Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Edu4ClimAte (European Higher Education Institutions Network for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences)
Período documentado: 2022-10-01 hasta 2024-06-30
The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region faces rapid population growth, political and socio-economic instabilities as well as extreme weather conditions associated with rapid climate change. Extremes of temperature, in combination with increasing air pollution and windblown desert dust, could soon lead to intolerable conditions. Since climate change and air quality share many common sources, it appears logical to focus on the development of amelioration strategies that combine the goals of limiting climate change and reducing air pollution.
Edu4ClimAte will engage Advanced Partners (from France, Austria, Germany, Finland) to strengthen the scientific excellence of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from the widening countries (Greece, Cyprus) to establish a “regional hub of knowledge” in air pollution & climate change research and innovation. It will engage their respective surrounding ecosystems to address these societal challenges over the wider EMME.
Edu4ClimAte will enhance local, regional, and international clusters led by its consortium to develop a “Long-term Action Plan” engaging Advanced and Widening HEIs in Climate & Atmospheric Sciences. It will leverage international networks (EU RIs ACTRIS/ICOS) to support the EU Green Deal and educate the next generation of researchers.
This approach is built on four major components of the HEIs collaboration framework: Education, Research, Innovation, and Networking. The successful implementation of this action plan will enable Widening HEIs to become major components of EU RIs (ACTRIS/ICOS) and foster regional implementation of solutions on Air Pollution and Climate Change.
Edu4ClimAte will engage Advanced Partners (from France, Austria, Germany, Finland) to strengthen the scientific excellence of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from the widening countries (Greece, Cyprus) to establish a “regional hub of knowledge” in air pollution & climate change research and innovation. It will engage their respective surrounding ecosystems to address these societal challenges over the wider EMME.
Edu4ClimAte will enhance local, regional, and international clusters led by its consortium to develop a “Long-term Action Plan” engaging Advanced and Widening HEIs in Climate & Atmospheric Sciences. It will leverage international networks (EU RIs ACTRIS/ICOS) to support the EU Green Deal and educate the next generation of researchers.
This approach is built on four major components of the HEIs collaboration framework: Education, Research, Innovation, and Networking. The successful implementation of this action plan will enable Widening HEIs to become major components of EU RIs (ACTRIS/ICOS) and foster regional implementation of solutions on Air Pollution and Climate Change.
Education, Research, Innovation, Networking in the Edu4ClimAte Action Plan (D4.1) have been organized into 4 inter-linked Work Packages (1, 2, 3, 4). Belowwe provide a short summary of their progress and main achievements.
High Quality Education & Training (WP1).
The Edu4ClimAte “Training Hub” (Task 1.1) will frame various capacity building activities of/with local ecosystem and the long-term (Education & Training) collaboration between HEI partners. Its design has been achieved (Deliverable D1.1 -M6) and its implementation initiated by:
1) A total of 2 Autumn schools successfully achieved (Task 1.4
2) ; Successful recruitment of 4 PhD students engaged in joint PhDs between Widening and Advanced HEIs (Task 1.2).
3) Upgraded postgraduate Education Program co-designed by the academic partners and better aligned with ERA and UN SDGs (Task 1.3) by: 1) Re-accreditation and/or upgrade of the Environmental Sciences post-graduate / Master Program of the CyI and UoC with new features (e.g. UN SDGs content relevant to EMME)
Joint Research Strategy (WP2)
Built around the further (co-)development of existing Facilities (Atmospheric Monitoring) in Crete/Cyprus (UoC/CyI), the (co-)creation of new Facilities (EMME-DO, EMME-AMP), and their further utilization by the consortium to conduct joint research (PhD) projects. Progress and achievements are:
1) Two new co-operated Research Infrastructures (EMME-DO/AMP) established to better support local stakeholders. Development of EMME-DO (EMME Decarbonization Observatory) was successfully achieved (Task 2.1 D2.1). EMME-DO’s provision of high quality GHG observations will facilitate the integration of the Widening HEIs into ICOS. Its further scientific exploitation is ongoing with Edu4ClimAte Advanced HEIs through joint PhD projects. It will also contribute to the development of new services to the Cyprus Government (see Key Exploitable Results). The development of EMME-AMP (EMME Atmospheric Modeling Platform) (Task 2.2is progressing well and as expected. It has already led to tangible impacts on regional scale, supporting the Egyptian Government to mitigate Air pollution and better adapt to desert dust storms (see Key Exploitable Results).
2) New scientific (open access) publications and new datasets on air pollution & GHG in the EMME are now available from the results of the Joint PhD projects: (Task 2.3,2 publications accepted, 2 publications submitted).
3) One co-operated Atmospheric (Crete-Cyprus) Research Infrastructure to mutualize resources and increase visibility and competitiveness. See above Key Exploitable Results (joint participation of Widening HEIs to H.E. project and related European Networks)
Joint Innovation Strategy (WP3)
Flagship Innovation and Policy Support activities were initiated with local/surrounding ecosystems of the Widening countries to co-develop highly specialized environmental services and products. Four new environmental products/services are currently co-developed with Widening public/private partners (Tasks 2.1 2.2 2.3):
1) New environmental product/service on methane detection and sulfur emissions from ship stack
2) New environmental service on Air Quality Forecasting to the World Bank / Egypt (EMME-AMP)
3) New environmental service to the Cyprus Government (MRV of GHG with LULUCF sector)
4) Enhanced technological capacities of the CyI drone Facility (Task 3.2; Achieved 50%) to perform environmental observations.
Networks (WP4).
Local, regional, and international clusters led by the Edu4ClimAte consortium are strengthened by aligning them with the ambitions of the European Research and Education Areas with the following achievements:
1) Coordination of 2 Research & Innovation Networks (Europe, EMME) (2 on-line annual workshops) (Task 4.3).
2) Engagement of local surrounding ecosystem in mitigating/adapting to Air Pollution and Climate Change (1 annual “SCYence Fair”, 1 local network of low-cost air quality sensors, 1 digital platform for local air pollution/dust forecasting) (Task 4.3).
High Quality Education & Training (WP1).
The Edu4ClimAte “Training Hub” (Task 1.1) will frame various capacity building activities of/with local ecosystem and the long-term (Education & Training) collaboration between HEI partners. Its design has been achieved (Deliverable D1.1 -M6) and its implementation initiated by:
1) A total of 2 Autumn schools successfully achieved (Task 1.4
2) ; Successful recruitment of 4 PhD students engaged in joint PhDs between Widening and Advanced HEIs (Task 1.2).
3) Upgraded postgraduate Education Program co-designed by the academic partners and better aligned with ERA and UN SDGs (Task 1.3) by: 1) Re-accreditation and/or upgrade of the Environmental Sciences post-graduate / Master Program of the CyI and UoC with new features (e.g. UN SDGs content relevant to EMME)
Joint Research Strategy (WP2)
Built around the further (co-)development of existing Facilities (Atmospheric Monitoring) in Crete/Cyprus (UoC/CyI), the (co-)creation of new Facilities (EMME-DO, EMME-AMP), and their further utilization by the consortium to conduct joint research (PhD) projects. Progress and achievements are:
1) Two new co-operated Research Infrastructures (EMME-DO/AMP) established to better support local stakeholders. Development of EMME-DO (EMME Decarbonization Observatory) was successfully achieved (Task 2.1 D2.1). EMME-DO’s provision of high quality GHG observations will facilitate the integration of the Widening HEIs into ICOS. Its further scientific exploitation is ongoing with Edu4ClimAte Advanced HEIs through joint PhD projects. It will also contribute to the development of new services to the Cyprus Government (see Key Exploitable Results). The development of EMME-AMP (EMME Atmospheric Modeling Platform) (Task 2.2is progressing well and as expected. It has already led to tangible impacts on regional scale, supporting the Egyptian Government to mitigate Air pollution and better adapt to desert dust storms (see Key Exploitable Results).
2) New scientific (open access) publications and new datasets on air pollution & GHG in the EMME are now available from the results of the Joint PhD projects: (Task 2.3,2 publications accepted, 2 publications submitted).
3) One co-operated Atmospheric (Crete-Cyprus) Research Infrastructure to mutualize resources and increase visibility and competitiveness. See above Key Exploitable Results (joint participation of Widening HEIs to H.E. project and related European Networks)
Joint Innovation Strategy (WP3)
Flagship Innovation and Policy Support activities were initiated with local/surrounding ecosystems of the Widening countries to co-develop highly specialized environmental services and products. Four new environmental products/services are currently co-developed with Widening public/private partners (Tasks 2.1 2.2 2.3):
1) New environmental product/service on methane detection and sulfur emissions from ship stack
2) New environmental service on Air Quality Forecasting to the World Bank / Egypt (EMME-AMP)
3) New environmental service to the Cyprus Government (MRV of GHG with LULUCF sector)
4) Enhanced technological capacities of the CyI drone Facility (Task 3.2; Achieved 50%) to perform environmental observations.
Networks (WP4).
Local, regional, and international clusters led by the Edu4ClimAte consortium are strengthened by aligning them with the ambitions of the European Research and Education Areas with the following achievements:
1) Coordination of 2 Research & Innovation Networks (Europe, EMME) (2 on-line annual workshops) (Task 4.3).
2) Engagement of local surrounding ecosystem in mitigating/adapting to Air Pollution and Climate Change (1 annual “SCYence Fair”, 1 local network of low-cost air quality sensors, 1 digital platform for local air pollution/dust forecasting) (Task 4.3).
Results coming out from recently submitted/publication scientific articles. E.g.
EMME-DO – Tanaka et al. (2024). We show that current pledges with unconditional targets lead to global warming of 1.96 (1.39-2.6)°C by 2100. Further warming could be limited through i) commitment to mid-century net-zero targets for all countries and earlier net-zero targets for developed countries, ii) enhancement of the Global Methane Pledge, and iii) ambitious implementation of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use. Our analysis further shows that overshooting 1.5°C is unavoidable, even with supplementary climate engineering strategies, suggesting the need for strategies to limit further overshoot and ultimately reduce the warming towards 1.5°C.
EMME-DO – Tanaka et al. (2024). We show that current pledges with unconditional targets lead to global warming of 1.96 (1.39-2.6)°C by 2100. Further warming could be limited through i) commitment to mid-century net-zero targets for all countries and earlier net-zero targets for developed countries, ii) enhancement of the Global Methane Pledge, and iii) ambitious implementation of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use. Our analysis further shows that overshooting 1.5°C is unavoidable, even with supplementary climate engineering strategies, suggesting the need for strategies to limit further overshoot and ultimately reduce the warming towards 1.5°C.