Recognizing the urgent need to address the unfolding climate crisis, twelve Higher Education Institutions from six EU countries join forces on a European Excellence Initiative Network for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences: Within a 4-year project funded with 2 million Euros by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe coordination & Support Action (CSA) “European Excellence Initiative” (EEI) programme, Edu4Climate will establish a European Higher Education Institutions Network for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences.
Small-time window to implement solutions
It has been estimated that mankind has a relatively small-time window - if time is left at all! - in which to implement solutions to the challenge of climate change. And air quality and pollution is a problem that is evolving rapidly, too: “There are strong connections between climate change and air pollution – above all, climate forcers and air pollutants often originate from the same sources”, explains Andreas Stohl from the Department of Meteorology and Geophysics at the University of Vienna.
Climate forcers and air pollutants often originate from the same sources
“Therefore it is logical to combine the goals of limiting climate change and reducing air pollution, which is responsible for about 7 million deaths each year worldwide according to the World Health Organization”, says Stohl, who is head of VINAR, the Vienna Network of Atmospheric Research and now also part of the Edu4Climate Consortium.
During its 4-year duration, Edu4Climate will lead capacity-building actions in several European and widening countries, strengthen the Higher Education European networks and their cooperation with surrounding national ecosystems and foster research & innovation activities to address challenges relating to air pollution and climate change. “This will be done also in support of the EU Green Deal, and with a specific focus on the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East”, explains Stohl.
Global climate change "hotspot"
The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region (EMME), a region within and surrounding the EU, is experiencing rapid population growth, has a complex socio-political landscape and has been recognized as a global climate change “hotspot”. As such, the EMME region holds strategic significance for the success of EU and global climate efforts to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. “It is therefore important to understand both the sources of climate forcers in this region, as well as the processes leading to climate change there, especially also considering extreme events”, adds Stohl.
Edu4ClimAte will engage Advanced European Partners to strengthen the scientific excellence of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from twin islands of sister countries (Greece, Cyprus) with a view to establish a “regional hub of knowledge” in air pollution and climate change research and innovative solutions, engaging their respective surrounding ecosystems from the quadruple helix in addressing societal challenges over the wider EMME.
About the project
- Founding: European Commission’s Horizon Europe Coordination & Support Action (CSA) “European Excellence Initiative” (EEI) programme (under grant agreement no. 101071247)
- Lead: The Cyprus Institute
- PI Univie: Andreas Stohl
- Project title: European Higher Education Institutions Network for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (Edu4ClimAte)
- Project start date: 1 October 2022
- Project duration: 4 years
