EPA Network: ESEIA Director Introduces ESEIA to Interest Group on Sustainability Research

On 20 March 2023, the ESEIA Director Brigitte Hasewend took part in the stakeholder meeting of the EPA Network Interest Group on Sustainability Research (IG EPAS).

The EPA Network is an informal grouping of the directors of environmental protection agencies (EPAs) and similar bodies across Europe established in 2003. It contains ten interest groups, including IG EPAS, where member organisations cooperate on environmental issues of interest.

The stakeholder meeting was held in a hybrid format and aimed to introduce the IG EPAS to guest participants, identify joint interests and discuss opportunities for future collaboration. During the meeting, participants had the opportunity to introduce themselves and explain how they support innovative environmental and sustainability research.

In her presentation, the ESEIA Director Brigitte Hasewend offered insight into ESEIA and how it operates to promote sustainable energy solutions for a climate‐neutral future by involving a multitude of disciplines, technologies and actors.

She then presented the Science, Technology and Society Unit (STS Unit) of TU Graz as an example, explaining its two-fold goal: to better understand the various societal and environmental implications of technology development and – based on this knowledge – to strengthen research and innovation in line with broader societal needs.

The ESEIA Director Brigitte Hasewend also pointed out transformation as a key factor in any research. “As we are transforming our society into climate neutrality, we need to ask the right questions about what this transformation means for people, for the environment, and for our economies. Transformation research needs to assess the past using LCA, deliver contextualised analysis of real-life big data, as well as look into the prospects of this transformation process,” she concluded.

Contact:

ESEIA Director Brigitte Hasewend: brigitte.hasewend@eseia.eu