How can we transform our world to meet the pressing challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development?

In December, the European Research Council (ERC) published a groundbreaking report addressing this vital question. URBAG joined forces with over 300 ERC-funded projects to shed light on the concept of transformative change and its potential to create a fair and sustainable future. The report explores innovative strategies to scale up sustainability while protecting the environment. These include implementing equitable green tax reforms, reducing the cost of capital for low-carbon technologies, and addressing the financial opportunities and challenges of the green transition. Researchers highlight the importance of multi- and interdisciplinary approaches to integrate diverse perspectives, develop new methods, and leverage emerging technologies—such as AI—to foster a comprehensive understanding of the transformative changes required.

 

  • The report is now available with the Publications office of the EU and can be cited as follows:
    European Commission: European Research Council Executive Agency, Mapping ERC frontier research – Transformative change for a sustainable future, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2828/5997136

  • Two European Commission press releases mentioned the report. They were issued in December around the IPBES 11th plenary: DG Research and Innovation news – DG Environment news.

  • On 6 February, the report was presented in the European Parliament: ERC Scientific Council member Harriet Bulkeley participated in an exchange of views in the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, with representatives of IPBES.

  • The report has been presented to the staff of the European Environment Agency (EEA).

 

URBAG has contributed to this report, sharing our expertise on urban agriculture and the green transition in cities. You can find our work featured in Section 6.7, “Urban Agriculture”:

[pdf-embedder url="https://webs.uab.cat/atmosphere/wp-content/uploads/sites/692/2025/01/ERCReport-PagURBAG.pdf%22]

 

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