SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE DAYS 2019: Making Use of Sustainability Science
The thematic focus of the event is on sustainable production and consumption, which is the Sustainable Development Goal #12 (SDG), where Finland’s performance, according to the SDG indicators, needs to be considerably improved.
During the two-day event, this challenge will be approached via researcher-meets-practice dialogues and popular discussion events. The event is co-organised by the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) and Aalto Sustainability Hub.
When
Where
Event language(s)
Making Use of Sustainability Science
Program overview
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Thursday, May 9th 2019 Aalto Campus, Espoo, Otakaari 1 |
Friday, May 10th 2019 UH City center campus, Helsinki |
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| Morning |
Making use of sustainability science Opening of the event (Aalto hall, Y202a 2nd floor) Academic director of Aalto Sustainability Hub professor Minna Halme Director of Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, professor Anne Toppinen Parallel sessions I Session 1: Sustainability transformations in the large-scale tree plantation sector (Y307a) New Global -event (Y309b) |
Sustainability in university strategies - Towards a new era The aim of this session is to take a holistic approach to universities´ strategies, explore financial and other steering mechanisms and management systems to support the transition towards more sustainable and impactful operations. Parallel session: |
| Afternoon |
Key note (Aalto hall, Y202a 2nd floor) Opening: Ossi Naukkarinen, Vice President of Research, Aalto University Keynote speakers Prof. Derk Loorbach, Erasmus University Rotterdam How sustainability transitions research guides and accelerates systemic change Prof. Erika Kramer-Mbula, University of Johannesburg (Due to force majeure circumstances, Associate Professor Erika Kraemer-Mbula will be giving her keynote speech virtually) Innovative solutions to global sustainability challenges: Approaches from and for low-income contexts Parallel sessions II Session 6: Degrowth and postgrowth (Aalto hall Y202a) Session 7: Values, Social Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Core at Sustainable Food Systems of The Future? (Y124) Session 8: Understanding, challenging and changing energy practices (U119 Deloitte) Session 9: Towards a low-carbon society - Implementation and assessment Y203) Session 10: Big data methods: what is the contribution to Sustainability Science? (M1 M232) Session 11: Evidence based policy or Policy based evidence II (U8 U270) |
Compensating climate emissions of air travel: Buying a clear conscience or necessary steps towards carbon neutrality? The event is in Finnish. |
| Evening |
Making use of sustainability science in the European Parliament? A dialogue on sustainability with candidates for the European Parliament´s elections and Aalto and UH students |
Meeting of Sustainable Development forum of Finnish Universities |
More info on the program:
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Thursday, May 9th 2019 |
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8.30 – 18.00 Making use of sustainability science
On May 9, day 1 of the Sustainability Science Days takes place at Aalto University, Otaniemi Campus with a day full of presentations from recent research in dialogue with practitioners. In the morning, professor Minna Halme (Aalto Sustainability Hub) and professor Anne Toppinen (Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science) will address the conference themeMaking use of sustainability science. Our keynote speakers Prof. Derk Loorbach, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Prof. Erika Kramer-Mbula, University of Johannesburg, will give new perspectives later in mid-day on sustainable production and consumption, SDG # 12.
Ten scientific sessions will display recent research in five parallel sets in the morning and afternoon. The sessions display a variety of perspective on the topics:
In what ways do we distinguish how energy and energy-related issues shape values, beliefs and priorities and are considered, estimated, accepted and represented in the contemporary energy-dependent society?
How to intervene with energy practices and the system within which they occur, to learn from adoption and appropriation of novel technologies, and to understand the interlinked processes of production and consumption?
We call for contributions that tackle transitions towards a low-carbon society, especially examining ongoing transitions and their futures. We welcome a multiplicity of perspectives, sectors and levels, including but not limited to the systems view, policy perspectives, governance approach, sectoral variety, actor analysis, experimentation etc.
Sustainability innovations in different parts of the supply chain of food - covering primary production, processing, packaging, retail, distribution, catering, consumption and waste management
How can we re-think relationships in food systems and thus agri-food value chains, by engaging in a transdisciplinary debate about human values connecting society with organizations and their choices?
An interactive session, with presentations and mini workshops, engages scientists, industry, NGOs, and other stakeholders to discuss and co-create innovative practices that facilitates sustainability transformations in the large-scale tree plantation sector.
Theoretical and conceptual discussions and/or case studies that compare, contrast, contribute to and complement sustainability science and design.
Explicit questioning of the predominant growth hegemony, and outlining ways to reach degrowth and postgrowth societies and examine what kind of ideas, practices, and structures could support this societal transformation of great magnitude.
Whose science – and sustainability - matters, and who determines which questions (and problems) are on the sustainability agenda? Exploring the role of scientists and research evidence in societal/political decision-making.
What is the validity, meaning, policy relevance and governance consequences of big data methods in sustainability science and what are the boundaries of application of these methods, and their limitations?
In this session we focus on building bridges between doctoral students from Aalto University and University of Helsinki as well as provide opportunity for extra-academic dialogue on the research topics.
The sessions are convened by pairs of scientific leaders, with one from Aalto University, and one from the University of Helsinki with a commentator from practice, inviting us to a dialogue on making and taking use of sustainability science.
18.45 – 20.45 Making use of sustainability science in the European Parliament?
Think Corner stage, Yliopistonkatu 4
In this session, candidates for the European Parliament´s elections will be challenged by Aalto and UH students with burning urgency to see change happening. How is scientific knowledge taken into use within political spheres? How can we facilitate the dialogue between different sectors of the society? Considering the poor performance of European countries in regard to SDG # 12, how will the next EP speed up the transition towards more sustainable patterns of consumption?
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Friday, May 10th 2019 |
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starts at 8.30 at University of Helsinki, city center campus
9.00 – 12.00 Sustainability in university strategies - Towards a new era
Focus of the session is on strengthening universities’ role as drivers of sustainability. In addition to addresses by the Rector’s of the respective Finnish Universities, in the session, UN´s Sustainable Development Goals will be further explored by Times Higher Education (THE) explaining their recently launched THE Impact, a ranking measuring universities delivering SDGs. In addition, examples from forerunner universities in Sweden/UK will further spark the discussion on universities’ responsibility to take action.
morning Doctoral students meet-up
Helsinki University, city campus (TBC)
In this session we focus on building bridges between doctoral students from Aalto University and University of Helsinki as well as provide opportunity for extra-academic dialogue on the research topics.
After lunch (own cost), the Sustainability Science Days continues with a discussion event on compensation of flight travels in Finnish.
13:00 – 16.00Compensating climate emissions of air travel: Buying a clear conscience or necessary steps towards carbon neutrality?
The event is in Finnish
ThinkCorner, Yliopistonkatu 4
In the event air travel, its negative environmental impacts and especially schemes for compensation of air travel related climate emissions are explored. Besides the panel discussion with experts and stakeholders of air traffic, the audience will have an opportunity to participate in the debate about the ethics, economics and ecological impacts of climate emission compensations.
16.00-17.30 Meeting of Sustainable Development forum of Finnish Universities
(location tbc)
Finnish SD-forum in higher education (“yliopistojen Keke-foorumi”) connects Finnish universities´ sustainability managers and persons responsible for advancing sustainable development in higher education. The meeting is open to stakeholder representatives and staff and faculty members of Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences interested in SD.
All events are open and free of charge. |
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Key speakers/ Thursday 9 May
Associate Professor Erika Kraemer-Mbula: Innovative solutions to global sustainability challenges – Approaches from and for low-income contexts
Professor Derk Loorbach: The title and abstract of the talk will be published soon
| Making Use of Sustainability Science - conference and Doctoral meet-up | Annukka Jyrämä Docent, PhD, Senior advisor Aalto Sustainability Hub +358 50 373 2238 [email protected] |
Paula Schönach Adjunct Professor, PhD, Research coordinator Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, HELSUS +358 29 415 7827 [email protected] |
| Other sessions | Meri Löyttyniemi Senior advisor for sustainability Aalto Sustainability Hub +358 50 313 7549 [email protected] |
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