The project is no longer active in its current formation.

If any questions please contact: thomas.pettersson@chalmers.se

23-25 January 2011, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Our planet is faced with a number of rapid changes over the coming decades. These changes include:

• a changing climate
• growing demand for food
• constraints of resources
• increasing global population and urbanisation
• ageing societies (more…)

The complexity of climate change mechanisms – aspects to be considered in abatement strategy planning

The complexity of climate change mechanisms] Greenhouse gas emissions are of major importance today and the climate issue is expected to remain a question of utmost significance during coming decades and centuries. Climate models indicate how emissions interfere with climate processes and which temperature rise different emission scenarios may lead to. Through a literature survey, it has been our intention to single out some of the findings on climate change mechanisms , such as the interaction between emissions of greenhouse gases and global radiative forcing, on how the carbon and nitrogen cycles interfere with concentrations in the atmosphere and in what ways cost-effective abatement measures of greenhouse gases could be made. The focus in this respect has been on non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases. The present basis for action is comprehensive and robust to its order of magnitude, even if there are large uncertainties involved in the overall understanding of the processes. In the strategies elaborated by different actors these large uncertainties in sources and sinks of greenhouse gases, the interconnections with the climate and available climate models, have to be considered in research projects and future action plans.

Download The complexity of climate change mechanisms

Edited by Wolfgang Wimmer, Lee Kun Mo and John Polak.

Two significant trends are shaping the environmental agenda: Green procurement – more and more businesses, governments and even consumers are seeking ecoproducts; and, new product related guidelines, directives and regulations have already been developed. How should business respond? There are tools and approaches available. (more…)

Edited by: Akimasa Sumi, Kensuke Fukushi, R. Honda and K.M. Hasan

The need to put into perspective the ever-mounting body of new information, beyond the frames of disciplines, on environmental security of food and water issues in Asia provided the impetus for the development of this book. It combines presentations from symposia on food and water sustainability held recently in Macau, China. (more…)

27 June -2 July 2010, Yokohama, Japan
Link to RE2010

Dr. David Müller, ETH Science City

The Renewable Energy 2010 conference dedicated one of its workshops to what actions universities are taking develop their campuses sustainably. The workshop was organised by the AGS-affiliated Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science (IR3S) network of Japanese universities. Four sustainable campus projects from leading universities worldwide were presented, including the ETH and The University of Tokyo. (more…)

Annual Report 2009 is available.
Download pdf: AGS Annual Report 2009

AGS newsletter 2010:2 is now available online.
The highlight in this newsletter is a report from AGS Annual Meeting 2010 held in Tokyo:  Global Change and Sustainability – pathways to the Sustainable Society in 2010.
Download AGS_Newsletter_2010:2 (pdf)

Workshop and plenary at the AGS Annual Meeting 2010
18 March 2010, The University of Tokyo, Japan

How can societies progress towards sustainability under rapid demographic change? This was a key issue at the AGS Annual Meeting 2010. The demographic structure of most developed countries is changing dramatically as a result of people living longer but having fewer children. At the same time, these societies must make drastic changes in the use of energy and natural resources to move towards environmental sustainability. (more…)

23 April 2010, Cambridge, USA

Sustainability@MIT – MIT’s student group for sustainability – held their 2nd annual MIT Sustainability Summit on 23 April at Microsoft’s New England Research and Development Center. There were over 200 students and sustainability professionals in attendance. The event was entirely student run and organized and supported through sponsorship contributions from The Alliance for Global Sustainability. (more…)