Optimising the performance of producers’ organisations (OPPO)

Optimising the performance of producers’ organisations (OPPO)

17 – 28 September 2012, Wageningen, the Netherlands

NFP Fellowships available – apply before 1 February 2012   -

Introduction

It is increasingly recognised that sustainable and inclusive rural economic development requires the involvement of agricultural producers and their organisations. Small farmers not only constitute the majority of the world’s poor, but also the majority of the worlds’ small and medium enterprises.

If you are a professional working in the field of farmer entrepreneurship and/or farmer-inclusive agribusiness development and in shaping an enabling environment within which they can thrive, you may wish to join our cutting-edge international course.

Application

Interested candidates can apply to Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation for admission to the training. Click here to apply.

NFP Fellowships

A limited number of fellowships is available from Nuffic - the Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) for nationals of certain countries. In order to apply for such a NFP fellowship, you have to register through the Nuffic Scholarship Online (SOL) system. Applications for NFP fellowships should be submitted before 1 February 2012. You will be informed by Nuffic whether your application has been accepted. More information on the NFP fellowships.

Important

Please note that for a valid NPF fellowship application you need to register directly at CDI as well as at Nuffic (SOL). Your fellowship application will not be taken into account if you register with only one of these two institutions.

CALL FOR PAPERS: 31st International Energy Workshop (IEW), June 19th-21st, 2012 - Cape Town, South Africa

CALL FOR PAPERS: 2012 International Energy Workshop

Cape Town, June 19th – 21st 2012

Deadline for submission: February 1st, 2012

The 31st edition of the International Energy Workshop (IEW) will be held at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, on June 19–21, 2012.

The IEW (www.internationalenergyworkshop.org) is a leading conference for the international energy modeling community. In a world of environmental and economic constraints, energy modeling is an increasingly important tool for addressing the complexity of energy planning and policy making. The IEW provides a venue for scholars and researchers to compare quantitative energy projections, to understand the reasons for diverging views of future energy developments, and to observe new trends in global energy production and consumption.

About University of Cape Town

Founded in 1829, University of Cape Town (UCT) has a proud tradition of academic excellence and effecting social change and development through its pioneering scholarship, faculty and students. UTC has a vibrant, cosmopolitan community and it is a cultural melting pot where each person contributes their unique blend of knowledge and thinking. The mission of UCT is to aspire to become a premier academic meeting point between South Africa, the rest of Africa and the world.

Call for Papers - The deadline for paper submission is February 1st, 2012.

Rsearchers and practitioners in developed and developing countries are invited to submit original papers with new and innovative results on scientific or practical experiences on the economics of energy and climate change. As is customary for the IEW, papers should be quantitative and rigorous. A (non-exclusive) list of potential conference topics is:

·         Climate change – mitigation and adaptation

·         Economics of low-carbon technologies

·         Energy access and poverty

·         Energy and economic growth in emerging economies

·         The role of renewable energy in developing and developed countries

Selected papers will be presented and discussed in thematic sessions, circulated during the meeting and also posted on the meeting website.

Submission of papers

ull papers or long abstracts (minimum 1000 words) in .pdf version should be submitted online at IEW 2012 before February 1st, 2012

Please note that paper selection has become increasingly competitive in recent years. Submissions that fully describe a complete analysis are most likely to be accepted. In particular, when submitting a long abstract, please ensure that the study and results are sufficiently described to allow comparison with full paper submissions. Each person can present only one selected paper, although multiple submissions are allowed. Please kindly fill in one online form for each paper.

Program Committee
The selection of submitted papers and long abstracts is directed and made by the IEW Program Committee, which includes, among others, the IEW co-directors and the 2012 co-organisers:

·         Geoffrey Blanford, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

·         Massimo Tavoni, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)

·         Bob van der Zwaan, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN)

·         Alison Hughes, University of Cape Town

·         Karen Donovan, University of Cape Town

·         Ajay Trikam, University of Cape Town

For any further information please see: http://www.internationalenergyworkshop.org or contact: info@internationalenergyworkshop.org.

Masters in Conservation Leadership - University of Cambridge

Masters in Conservation Leadership – applications and scholarship support for October 2012

The MPhil degree in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge is a full-time, 1-year, course aimed at graduates of leadership potential with at least three to five years of relevant experience in biodiversity conservation. Based in the University’s Department of Geography, a unique feature of this course is its delivery by members of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI), a partnership between six university departments and nine conservation organisations or networks based in and around Cambridge. The teaching focuses on issues of management and leadership, with the dual goals of developing conservationists with enhanced research skills and a greater awareness of the complex drivers of biodiversity loss, while also developing their ability to act and lead effectively.  Consequently, the course aims to deliver a world-class and interdisciplinary education in Conservation Leadership that is not available elsewhere.

We now welcome applications for entry to the course in October 2012.  For further details on how to apply, please visit the course website: 

www.geog.cam.ac.uk/graduate/mphil/conservation

The closing date for applications is 30 March 2012.

This year we are pleased to announce that the Miriam Rothschild Scholarship Programme in Conservation Leadership has been established to support students from less developed and developing countries that are rich in biodiversity, to attend the MPhil in Conservation Leadership.  The number and size of these will vary from full scholarships, to partial scholarships that cover specific aspects of the funding package required by students. Nevertheless, applicants are also encouraged to seek out their own funding opportunities that might be available locally or nationally.

If you have any queries about making an application, please contact the 
Programme Administrator, Emily Chenery: emily.chenery@geog.cam.ac.uk

International CSR Conference in Berlin on 15 and 16 December 2011

CSR- Social Responsibility in International Dialogue

International CSR Conference in Berlin on 15 and 16 December 2011

http://www.csr-konferenz.bmas.de/en/home.html

Register until 25 November 2011!

Have a look on the programme flyer

www.csr-konferenz.bmas.de/en/programme.html?no_cache=1&cid=74&did=59&sechash=d8b362c4

Businesses demonstrate responsibility - globally and locally

The discourse about the role that businesses play in society is building up international momentum. The global economic and financial market crisis has not decelerated, but on the contrary accelerated this process.

With the National CSR Action Plan, the German government adopted a broad range of measures to take effect at the national and international level and is now implementing them.

At the two-day conference, this Action Plan will be presented to an international audience and the introduction of the concept "CSR - made in Germany" will underline the high level of social and environmental standards of internationally operating German companies.

In addition, the conference will serve as an opportunity to present and discuss the themes and activities of the European Union, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations and other international organisations.

Alongside the Conference, there will be booths where companies, social partners and non-governmental organisations will present their activities in the field of social responsibility.

The National CSR Forum supports the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in planning and organising the conference.

ICIMOD at COP 17 in Durban (28 November - 9 December 2011), South Africa

1.   Meeting of Minds – International Conference on Sharing of Experiences in the Design and Implementation of Adaptation Strategies and Programmes in Asian Mountain Regions, (30 Nov – 6 Dec 2011)

The participants of this workshop are expected to actively engage in discussions during the meetings and to contribute by own interventions from their professional experience and institutional embeddedness. The group that has been selected is representing the five regions that are covered by the GIZ-sponsored mountain programme, i.e., Pamirs of Tajikistan, Hindu-Kush and Karakoram in Pakistan, West Kun Lun Shan and Tien Shan in Xinjiang, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas in Tibet and Nepal. The aim of the meeting is to share experiences from the regions and to develop policies and practices that could contribute in packages and schemes for the respective Asian mountain region.

The challenges and constraints affiliated to global and climate change severely impact Asian mountain regions and lead to a wide spectrum of adaptations. The aim of our meeting of minds is to learn from national experiences and to identify replicable role models. The sharing of knowledge is a necessary precondition for formulating areas, sectors and instances for regional cooperation. Due to the nature of the mountain programme special emphasis will be put on capacity development and knowledge management for the benefit of mountain communities.

Venue: Cathedral Peak Hotel in Drakensberg (http://www.cathedralpeak.co.za/) and Selborne Resort (close to Durban) (http://www.selborne.com/)

For further information: Dr. Madhav Karki and Dr. Bhaskar Karky

2.   Mountain Day (4 Dec 2011)

Mountain Day will assemble a high-level panel of global personalities, ministers, and scientists to advocate the value and critical role of mountains and share scientific evidence and examples of challenges and opportunities. The day-long programme will also include plenary presentations and discussions, working groups, and panel discussions. The organisers hope that Mountain Day will conclude with the adoption of the Durban Declaration on Mountains and Climate Change.

Mountain Day will call to the COP17 delegates and global development partners for more concerted and long-term actions at the national, regional, and global levels to save vital mountain ecosystems. It is hoped that the knowledge shared and the evidence presented will provide a powerful and convincing message to ensure that UNFCCC deliberations include provisions for protecting mountain systems’ integrity for the survival of current and future generations. The Mountain Day will also features Photo Exhibition and an Information on the Knowledge Market Place for selected partners to exhibit their works.

Highlights of Mountain Day

·         Keynote Speech by Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, Chair, IPCC and Director General, TERI, India

·         Mountain Ministers’ Panel – Bhutan, Chile, Italy, Nepal, Slovenia, and Tajikistan

·         Working Sessions

·         Information Knowledge Market Place

·         Photo Exhibition: ‘Himalaya – Changing Landscapes’

·         Book launches

Venue: The Breakers Resort, 88 Lagoon Drive, Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu Natal, 4321, Durban, Time: 9:00- 18:00

Register online at: http://www.icimod.org/mountainday

For further information: Dr. Madhav Karki, Ms. Naina Shakya and Mr. Tek Jung Mahat (tmahat@icimod.org)

3.   Side Event on Adaptation in the Himalayan Region: Lessons from an integrated, policy-relevant research programme  (6 December)

The Himalaya Climate Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP) is the first south-south-north collaborative, policy relevant project focused on knowledge from and for local communities and for on the ground impact. HICAP is an example of integrated research across the sciences dedicated to identifying credible, legitimate, and salient adaptation challenges and opportunities in the Hindu-Kush-Himalaya region. This side event presents the background of the collaboration, design principles, and main research areas. Through a combination of approaches, methods and scientific tools, HICAP is aimed at developing solutions by producing new climatological and hydrological scenarios, assessment of ecosystem services and food insecurity, a large amount of new household and community survey data about socio-ecological changes, macroeconomic and socio-economic modeling, methodological and theoretical innovation, and ethnographic, gendered knowledge. Women and gender aspects are a fundamental crosscutting issue.  HICAP is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The side event will be structured as a roundtable discussion

Participants:

·         Chair: Norwegian Journalist (TBC)

·         Representative from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TBC

·         Mr Krishna Gyawali, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Government of Nepal

·         David Molden, Director General, International  Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

·         Pål Prestrud, Director, Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo (CICERO)

·         Lawrence Hislop, HICAP Leader, UNEP-GRID Arendal

·         Eklabaya Sharma, Director Program Operations, ICIMOD

·         Representative from a partner institution from the region

·         Ritu Verma,   Division Head, Gender and Governance, ICIMOD

·         Asuncion Lera St.Clair, HICAP Leader, CICERO

Date/Venue: 6 December 2011, Time: 11:30 to 13:00, Venue: Room 5 

For further information: Dr. Eklabya Sharma

4.   Launch of 2 reports on Glacier Studies in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region

ICIMOD is leading glacier studies in the Himalayan region for over a decade and have brought out some of the most cited comprehensive publications, helping the researchers, planers, policy makers, development agencies and mountain communities to better understand the glacial environment and subsequent impacts downstream in the Himalayas. The two special reports aimed to be released at Durban are seen as state-of-art in glacier research in the region.

For further information: Mr. Basanta Shrestha, Mr. Samjwal Ratna Bajracharya and Mr. Deo Raj Gurung

5.   Launch of special report on Climate Change in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region

The IPCC 4AR was characterized by an absence of data on the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) System and the region remained largely underreported. In the meantime, a lot of research has been initiated and it is likely that the next report will give another picture. However the new IPCC 5AR will only be available in 2013. The aim of this report would be to bridge the knowledge gap for the HKH region and disseminate science–based information in a readable and easily understandable way which will be useful to the UNFCCC meetings. Such report will also be important to support the discussion on the Rio+ 20 conference and Multi–lateral Environment Agreements as the reports will capture the leading knowledge from the region and on the region with a specific focus on the mountain situation.

For further information: Dr. Bhaskar Karky

6.   Information Booth

ICIMOD will also have an information booth at the COP 17 venue, from where the visitors can collect relevant publications, get information about relevant events and meet ICIMOD experts and associated partners.

Venue: International Convention Centre (ICC), & Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC)

For further information: Mr. Tek Jung Mahat (tmahat@icimod.org) and Dr. Bhaskar Karky

7.   Virtual platforms

A microsite is developed as http://www.icimod.org/cop17, where we aim to put further details as developed and agreed with the partners. We are also working with our global partners – members of the Mountain Partnership Consortium (MPC) to ensure there is coordination at higher level to advocate mountain issues. MPC/Mountain Forum has also developed a separate microsite with global scope.

You can access it as http://cambioclimatico.mtnforum.org/.

For further information: Mr. Tek Jung Mahat (tmahat@icimod.org)

UNEP Tunza Call for Good Practice Case Studies! - Children and Youth

Dear Youth Representatives,

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in cooperation with other international organisations involved in the Health & Environment policy process is looking for Good Practice Concepts on youth and children?s involvement.

For detailed information on the call please see the documents attached to this mail (http://groups.google.com/group/environment-professionals/browse_thread/thread/ad096ccab22ede3e).

In order to participate, please fill out the enclosed concept format, describing what children & youth are already doing in your country on environmental and health improvement, and send it to karin.vohla@wecf.eu before 30 of November 2011.

Among all concept entries, the 8 best will be selected and will each receive 500, 00 USD to prepare and present their case on good practices on 2 ? 10 pages, before 20 of December 2011.

Please also feel free to forward this call to other young people and youth representatives who you think might want to participate and contribute their concepts.


With my best regards
Karin

--


Best regards

Karin Vohla

WECF Germany e.V.
Sankt-Jakobs-Platz 10
80331 München
+49 89 23 23 938-17

www.wecf.eu

ICIMOD on Rio+20

ICIMOD on Rio+20
ICIMOD sees Rio+20 as a very important moment to redefine Mountain Agenda considering progresses made and challenges evolved over last two decades. As one of the founding members of the Mountain Partnership Consortium, ICIMOD is working closely with all key institutions around the global promoting Mountain Agenda to make sure issues and positions of mountainous countries and regions are clear and are noticed by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) preparatory committee as well as concerned Major Groups. ICIMOD is working closely with Major Groups on ‘Children and Youth’, ‘NGOs’, ‘Local Authorities’, ‘Scientific and Technological Community’, ‘Women’, whilst maintaining regular interactions with others. As part of this preparation ICIMOD has organised number of discussions at Hindu Kush-Himalayan and Asia Pacific regional level aiming at different groups including youth and media. The list of events are provided at http://www.icimod.org/?q=4773.

We have found these activities very useful in understanding where do we stand, how can we make a difference and promote sustainable mountain development agenda, and in developing Rio+20 position papers on HKH and South East Asia-Pacific regions. Please find on the right the links (at http://www.icimod.org/?q=4773) to download ICIMOD reports submitted to the RIO+20 Secretariat.

All these submissions are accessible on the Rio+20 site at:
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/

For more information, contact:

Dr Madhav Karki, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD (Team Leader)
Email: mkarki@icimod.org

Dr Golam Rasul, Division Head, Economic Analysis/Policy Development Specialist (Green Economy and SMD Coordinator)
Email: grasul@icimod.org

Mr Tek Jung Mahat, APMN Node Manager (‘Youth and Media engagement on Rio+20’ Coordinator and Overall Co-leader)
Email: tmahat@icimod.org

Call for applications - United Nations University Summer Academy 2012

Call for applications - Summer Academy 2012

UNU-EHS and the Munich Re Foundation invite qualified PhD students to apply for the 2012 Summer Academy “From Social Vulnerability to Resilience: Measuring Progress toward Disaster Risk Reduction”.

Applicants should have an interdisciplinary focus and work on research or dissertations related to measuring social vulnerability and resilience in the context of disaster risk management.

The seventh Summer Academy will take place 1-7 July 2012 in Munich, Germany.

Please submit your application via summeracademy@ehs.unu.edu no later than 31 January 2012

SA 2012 Announcement

SA 2012 Application form

Doctoral Course - Being Human in Times of Climate Change: Stretching the Disciplinary Boundaries

Doctoral Course

Being Human in Times of Climate Change:

Stretching the Disciplinary Boundaries

Lund University, Sweden

January 23-27, 2012

Short description of the course:

The humanities and social sciences have often been perceived of as being outside of the otherwise motley gang of disciplines and fields crowding the neighbourhood of the climate change problem complex. But there is, in fact, a growing interest for climate change in these academic fields.

This course aims to provide an overview of current research on climate change in the humanities and social sciences. Perspectives from across a number of disciplines will be explored as the issue is addressed through a number of themes and angles. 

Work which is relevant for the issue of climate change is being produced within the different subjects of the humanities and social sciences. Throughout the course we will engage with theoretical and methodological tools developed and employed within a number of disciplines to further understanding of the human dimensions of global warming. The course will provide both an acquaintance with recent developments in the respective fields and opportunities for comparative analysis and discussions of the promises and pitfalls of interdisciplinarity, understood in the widest sense of the term.

We will see that the work from the humanities and social sciences is highly relevant to the understanding of the natural and social dimensions of climate change. Researchers in the humanities and social sciences may differ widely in their approaches; therefore, one of the aims of this course is to advance interdisciplinary communication between these disciplines. This may in turn serve to enhance the positions of such research concerning climate change, making it evident that theorising about the human being and her relations with others and the environment constitutes an essential dimension for exploring and understanding the climate change problematique. One aim of the course is thus to broaden the scope further; deepen the well of potential influx that sustainability science can draw on by presenting examples of accomplished research that has already been produced or is under production as well as fields that show promise. This course should be able to provide some of the useful tools for addressing the dimensions of human agency, human values, issues of interpretation and reception of overwhelming problems, motivational and emotional facts in relation, in short what it is to be a human being in times of climate change.

The course welcomes doctoral students who would like to like to explore the issue of climate change from different perspectives and is intended for doctoral students in all disciplines. We put great emphasis on creating an interdisciplinary group that may benefit from each other’s knowledge and perspectives.

Form:

One week intensive course of 5 credits, open to doctoral students from all disciplines.

Examination:

Active participation (for a schedule, see below)

Reading of assigned literature (to be announced)

A short position paper on interdisciplinarity (more information on this will be distributed to participants before the course starts)

Application:

Send an email to anna.kaijser@lucid.lu.se or lena.christensen@lucsus.lu.se, including your name and institutional affiliation, a short description of your research interest and a motivation for your wish to participate.

The deadline for applications is December 1.

Practicalities:

There is no participation fee. The participants need to arrange their own accommodation.

For more information, please email anna.kaijser@lucid.lu.se or lena.christensen@lucsus.lu.se

Tentative Schedule

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Presentation of course and participants	Kjersti Fløttum, Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen Trine Dahl, Department of Professional and Intercultural Communication, University of Bergen	Karin Bradley, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Stockholm Royal Institute of Technology	Adeline Johns-Putra, Department of English, University of Exeter Adam Trexler, Department of English, University of Exeter	Discussion of student papers on interdisciplinarity
L	U	N	C	H
Kristin Asdal,   Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture (TIK), Oslo University	Frida Hastrup, Department of Anthropology, Copenhagen University	Maria Hellström Reimer, Art Culture and Communication, Malmö University	Alexa Weik von Mossner, Department of Languages and Literatures, University of Fribourg

This schedule may be subject to changes, and more activities may be added (for instance during evenings)

VA youth award - as promised at Tunza

An award that rewards environmental actions

Do you want international recognition for your project? Would you like the chance to win a trip to Sweden? We are now searching for the 2012 winners of the Volvo Adventure (organised in partnership with UNEP). Could it be a team from your school, youth or community group network wining one of the awards this year? The Tunza Conference in Bandung showed us there are amazing projects in Indonesia that should be applying because they have a possibility of winning.

All you have to do is follow this link and register yourself and your group http://www.volvoadventure.org/env_register.aspx to get the free materials and have a chance to win one of the UNEP-Volvo Adventure awards. The groups whose projects are deemed to be the best this year will get an all expenses paid trip to Sweden. You can enter as many teams as you want. This is an excellent opportunity for young people to promote themselves as it looks good on school, job, and college applications.

There are several ways for a project to receive endorsements and international recognition for the efforts young people are making to solve environmental problems. The projects act as a gallery of all the ways that young people are finding to ensure they inherit solutions rather than problems. Anyone working with on a practical environmental project with young people aged between 13 and 16 years of age can enter. They need to be working in groups of two to five people and actively involved in devising and managing the project.

Please take the time to register, and then put your project in this year's gallery of projects that are helping solve environmental problems around the world.

Climate Change Research Symposium and Resources for Early-Career Scholars

DISCCRS VII
Interdisciplinary Climate Change Research Symposium
http://disccrs.org/disccrsposter.pdf
October 13-20, 2012

La Foret Conference and Retreat Center
Colorado Springs, CO

 

Application Deadline: February 29, 2012

Participation limited to 30 early-career Ph.D. scholars
Airfare and on-site expenses are supported through grants from NSF and NASA
http://disccrs.org

 

As our understanding of climate change and its far-reaching ramifications continues to grow, it is imperative for climate change researchers to form strong collaborative bonds that reach across disciplines and other boundaries. Every year the DISsertations initiative for the advancement of Climate Change ReSearch (DISCCRS, pronounced discourse) hosts a symposium for early-career climate change researchers. Our goal is to catalyze international, interdisciplinary collaboration while laying the foundation for dynamic, communicative collegial networks that are better-equipped to understand and respond to the myriad challenges posed by climate change.

During the week-long symposium, the 30 invited DISCCRS Scholars will have the opportunity to present their research, hone interdisciplinary communication and teambuilding skills, and discuss emerging research and trends. Scholars will also have the chance to talk about the societal and professional challenges involved in climate change research, with each other and with established researchers invited to serve as mentors.

Applications will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary committee of research scientists. The selection committee will favor applicants who plan to engage in interdisciplinary research careers in any subject relevant to the study of climate change, its impacts or its solutions. We encourage applicants from the natural and social sciences, mathematics, engineering, and other fields, so long as their research focus relates to climate change, its impacts or its solutions. Although the emphasis is on the U.S. research system, we welcome applicants from all countries who are interested in learning about the U.S. research system or connecting with U.S. researchers. Airfare and on-site expenses are supported through grants from NSF and NASA.

Symposium application instructions: http://disccrs.org/application_instructions

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

In addition to our annual symposia, DISCCRS provides online tools for catalyzing interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration:
http://disccrs.org/disccrsposter.pdf
Please display and distribute the poster as widely as possible!

Online Ph.D. Dissertation Registry: Join over 2500 climate change researchers by registering your Ph.D. dissertation and adding your abstract to our fully searchable database. You can also browse the registry to see what other climate change researchers have been doing recently. http://disccrs.org/register

Electronic newsletter: With timely climate change job listings, news stories, funding opportunities and more, our weekly e-newsletter is automatically provided to anyone who registers their Ph.D.
You can also subscribe online. http://disccrs.org/subscribe

Career Resources: In addition to the registry, our website includes a wealth of valuable resources for finding a job, developing your professional skills, locating funding opportunities, crafting grant proposals and more. http://disccrs.org/career

DISCCRS Sponsors:
AAG, AERE, AGU, AMS, ASLO, ESA, ESS-ISA, STEP-APSA, TOS, USSEE

DISCCRS Funding:
U.S. National Science Foundation
Collaborative Grant Numbers: SES-0931402 to the University of Oregon
and SES-0932916 to Whitman College
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Grant number NNX10AJ53G to Whitman College

Contact: info@disccrs.org
Organizers: Ronald B. Mitchell and C. Susan Weiler

Energy Challenge and Environmental Sustainability, Venice, September 9th - 12th, 2012

CALL FOR PAPERS

12th IAEE European Energy Conference
"Energy Challenge and Environmental Sustainability"
Venice, September 9th - 12th, 2012
http://www.iaeeu2012.it

Deadline for submission: April 9th, 2012

The Italian affiliate of the IAEE (AIEE) will be the host of the 12th IAEE European Energy Conference - "ENERGY CHALLENGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY". The conference, organised by the AIEE - The Italian Association of Energy Economists, with the support of Ca' Foscari University of Venice and Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, will be held on 9-12 September 2012, in Venice, Italy at Ca' Foscari University of Venice - the Campus of San Giobbe.

The geopolitical events that are changing the international context and the costs of energy supply in most of the European countries and world industrialized nations, make us believe that there will be significant changes in the energy sector during the next years.
The oil markets and the petroleum products will be characterized by high volatility and instability, with rising prices; the gas market will be more open and less tied to oil prices: the coal market, as well as the renewables market will be in strong recovery.
The nuclear accident in Fukushima has brought uncertainty about the development of nuclear power in many countries where this source was present or was being considered as a future resource, thus leading to a closure or a stand-by of many nuclear power plants. This will have two effects: the first is a greater reliance on fossil fuels for electricity production, the second is a negative impact on the environmental sustainability and on the future monitoring of the climate change on our planet.

The increasing dependence on fossil fuels, the problems of security of supply and the best solutions for mitigating climate change require urgent measures that Europe should quickly adopt.

As usual there will be a lot of concurrent sessions organized that should cover a broad spectrum of energy economics topics. The deadline for abstract submissions is April 9, 2012, so please do not wait any longer to submit your abstract at the following link http://www.iaeeu2012.it/pages/abstract.html. The abstract may be up to two pages in length and should include: (1) overview (2) methods (3) results (4) conclusions. A sample abstract may be found by visiting the conference website.

The high-level program committee, headed by professor Carlo Carraro, President of Ca' Foscari University of Venice, will confirm paper acceptance by May 22, 2012. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will need to submit their full-length paper by July 1st, for the conference on-line proceedings.

Learn more about the conference by visiting http://www.iaeeu2012.it.

CONTACTS
Phone: +39.06.3227367; Fax: +39.06.3234921

e-mail: assaiee@aiee.it; info@iaeeu2012.it

Climate Adaptation Futures: Second International Climate Change Adaptation Conference, 29-31 May 2012, USA

Climate Adaptation Futures: Second International Climate Change Adaptation Conference, 29-31 May, 2012

University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Deadline for abstracts: 30 January 2012 (Conference registration/call for abstracts opens September 5)

Climate change is one of the most important environmental, social and economic issues facing the world today. Despite growing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, some impacts such as higher temperatures, more intense floods, droughts, wildfires, and rising sea levels are now inevitable. We must plan for and adapt to these changes, to minimize the negative impacts and enhance the benefits to natural systems, societies, and human activities and well-being. This challenges decision making at all levels, from individuals to governments, as well as in business and industry.

Co-hosted and convened by the University of Arizona (www.arizona.edu) and by UNEP’s Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA www.provia-climatechange.org), the conference focuses on adaptation to climate variability and change. The conference will bring together researchers, policy makers, and practitioners from developed and developing countries to share insights into the challenges and opportunities that adaptation presents.  It will showcase cutting-edge research from around the world, focusing on themes of equity and risk, learning, capacity building, methodology, and adaptation finance and investment. It will explore practical adaptation policies and approaches, and share strategies for decision making from the international to the local scale.

This conference follows on the success of the pioneering Climate Adaptation Futures Conference, co-hosted by Australia’s National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility and the CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship in Australia in 2010 with nearly 1,000 participants from around the world.  Inspired by this 1st conference we hope to build on the community that came together in Queensland and foster a connected, collaborative and creative international network of adaptation researchers, decision makers and interested citizens. 

·         The conference program includes plenary lectures and panels, paper sessions, posters, and workshops. Conference Registration opens September 5, 2011 with deadline for abstracts January 30, 2012.  Conference themes and possible ideas for presentations include:

·         Regional studies: where are the places and people most at need? What are their adaptation options and strategies for implementation?

·         Update on key emerging climate change and impacts science, including the latest on future extremes, sea level change, water supplies and landscape transformation; how will uncertainties change in the coming decade?

·         Communicating climate risks to facilitate adaptation: what do people want and need to know and how best to understand and deliver information?

·         Building adaptive capacity: communities, institutions, and individuals lack sufficient capacity for implementation; what are the most effective ways to build capacity? What types of investments in capacity are appropriate and what scale of decision-making should be targeted?

·         Examples of adaptations through case studies and best practices, including costs and benefits of implementing these options

·         What can we learn from past adaptations to environmental change? How can we foster adaptations to futures characterized by surprise, non-linear change and unexpected consequences?

·         Ecosystem based adaptation

·         Funding priority research and adaptation: who pays, and for what, where, and how?

·         Tools for adaptation: what approaches, tools, and methods are available? How do we judge their effectiveness?

·         What are the relationships between mitigation and adaptation? How can the green economy facilitate adaptation?

·         Measuring and evaluating adaptation: how do we know whether investments in adaptive capacity and adaptation are working?

·         Adaptation under 4 degrees Celsius warming: as mitigation options are exhausted or delayed how might we face the challenges of adapting to 4 degrees C of warming?

Conference timeline

(All updates will be posted to the conference website at http://www.adaptation.arizona.edu/adaptation2012)

·         Call for papers and posters will be posted on web site and circulated by email  July 2011

·         Outline program and key speakers announced: September 5th 2011

·         Registration opens: September 5th 2011

·         Deadline for abstracts: January 30th 2012

·         Deadline for funding assistance requests: January 30th 2012

·         Deadline for early discounted registration March 1st 2012