. A draft implementation plan for each objectives was then presented to the Board in it's June meeting.
The third LWEC Partners' Board took place in London in June 2008. In addition to discussing the draft implementation plans and providing feedback to the PDGs, this meeting considered the economic impact and engagement with the public and other stakeholders, LWEC partnership/membership and accreditation, and communications issues.
The fourth LWEC Partners' Board is expected to take place in December 2008 and is being hosted in Edinburgh by the Scottish Government.
UK research partnership responds to the urgent need for environmental action
Urgent action is needed from the research community, government and the public to respond to inevitable environmental change.
This is the message at the launch of the UK's £1 billion Living With Environmental Change programme in London today (18 June 2008).
The launch comes just three weeks before world-leaders meet at the G8 summit in Toyako, Japan where 'environment and climate change' is billed as the main theme.
Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) is an unprecedented partnership of 17 research and policy-making organisations working together to find ways to cope with the environmental changes that are already starting to affect people's wellbeing and livelihoods. The programme will address environmental change in the short-term and at regional level as well as the longer term global changes. A key objective is to provide the evidence-base that policy-makers and people need to make timely decisions that will enable us to prepare for the predicted changes and to manage the economic impacts.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, said, "The UK is on track to meet and go well beyond its Kyoto commitments, but as a country we must do much more. That is why we've introduced the Climate Change Bill in Parliament which will set a target to cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050, and are looking at whether that target should be stronger still.
"LWEC will meet many of the needs identified by the Stern Review, the United Nations' Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and the recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The programme will also help us to implement the UK strategy for sustainable development."
Forecasts show that sea levels will rise, that low-lying areas like London will be more susceptible to flooding, and that the UK and other countries are likely to experience more frequent and intense storms and heat-waves. These changes will put increasing pressure on our natural resources.
Ian Pearson, Minister for Science and Innovation, said, "The need to address environmental changes will also bring opportunities for business and industry. Business is operating in an increasingly carbon constrained world and there will be ever growing demand for sustainable products and services. Living With Environmental Change will help position the UK to capitalise on these opportunities."
The LWEC programme will transform how researchers, government and the public interact to tackle the key environmental challenges: climate change; loss of biodiversity; the availability of sustainable water and food supplies; preparing for and managing extreme events; protecting people, animals and plants from disease; and alleviating poverty in developing countries. The programme is an acknowledgement from researchers and policy-makers that climate change is only one part of a much bigger challenge: global environmental change caused by rapid economic and population growth.
LWEC will make a significant contribution to strengthening the knowledge and understanding we need to develop resilient ecosystems that ensure a sustainable supply of food and water is available throughout the world.
Work on the programme is already underway in China, Sub-Saharan Africa, India and the Amazon basin. This component of LWEC is known as the Ecosystems Services for Poverty Alleviation programme, and is aimed at designing research programmes to inform the management of ecosystems in developing countries. Researchers and policy-makers met in Cape Town on 17 June to discuss initial assessment reports from these regions and plan the way forward.
The public will play an important part by providing information to the LWEC partners, who intend to engage with people about the changes we all face. This will help LWEC identify the research priorities and decide the best way to channel the research into effective policies that will enable people to make choices about their future.
The LWEC Partners Board meets in two days time (Friday 20 June) to discuss specific priorities for its national and international programme of research. This will be a 'living' research programme that will change and adapt as needs and priorities are identified throughout the life of the Living With Environmental Change programme.
The larger part of LWEC will be built by the partners realigning relevant existing and planned research programmes, actively directing them to meet the LWEC aims and objectives. Many new activities will also be designed and funded, using resources from the last government spending review.