ACROPOLIS KLIMOS Generating Capacity for the Sustainability Transition

Plans for year 2

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KLIMOS workshop, Brussels 28/04/15

Environment: Is there a problem?

Planetary boundaries

Rockström et al. (2009)

Nature 461 A safe operating

space for humanity.

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1. Sustainable NRM focus

• Biodiversity safeguards and payment for ecosystem services (PES) as key

actionable concepts to integrate environmental issues in development

cooperation;

o Case study: Biodiversity vs. carbon in DR Congo & Uganda

o Voluntary carbon market, REDD, REALU, beyond REALU, …. (link with

stream 3) + certification

Leader: Prof. Bart Muys/ Dr. Bruno Verbist; Members: Prof. Thomas Block, Dr. Jean Hugé, Drs. Tom Waas,

Prof. Nico Koedam, Prof. Jos van Orshoven, Prof. Miet Maertens, Prof. Marnik Van Clooster

stream 3) + certification

• Agro-forestry as a multidimensional and multi-actor mitig-adaptation

strategy;

o Balancing productivity, biodiversity & income (Fallow systems in DRC,

coffee gardens in Uganda, … )

o Use of biomass in Burundi

• Building resilience into development cooperation actions in a context of

global change (in infrastructures, institutions and communities)

o Urban ecology (Vietnam?)

o Urban transitions in the South (link with research stream 2)3

1. Sustainable NRM outputs

• 3 papers on Biodiversity and forest carbon estimations in DRC and Uganda

(based on the ongoing case studies in Uganda and DRC (BV, BM, PM,

KVdH)

• Provision of fuelwood vs. charcoal in an agroforestry landscape in Burundi

(Lieve, Bruno, Jos)

• A global model quantifying vegetation resistance and resilience against

climate anomalies and their relation with vegetation cover (Ben, Wanda)

• Sustainability assessment of the transition of gravity to drip irrigated

agriculture. A Moroccan case study (Marnik Vanclooster)

• Conference 8-10 June 2015 @ KULeuven in preparation of UNFCCC COP-

21, Paris: Why do forests matter for water and climate? Strategies for

sustainability

http://www.weforest.org/upcoming%20event/forests_water_climate_stra

tegies_for_sustainability

• Workshop on 26/11/2015 with RBIN: Biodiversity & development, a

global heritage

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2. Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure

• Sustainable energy policies & their assessment for developing countries

• The operationalization of the ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ (www.se4all.org)

agenda, through action research on:

o Alternative sustainable energy production (renewables, biomass,

biogas)

Leader: Prof. Aviel Verbruggen / Members: Dr. Bruno Verbist, Prof. Bart Muys, Prof. Ben Somers; Prof. Alexis

Versele; Prof. Wouter Achten, Prof. Edwin Zaccaï

biogas)

o Support to DGD for sustainable energy access for all in Rwanda (AV,

BV)

o Sustainable energy-efficient & low-carbon urban design, planning and

construction (BS, BV, AV)

o Start of ARES CUD PhD scholarship ULB – University of Hanoi –

Vietnam: Reducing methane emissions from dairy cow sector in

Vietnam

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2. Sustainable energy & infrastructure:

some planned activities

• Follow-up & support in international climate & energy negotiations (e.g. COP 21 of

the UNFCCC in 2015)

• (Inter)National workshop on sustainable energy policies in the South (Proposed for

Rwanda)

• Possible papers/policy briefs on renewable energy strategies in the South:

o Case study on market-based Biogas for smallholders in Vietnam

o ““Pitfalls of Decisions Making for Bioenergy Sustainability: Case of

Community-based Biogas in Burundi” A1 paper (LN, WA, EZ, ML)

o Impact of land use change to Jatropha bioenergy plantations on biomass and

soil carbon stocks: a field study in Mali. Global change biology Bioenergy

(under revision) (Degerickx J, Almeida J, Moonen PCJ, Vervoort L, Muys B,

Achten WMJ)

o Low-carbon urban design

o Sustainable energy & infrastructure

o Sustainability assessment of energy policies6

3. Framework for Environmental Governance:

context

o Distinction between traditional (old) and new modes of sustainability

governance .

o Traditional forms of governance : compliance-based

o New forms of governance: empowerment-based

Leader: Dr. Axel Marx / Members: Prof. Edwin Zaccaï, Drs. Romain Weikmans, Prof. Aviel Verbruggen; Prof.

Thomas Block, Drs. Tom Waas, Dr. Jean Hugé; Dr. Bruno Verbist, Drs. Emilie Bécault

o Higher Education for Sustainable Development (education, science &

technology)

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3. Framework for Environmental Governance:

activities

• Analysis of old and new modes of governance, with a specific focus on

governance mechanisms of information sharing (including sustainability

standards), knowledge creation, and learning with a focus on information

agencies and knowledge platforms (AM, EB).

• Better understanding of financing for climate change adaptation (RW, ML)• Better understanding of financing for climate change adaptation (RW, ML)

• Better understanding on the role of climate information for adaptation to

climate change

• Universities and Our Common Future: Exploring Faculty Conceptualizations of

Sustainability in Higher Education at the University of Limpopo: Analysis of

conducted interviews and writing (TW, JH).

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3. Framework for Environmental Governance:

planned outputs

• Case Study on how donor organizations support the adoption of voluntary standards in developing countries and what the effect of this policy-intervention is with a specific focus on one or more partner countries of Belgian Development cooperation.(AM)

• Journal publication of paper on Adoption of Voluntary Standards (AM)

• Journal submission of paper on Understanding Diversity of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (AM)

• Book chapter in academic book (Cambridge University Press) on Competition and Cooperation in the Field of Voluntary Sustainability Standards. (AM)

• Book chapter in academic book (Cambridge University Press) on Competition and Cooperation in the Field of Voluntary Sustainability Standards. (AM)

• Presentation of Report on Networks for Prosperity: Advancing Sustainability Through Partnerships (joint venture with United Nations Industrial Development Organization and other academic partners on green knowledge networks. (AM) (Date to be confirmed)

• Universities and Our Common Future: Exploring Faculty Conceptualizations of Sustainability in Higher Education at the University of Limpopo (TW, JH, TW) in collaboration with the University of Limpopo (A1 journal submission)

• Working paper on the use of climate services for adaptation to climate change (ML)

• “Common but differentiated responsibilities against the realities of climate change”, Archives for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy (accepted) (EZ, ML)

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4. Environmental/Sustainability Monitoring &

Evaluation

• Mainstreaming environmental issues & sustainability into development cooperation requires systematic monitoring & evaluation (institutionalisation)

• KLIMOS environmental sustainability toolkit (broadening SD & deepening)

Leader: Prof. Thomas Block/Dr. Jean Hugé/Drs. Tom Waas; Members: Prof. Bart Muys; Prof. Jos Van

Orshoven; Prof. Nico Koedam

• Policy-supporting research on impact assessment (such as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Social Impact Assessment, Sustainability Assessment (SA)) and their linkages with the toolkit in a broader M&E framework;

• Policy-supporting research on international dynamics of:

o Indicator development & use, with a special focus on the post 2015 framework and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

o impact assessment in development cooperation (e.g. linkages with OECD-DAC);

o Assessment, M&E of climate finance flows10

4. Environmental/Sustainability Monitoring &

Evaluation: Activities

• Toolkit: – Further improvement Screening Note (TW, JH): The screening note will be

further improved in the following two ways: 1) adjustment in function of the Environmental Strategy Note, and 2) in depth development of different aspect/environmental compartments of the screening note (starting with biodiversity – case Mali, in collaboration with RBIN).

– Further improvement Database (TW & JH): The database will be further improved in the following two ways: 1) an alignment of the database with the improved in the following two ways: 1) an alignment of the database with the modified screening note, and 2) reliability and usefulness of sources

– Student teamwork (KU Leuven) on improving the toolkit’s database, content and sources – case Mali (TW, BV)

– Further consultation of BTC and NGOs regarding the toolkit in order to include their views and experiences, and (further) adapt the toolkit with the objective to meet their needs regarding tools to integrate environmental concerns as well.

– Learning instruments on climate change for local communities (South Africa, Limpopo Province) (NE, TW, JH): The learning instrument is currently applied in different settings as pilot cases.

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4. Environmental/Sustainability Monitoring &

Evaluation: Planned outputs

• Conceptualizing the effectiveness of sustainability assessment in development cooperation (Jean Hugé, Nibedita Mukherjee, Camille Fertel, Jean-Philippe Waaub, Thomas Block, Tom Waas, Nico Koedam, FaridDahdouh-Guebas)

• Biodiversity assessment in development cooperation • Biodiversity assessment in development cooperation (Jean Hugé, Maarten Vanhove, Anne-Julie Rochette, Tom Waas) (scientific paper and policy brief/policy support article)

• Different papers on “Learning instruments on climate change for local communities” (South Africa, Limpopo Province) (Nkoana E., Hugé J., Waas T.)

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5. Activity plan year 2

Activity Trimester 1 Trimester 2 Trimester 3 Trimester 4

Trimonthly meetings for research

fellows and semestrial with

steering group

Seminars at DGD

Support for Belgian position in

international negotiations

continuous

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international negotiations

Fostering synergies with other

projects

continuous

Preparing Research papers

Preparing KLIMOS Policy Briefs

Helpdesk for DGD continuous

Workshop for the full consortium

and other stakeholders

Case studies: Plans

• Burundi: The approved South initiative “Stratégies pour l’utilisation agro-silvo-pastorale performante et durable des terres au nord du Burundi pour les décennies futures” (JvO & BV) will integrate ongoing, but separate research efforts of Wouter Achten en Léonard Nkunzimana about bio-energy, Jos van Orshoven about biomass production, RBIN & Han de Koeijer about ecosystem services, …

• DRC: A no-cost extension of 9 months was approved for« DéveloppementEconomique des Forêts à travers une utilisation Informée (DEFI) » until 31 Economique des Forêts à travers une utilisation Informée (DEFI) » until 31 March 2016 ( REDD+, ethnobotany, GIS):co-organise a workshop for policymakers and scientists // CIFOR in Kisangani.

• SILVAGRA?early 2016, quantifying the balance between human production and consumption systems in and around Kisangani and the impact on the natural resources. //UNIKIS and ERAIFT.

• Phd Co-supervision Environmental impact of mining in South-Kivu (Univ. of Bukavu; IOB, UA as promoter, BV)

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Case studies: Plans

• Ethiopia: A case study on ecosystem services provided by Menagesha forest (Carbon, biodiversity) is ongoing and will be continued.

• Uganda: SURELIV TEAM - project (Sustainable land use and resilient livelihoods in the landslide-prone region of Mount Elgon, Uganda) adding impact of voluntary certification and tradeoffs between coffee productivity, biodiversity, carbon storage and farmers’ income. // with Busitema university

• Rwanda: VITO- funded PhD-study on “Monitoring vegetation dynamics and Carbon-• Rwanda: VITO- funded PhD-study on “Monitoring vegetation dynamics and Carbon-changes in complex landscapes under variable climate conditions” (NRM, REDD+). // National University of Rwanda

• South Africa: VLIR-IUC Limpopo; Another case study will be developed on the use of climate services for adaptation, in the province of Western Cap. Links are elaborated with the University of Cape Town.

• In Eastern Morocco Marnik Vanclooster is carrying out a research projects about soil hydrology. Given the activities of Vanclooster & co in E Morocco, it seems logical to engage in collaboration with BTC there (BTC project Morocco may also provide a case for toolkit application).

• Pending approval of the WAMADE proposal a new case will start in Vietnam

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Seminar series

• How to analyze the environmental impacts of biomass projects (DGD, Brussels, 4 May 2015, 9.30-11.30; Wouter Achten

• KLIMOS Toolkit presentation for NGOs (Brussels, 28 May 2015, 9.30-13.00; Tom Waas)

• Impact of climate change on water resources at the regional scale: coping with uncertainties in water policy, with a focus on water resources in the Mediterranean area (Brussels, 4 June 2015, 10.00-12.00)Mediterranean area (Brussels, 4 June 2015, 10.00-12.00)

• State-of-the-art of the climate change negotiations in preparation for UNFCCC COP-21 in Paris (Brussels, 13 October 2015, 11.00-12.00 to be confirmed)

• Biodiversity Training (Brussels, 16-17 November 2015 to be confirmed): KLIMOS will submit a proposal of program to DGD after discussion with RBIN for a joint organization. Link biodiversity / ecosystem services / health / …

• KLIMOS-Toolkit “hands-on training” at BTC (spring 2015)

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Funding opportunities

• Zuid Initiatieven – Lancering mei 2015 (onder voorbehoud) – Deadline augustus 2015

• TEAM-projecten – Lancering mei 2015 (onder voorbehoud) – Deadline augustus 2015 : WAMADE

• Korte Opleidingsinitiatieven – Lancering begin april 2015 – Deadline september 2015:

• Korte Opleidingsinitiatieven – Lancering begin april 2015 – Deadline september 2015:

• Internationaal Trainingsprogramma – Lancering begin april 2015 – Deadline september 2015

• Internationale Congressen – Lancering begin april 2015 – Deadline september 2015

• Themaweken – Lancering september 2015 – Deadline november 2015

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Steering committee meetings

• Next meeting 15 June 2015

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Thanks for your attention

• Questions?

• Suggestions and additions welcome!

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