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Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna (Unibo) is the oldest university in the Western world.
It was born as a university spread out across the city. Classes were taught wherever space was available – such as in churches and professors’ homes. The university was not a physical space, but rather a spontaneous and informal gathering of a few students.
In the following centuries, the university developed, maintaining a sprawling campus but establishing different faculties first within and then outside the historical city walls. Since 2000, Unibo has adopted a multi-campus structure, stretching beyond Bologna to the eastern part of the Emilia-Romagna region. There are now campuses in the cities of Cesena, Ravenna, Forlì and Rimini, which offer interdisciplinary study programmes and are hubs for research activity. In each of the four newer campuses, the dispersed nature of the university is preserved, with courses being taught in different buildings across the cities.
Today, Unibo’s activities are conducted in 256 buildings, across about 1 million square metres. The university is one of the largest public universities in Italy, with more than 88,000 students, 3,100 academics and 3,100 technical or administrative staff. There are 31 departments, seven interdepartmental research centres for industrial research, 17 centres for education and research and more than 300 degree programmes.
How can a university with such history and tradition, and such a sweeping presence, embrace innovation and sustainability?
We believe that the answer is threefold:
Our commitment to sustainability is guided by a comprehensive strategic plan with clear and measurable objectives. This plan outlines 50 tangible goals that will be achieved through a number of specific actions hinged on four areas: teaching and student community, research, people, and society.
Among these objectives, one that is particularly important, especially in light of the sociopolitical situation that has emerged in recent years, is that of energy procurement and management. In this regard, the university energy plan was approved last year, outlining intervention strategies to promote efficient energy use and enhance the social, economic and environmental sustainability of our activities. Starting from the status quo, the energy plan sets out a series of scenarios that prefigure the evolution of energy consumption in the short and medium term, and indicate the direction in which our university will have to move in the future to reduce gas emissions and increase the use of renewable sources.
Moreover, our sustainability report, published annually, is a fundamental tool for evaluating our commitment to sustainability. Through a detailed analysis of environmental, social and economic indicators, the report allows us to measure the progress we have made, understand the current status of our activities, and define the course for the future to achieve our desired goals.
We are confident that our efforts will not only benefit our own community but will also contribute to a more sustainable future for all.
Giacomo Bergamini is delegate for sustainability and Simona Tondelli is deputy rector, both at the University of Bologna.
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Researchers show the link between trawls and climate change in the North Sea – Phys.org
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May 29, 2024
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by Torsten Fischer, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Fishing trawls cause significant CO2 emissions as they stir up the carbon bound in the seabed and release it again. It is also clear that they drastically affect ecosystems in the ocean. A new study by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon models the influence of bottom trawls on sedimentary carbon in the North Sea. It also shows that restrictions on fishing in certain areas would benefit life in the ocean and on land.
The study is published in the journal Biogeosciences.
What would happen if bottom trawling were banned in all currently designated marine protected areas? In the North Sea, trawls cause CO2 emissions on the order of one million tons to be released into the atmosphere every year by stirring up organically bound carbon.
“This is a conservative estimate compared to other studies and corresponds to the emissions from the diesel engines of the fishing fleet itself,” says coastal researcher and lead author Lucas Porz from the Institute of Coastal Systems—Analysis and Modeling at Hereon. Current marine protected areas have little positive impact on carbon storage. But by designating “carbon protection zones,” both sedimentary carbon and habitats could be effectively protected.
Some areas are particularly sensitive to fishing pressure, such as the Skagerrak between the north coast of Jutland, the south coast of Norway and the northern west coast of Sweden. And also parts of the German Bight. These are mainly areas that have a high proportion of mud in the sediment and are biologically productive, for example due to strong microalgae growth.
Bottom trawling is the most important direct human intervention in the carbon budget of the oceans. As there are only a few studies on the subject, some of which are highly controversial, the Hereon study fills a gap. It aims to provide a realistic assessment in order to advance the debate.
Until now, experimental studies have been limited to local effects. However, Hereon has now been able to extend these to the entire North Sea and estimate the large-scale effect for the first time. In particular, the redistribution of the resuspended carbon by currents has not been taken into account so far, although this has a major influence on the overall impact and therefore on the climate.
Porz and his team first reviewed all available data and studies on fishing activity in the North Sea and its impact on sediments and bottom-dwelling animals such as shrimps and mussels. These effects were incorporated into computer models that simulate the distribution of animals, sediments and organic carbon and their interaction with ocean currents.
By comparing the simulations with and without bottom trawling, the researchers were able to estimate the impact. In order to investigate the effects of possible management measures, they redistributed the fishing activity in the model from potential closure zones to surrounding areas.
The most effective way to reduce additional emissions would be for fisheries to avoid clearly identified carbon-rich muddy grounds. There are also alternative fishing methods and gear that have a significantly lower impact on the seabed and the animals that live there.
“Bottom trawling in the North Sea has been practiced intensively for more than 100 years and it is therefore difficult to say how exactly the ecosystem is already being changed by it,” adds Porz.
Whether, for example, there could also be positive ecosystem effects from bottom trawling, such as increased availability of nutrients in the water column, is currently being investigated at Hereon. However, it is known that around a fifth of seabed dwellers do not survive contact with a bottom trawl.
According to his study, there would be around 14% more animals on the seabed of the North Sea without bottom trawling. In addition, the habitats are altered by the fishing gear. Muddy beds are more affected than sandy beds, as the fishing gear penetrates deeper into muddy beds and they take longer to recover. The composition of the communities living on the seabed also changes.
To date, the ecosystem service of carbon storage has not been taken into account in the designation of marine protected areas. There are signs that this could change, for example, with the German government’s “Aktionsprogramm Natürlicher Klimaschutz” (“Action Program for Natural Climate Protection,” ANK), which implements funding measures to strengthen the climate protection services of ecosystems.
“Even there, seabed sediments still play a subordinate role, although we believe that they represent a more effective and longer-term carbon sink than peatlands or forests, for example,” says Porz.
More information: Lucas Porz et al, Quantification and mitigation of bottom-trawling impacts on sedimentary organic carbon stocks in the North Sea, Biogeosciences (2024). DOI: 10.5194/bg-21-2547-2024
Journal information: Biogeosciences
Journal information: Biogeosciences
Provided by Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
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The Right Kind of Tipping Point – The New York Times
Climate Change
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Global carbon dioxide emissions might have already peaked, according to new estimates, signaling a potentially monumental shift.
Amid a deluge of terrifying headlines about destructive tornadoes, blistering heat waves and DVD-sized gorilla hail, here’s a surprising bit of good news: Global carbon dioxide emissions may have peaked last year, according to a new projection.
It’s worth dwelling on the significance of what could be a remarkable inflection point.
For centuries, the burning of coal, oil and gas has produced huge volumes of planet-warming gasses. As a result, global temperatures rose by an average of 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than at the dawn of the industrial age, and extreme weather is becoming more frequent.
But we now appear to be living through the precise moment when the emissions that are responsible for climate change are starting to fall, according to new data by BloombergNEF, a research firm. This projection is in roughly in line with other estimates, including a recent report from Climate Analytics.
Thanks to the rapid build-out of wind and solar power plants, particularly in China, global emissions from the power sector are set to decline this year. Last year, the amount of renewable energy capacity added globally jumped by almost 50 percent, according to the International Energy Agency.
And with the rise of electric vehicles and heat pumps, similar gains are anticipated in the transportation sector and residential buildings.
Forecasting emissions is an inexact science. Greenhouse gas levels fell during the Covid-19 pandemic, then spiked as the world emerged from lockdown. Other wild cards, such as melting permafrost or huge wildfires, could further scramble projections. Nevertheless, the data suggests that after centuries of growth, humans are finally on the cusp of reducing the overall production of heat-trapping gases.
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Electric car shopping tool – Green Energy Consumers Alliance
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The greenest car in America is not an EV – it’s a plug-in hybrid – The Washington Post
A new report says a plug-in hybrid can beat out the greenest of electric vehicles
If you try to imagine a “green” car, an electric vehicle is probably the first thing that comes to mind. A silent motor with tons of torque; no fumes, gasoline smells or air pollution belching from an exhaust pipe. Last year, U.S. consumers had over 50 EV models to choose from, up from about 30 the year before.
But a new report from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy suggests that the “greenest” car in America may not be fully electric. The nonprofit group, which has rated the pollution from vehicles for decades, says the winning car this year is the Toyota Prius Prime SE, a plug-in hybrid that can go 44 miles on electricity before switching to hybrid.
“It’s the shape of the body, the technology within it, and the overall weight,” said Peter Huether, senior research associate for transportation at ACEEE. “And all different types of Priuses are very efficient.”
It’s not the first time that a plug-in vehicle has topped the GreenerCars list; the Prius Prime also won in 2020 and 2022. But with more and more electric vehicles on the market, the staying power of the plug-in hybrid is surprising.
The analysis shows that simply running on electricity is not enough to guarantee that a car is “green” — its weight, battery size and overall efficiency matter, too. While a gigantic electric truck weighing thousands of pounds might be better than a gas truck of the same size, both will be outmatched by a smaller, efficient gas vehicle. And the more huge vehicles there are on the road, the harder it will be for the United States to meet its goal of zeroing out emissions by 2050.
The GreenerCars report analyzes 1,200 cars available in 2024, assessing both the carbon dioxide emissions of the vehicle while it’s on the road and the emissions of manufacturing the car and battery. It also assesses the impact of pollutants beyond carbon dioxide, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particulate matter — all of which can harm human health.
Combining these factors, the authors gave each car a “green score” ranging from 0 to 100. The Toyota Prius Prime received a 71, followed by several all-electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf and Mini Cooper SE with scores in the high 60s. The Toyota RAV4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid SUV with 42 miles in range, got a 64. One gas hybrid, the Hyundai Elantra Blue, made the list as well — thanks to an efficient design and good mileage.
At the bottom of the list were large gas-guzzling trucks such as the Ford F-150 Raptor R, with scores in the 20s. So was one electric car: the Hummer EV, which weighs 9,000 pounds and scored a 29.
Plug-in hybrids haven’t gotten too much attention in the race to electrify the nation’s cars. The vehicles, which can travel on electric power alone for 20 to 50 miles, have a few downsides. Drivers are forced to maintain both an electric motor and a gas-powered engine; plug-in hybrids also generally can’t be charged at super-fast charging stations. EV purists scorn them as a meager halfway step toward all-electric cars.
But for some drivers, plug-in hybrids can be a happy medium between converting to all-electric or sticking with gas. Many plug-in hybrids allow drivers to do most of their regular driving on electricity (the average American drives only about 27 miles a day) and switch to gas for longer road trips. That allows plug-in hybrid owners to avoid wrestling with America’s complicated and faulty charging infrastructure.
The Prius Prime outranked its competitors, Huether said, because of its small battery — which lowers the emissions and pollution associated with manufacturing — and its high efficiency. The vehicle’s battery is less than one-tenth the size of the battery on the monstrous Hummer EV. That means fewer emissions in making the battery, and fewer rare minerals to mine and extract.
Jessika Trancik, a professor at MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society who was not involved in the report, said that the GreenerCars study used a standard methodology to analyze the environmental harm of cars, but that it is hard to predict how much drivers actually run their plug-in hybrids on electricity. “In the U.S., it often comes down to whether they have an easy way to plug in while they’re at home,” she said.
The GreenerCars report assumed that Prius Prime drivers were using electricity for a little over 50 percent of their driving, based on data from SAE International. For drivers with charging available at home, that might be an underestimate.
But Gil Tal, director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California at Davis, said some studies show that drivers use their plug-in hybrids as regular hybrids, almost never charging them. That could undercut the findings from the GreenerCars report. “I don’t think the Prius Prime is the greenest,” Tal said. “If you can buy a full-electric, it’s always the best, regardless of the few points of difference here.”
As more wind and solar power are plugged into the grid, Tal added, electric cars will get cleaner and cleaner over time. “And your gas car will be worse over the years,” he said.
Huether says the most important thing is that drivers can find the most environmentally friendly option that suits them — whether that’s a plug-in hybrid, conventional hybrid or all-electric car. “Some folks are still concerned about the charging infrastructure,” he said. “But we still want them to have a very green option.”
Demand for Eco-Friendly Offices Soars as Seoul's Green Certifications Double, Report Finds – The Korea Bizwire
JLL Korea Office with green certification (Image courtesy of JLL Korea)
SEOUL, May 31 (Korea Bizwire) – As corporations strive to respond to environmental crises by implementing decarbonization strategies, interest in eco-friendly offices has surged, according to a report released on May 30 by JLL, a global real estate services firm.
The report reveals that the proportion of Grade A offices in Seoul with green certifications has more than doubled over the past four years, increasing from 21% in 2019 to 45% in 2023.
JLL classifies offices as Grade A if they offer exceptional facilities, with a total floor area of at least 33,000 square meters and a floor plate of at least 1,089 square meters, in addition to prime locations.
“In line with climate neutrality declarations by the government and local authorities, the commercial real estate industry has steadily increased the supply of buildings with environmental certifications,” a JLL representative stated.
“Tenants have begun considering environmentally friendly building operation strategies and related certifications as essential requirements.”
In a JLL survey on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, more than 80% of tenant respondents expressed a desire to transition all their office spaces to green-certified buildings by 2030.
Moreover, over 70% of tenants identified environmentally friendly building designs based on energy circulation techniques as their top priority for carbon reduction.
However, 60% of respondents cited cost concerns regarding sustainable building renovations in the current high-interest rate market environment as a significant challenge.
Addressing this issue, JLL highlighted potential solutions, such as Seoul’s building energy efficiency programs and green-based collaboration structures between tenants and landlords. “Business models like ‘green leases’ that facilitate cooperation between landlords and tenants are gaining attention,” the representative added.
Green leases incorporate clauses for sustainable office operations, including the adoption of alternative energy sources and waste reduction plans, in addition to standard rental terms.
“The Korean real estate market’s interest in sustainability will continue to grow,” said Shim Hye-won, head of the JLL Korea Research Team. “The trend of preferring green-certified offices is expected to persist.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
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European Central Bank to Impose Fines on Banks for Failure to Address Climate Change – The National Law Review
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Healthy trees play a crucial role in mitigating climate change – EURACTIV
By Zoran Popovici | Euractiv
31-05-2024 (updated: 31-05-2024 )
Created for Supplied by an entity that has paid the news provider for its placement; not impartial journalism.
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Forests, trees and wood have always played a critical role for humanity and our future is intertwined with theirs. The coming years will reveal whether we manage to restore a most sustainable relationship with them and secure healthy forests for future generations.
The content of this publication represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The Agency does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.