Climate change will alter the world as we know it, exacerbating already existing threats while also bringing new risks and unforeseen opportunities. The impacts of climate change will materialise differently in different corners of the world. More vulnerable areas in the southern hemisphere will bear the brunt of the adverse impacts, while affluent countries in the North are projected to experience less devastating impacts and be better able to cope. This way of thinking has lured many developed countries into a sense of false security, exacerbated by national climate assessments showing how the effects of climate change are likely to be important but relatively moderate, and well within the adaptive capacity of the country.
Category Archives: Sustainability Science
Nature based solutions at the Urban Sustainability Webinar
Urban nature and nature-based solutions in cities are needed in these times. The urban sustainability research theme brings a needed addition to the University of Helsinki and helps with creating more collaboration between researchers.
COVID-19: Dying for Sustainability?
The current pandemic might temporarily slow down environmentally destructive economic growth. However, claiming that we are dying for sustainability is dangerous. The global sustainability crisis is not just driven by uneconomic growth but also increasing global inequality and social stratification.
The Finnish secondary environmental responsibility regime under scrutiny – mere complementary, yet necessary part of sustainable environmental protection
Picture a situation where a company engaged in mining activities has gone into bankruptcy. Preconditions for a profitable mining business are no longer present; no new operators for the mine have been found either. The applicable mining laws provide that the decommissioned mine, including its surrounding areas, should be cleaned, remediated and landscaped into a …
Sustainability science is more about listening than re-inventing the wheel – Indigenous voices for sustainability
In September 2019, thirty engaged scholars from diverging fields from Finland and Taiwan gathered to ponder upon the questions “What is Indigenous sustainabilities?”, “How can Indigenous perspectives contribute to sustainability science?” and “How can sustainability science become more sensitive towards Indigenous perspectives and worldviews?”.