Research

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation,

Responding to climate change involves a two-pronged approach: Mitigation and Adaptation. Mitigation aims at reducing emissions and stabilizing the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while Adaption seeks to reduce our vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change. SDU aims to respond to the challenges and opportunities of climate change and is working to achieve natural resource management systems that are adaptive and resilient to the impacts of climate change. SDU provides strategic policy advice, innovative solutions and consulting on innovative approaches to conservation and sustainable land, water and energy use and management, in response to the challenges of climate change.

 

With 70% of the earth’s surface covered in water, SDU looks to the seas and oceans for solutions to the most pressing development challenges. From fishery and aquaculture, to transport and energy production, the marine environment remains a major driver for economic development and growth; the blue economy encompasses a wide range of activities and is fast becoming a policy priority across the EU and around the globe. SDU mobilizes key actors in the industry, working collaboratively to explore innovative solutions and transitions towards a sustainable future for the sector. 

 

Water is a critical resource; necessary for sustaining life on earth and central to almost all economic activity.  With water being essential not only for domestic use, but for energy generation through hydro-power production as well as irrigation within the agricultural sector, the efficient allocation of water is an issue of great importance.  SDU adopts a holist approach towards examining the confluence of water, energy and food, providing methodologies and tools to support decision makers at all levels in order to sustainably manage water resources.

 

Circular Economy can be defined as an economic system that replaces the ‘end-of-life’ concept with reducing, alternatively reusing, recycling and recovering materials in production/distribution and consumption processes. It operates at the micro level (products, companies, consumers), meso level (eco-industrial parks) and macro level (city, region, nation and beyond), with the aim to accomplish sustainable development, thus simultaneously creating environmental quality, economic prosperity and social equity, to the benefit of current and future generations. SDU aims to promote circular and sustainable practices and to mainstreaming circular economy in all policy areas and business sectors.

 

Green investment, social enterprise, eco-preneurship, climate financing and impact investment; SDU provides a variety of avenues to support financiers in order to leverage funding for sustainable change.  SDU provides strategic guidance and implementation assistance for social and environmental impact assessment, development of social, environmental and governance indicators and other related activities.  SDU also works with policy makes to maximise the impact of policies such as the European New Green Deal, in order to align financial flows towards the achievement of a low-carbon transition. 

 

Bridging the gap between research and business, SDU works to develop, identify and commercialize viable opportunities in climate change and sustainable development innovations. Drawing on an extensive network of partners, SDU works with the brightest minds to an ecosystem where promising ideas can take shape and materialize into real-world solutions. SDU brings together researchers, innovators, start-ups, funders, investors, incubators and business people, in order explore innovative business models to turn state-of-the-art solutions to a myriad of development challenges, into commercially sustainable products and services.