The Future of Work and Ecology

Work and ecology are policy issues highly relevant on the agenda for both the EU as a whole and all Member States. The European Treaties require an integration of environmental, economic and social policies in order to allow for a Sustainable Development. This is of special importance for the link between environmental and employment policy.
In most countries the concept of sustainability is foremost approached from the environmental point of view. But currently the social dimension of sustainability is gaining in importance in international and national discussions.
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Brownbag Seminar on Tuesday, 23rd July 2002,
Featuring
12.30-14.00 Francois Schneider on Global “dematerialisation” and “dewaterisation” of regional and national economies, considerations and perspectives (in English) and
14.30-16.00 Joachim Spangenberg on Quality of Life, Consumption and the Environment (in German)
Both talks were be broadcasted on www.sustainability.tv.

SERI’s preparations for the 6th EU framework programme

In preparation of the 6th framework programme of the European Union, SERI participated in several expressions of interest for Integrated Projects/Networks of Excellence, including :

GoSD: Governance for Sustainable Development: Options and choices in a knowledge-based society [more on http://www.gosd.net]

SDSD.net: Research Network on the Social Dimension of Sustainable Development [more]

ENVPACT: Instruments and policies for a new environmental compact between the EU and the South [more].

We intend to start lobbying and working for the proposed aims after the summer break. Those interested in participating are invited to contact the responsible researchers.

EU Project «AIRP-SD» presents first milestone
Four months after starting our AIRP-SD project on “RTD for sustainable development“, our first milestone report is now available.
We identify sustainability-oriented RTD programmes, actors and innovations, analyse what sustainable development implies for RTD processes, and developed a first-version evaluation methodology. We invite everybody intersted in the field to review our report and comment on it by filling out the enclosed questionnaire. (more on www.airp-sd.net).

ISEE 2002 Conference
A substantial number of SERI Members attended the ISEE 2002 Conference, giving presentations, chairing sessions and using the opportunity to establish, renew and expand network contacts.

Under the heading "Global (in)equality in social and material terms" SERI has organised two sessions at the ISEE 2002. [more..]

SERI Members can get more information and download a mission report. [more..]

ESEE Research Network.
SERI helps to organize a process to include Ecological Economics research themes in the 6th Framework Program of the EU.

The main task is to make sure, that the research themes of Ecological Economics are included in the 6th Framework Program of the EU and to position Ecological Economics as an important scientific community in Europe. Whereas the first calls for the projects will be out in about one year, the time to lobby for our themes to be included in the program is now. The EC invites Expressions of Interest to be sent in the first days of June 2002. [more..]

Systemic Roamaps for Sustainable Development
Reseach under the 6th Framework Program of the European Union
Together wirh the Factor 10 Institute and the Club of Rome, Brussels-EU Cahapter, SERI launches a proposal for an integrated project for the 6th framework programme of the European Union. [more..]

Governance for Sustainable Development (GoSD)
In preparation of the 6th framework programme of the European Union, SERI launched in cooperation with the Factor 10 Institute, Carnoules, France, an expression of interest for an Integrated Projectson on Governance for Sustainable Development: Options and choices in a knowledge-based society (GoSD).
We intend to start lobbying and working for the proposed aims after the summer break. Those interested in participating will find the text of our proposal, contact information and current activities at www.gosd.net.

Eco-efficient Product Service Systems
The Topic of the month on www.nachhaltigkeit.at. '
The SERI Team prepared the topic of the month June for the Website www.nachhaltigkeit.at. Find out more about background, opportunities and examples of Eco-efficient Product Service Systems on this site. [more..]

Next Brownbag seminar with Fred Luks and Felix Rauschmeyer
On Friday, 24th May, the SERI office in Vienna hosted 2 lectures by
international colleagues on their current research.
Fred Luks presented his new major research project NEDS and Felix Rauschmeyer from UFZ in Leipzig talked about "MCDA und Naturschutz".

Post Barcelona - Beyond Barcelona

On the occasion of the Spring Meeting of the European Council in Barcelona (15.-16. March 2002), where the publication of structural- and sustainability indicators was a highlight, SERI also produced a statement concerning this process.

On one hand, the paper "Post Barcelona - beyond Barcelona" appreciates the coordination of the various dimenions of sustainability as a positive step towards the right direction. On the other hand, however, the environmental chapter, has merely been added to the existing list of strucutral indicators. There is neither evidence for examination or interaction of individual objectives nor have mutual reinforcements been identified. SERI therefore urges for important technical improvements within the existing structure in a "Post Barcelona Process". Improvements in the medium- and long term, however, can only be achieved through the replacement of the classification of structural indicators by a systematic structure, derived from the concept of sustainability. Such systematic set of indicators would consider an additional institutional dimension next to the economic, environmental and social dimenison, which would include the essential "rules of the game" of political decisions and their origins. [more..]

AIRP-SD

In the course of our oingoing EU project AIRP-SD (Adaptive Integration of Research and Policy for Sustainable Development), and with the aim of reaching a wide range of the general public as well as creating a general base for information, a project-related website has been installed. (www.airp-sd.net).

Next to general project descriptions (main objectives, importance of the project, ideas behind the project and project plan), there is a detailed description of the 6 project partners. Furthermore, Links to project-related websites have been installed as well as the possibility for the general public to express opinions and criticise. In addition, the possibility is offered to download interim reports and "Milestones" giving an idea of the project's progress, as soon as they have been produced. Finally, there is a place reserved to a specific "Stakeholder Board" set up for the project: the members of this board can communicate on this side and have access to specific project-related documents. [more..]

SERI study on the ecological effects of immigration into Luxemburg.
While Luxemburg has currently a population of around 440.000 the national statistical office is expecting an increase to about 700.000 inhabitants by the year 2050.

In a recent poll by Friends of the Earth Luxemburg almost 40% of Luxemburg's population is against any further immigration into Luxemburg.
There is a risk that further population growth could have negative consequences on Luxemburg's consumption of resources and quality of life.

In this context SERI has assessed the impact of a population growth on:
1. Energy consumption;
2. Traffic;
3. Built-up area;
4. Waste.
Applying the Ehrlich-formula and a disaggregating methodology the extend to which the factors population, affluence and technology contribute to
ecological stress have been quantified and assessed. It has been shown that
the assumption that further increase in population coupled with an increase
of the GDP would automatically lead to negative environmental consequences
is not legitimate. Resource consumption can be decoupled from population and economic growth. Depending on the ecological indicator this will require a stabilisation of current trends or major structural change.
The study had been commissioned by the Luxemburg Ministry for the
Environment and will be a contribution to the parliamentary discussions on
the national sustainable development strategy.
For further information please contact: [email protected]