News
- Energy transition
There are many possible pathways towards a carbon-neutral future -- and achieving it by 2050 is possible but requires urgent action. This is the conclusion of a group of top scientists tasked by the European Commission with advising on how to facilitate the energy transition in Europe.
- SAPEA
Professor Antonio Loprieno becomes the new chair of the SAPEA Board. Professor Loprieno is the President of ALLEA, and a fellow of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences.
- Sustainable food system
Professor Peter Jackson was invited to a webinar on on environment-friendly food systems, which was organised in frame of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2022. The event took place on 25 May 2021.
- Sustainable food system
SAPEA Evidence Review Report “A sustainable food system for the European Union” was presented at a webinar “Transforming Food Systems: Public Trust and Engagement to Reach the UN SDGs” on 2 June 2021. The event was organised by the Global Young Academy.
- SAPEA
Eric Lambin and Eva Zažimalová have been appointed to the European Commission’s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors for a term of three years. They were nominated by European Research Organisations and selected by an independent Identification Committee, and will replace Professor Carina Keskitalo and Sir Paul Nurse, whose mandates expired on 15 May 2021.
- Sustainable food system
The EU’s Farm-to-Fork strategy needs to be reframed to avoid an unjustified focus on food as simply a commodity, according to a group of top European experts whose independent science advice was used to inform the strategy last year.
- Biodegradability of plastics
Commissioner Mariya Gabriel presented the recent advice on biodegradability of plastics in the open environment to a meeting of European research ministers on 26 February.
- Sustainable food system
Key findings from the SAPEA report ‘A sustainable food system for the European Union’ were presented at a public hearing in the European Parliament by working group member Marianne Penker on 4 February.
- SAPEA, yasas
On 2 December 2020, standing delegates of European young academies joined for the first General Assembly of YASAS: the Young Academies Science Advice Structure. After years of informal, yet constructive collaboration and knowledge exchange on topics of concern to early-career researchers, the initiative was taken to create a formal platform for cooperation of European Young Academies
- Biodegradability of plastics
What does ‘biodegradable plastic’ mean? Can biodegradable plastics help reduce plastic pollution? What policies should be in place to ensure that biodegradable plastics are beneficial to the environment, compared with non-biodegradable plastics?
- SAPEA
Maarja Kruusmaa, Alberto Melloni and Nebojsa Nakicenovic are the three new members appointed to the European Commission’s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors. Additionally, Nicole Grobert and Sir Paul Nurse have been elected as the new Chair and deputy-Chair of the Group.
- Covid-19
The European Commission’s independent Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) and Peter Piot, special advisor to the President Ursula von der Leyen on the response to COVID-19, published a joint Opinion on Improving pandemic preparedness and management.