Transformative change projects

Advancing transformative governance through Transboundary conservation and collaborative learning.

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, sociology

Enabling Transformative Actions to Leverage Sustainability of Eurasian Grasslands.

Topics: agricultural sciences, ecology, ecosystems, governance

In the heart of Africa’s lush forests lies a critical challenge: the delicate balance between preserving these ecosystems and lifting communities out of poverty. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) hold the key, but a lack of understanding has hindered their sustainable utilisation. In this context, the ERC-funded AFRIFOR project aims to bridge this knowledge gap. It […]

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences

Our food system is a major driver of biodiversity loss. The concept of ‘restorative aquaculture’ entails a form of food production that also provides ecological benefits, potentially resulting in net positive environmental outcomes. A candidate sector in Europe is bivalve aquaculture. The implementation of restorative bivalve aquaculture practices involving flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) and mussels […]

Topics: biodiversity conservation, ecology, ecosystems, sociology

BAMBOO aims at developing new technologies addressing energy and resource efficiency challenges in 4 intensive industries (steel, petrochemical, minerals and pulp and paper). BAMBOO will scale up promising technologies to be adapted, tested and validated under real production conditions focus on three main innovation pillars: waste heat recovery, electrical flexibility and waste streams valorisation. These […]

Topics: biofuels, biomaterials, engineering and technology, industrial biotechnology

BioAgora is a European collaborative project connecting research results on biodiversity to the needs of policymaking in a targeted dialogue between scientists, other knowledge holders and policy actors. .

Topics: governance, social sciences, sociology

Reversing BIOdiversity decline in DENsification strategies: systemic solutions and CITY modelling for transformative change.

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, biodiversity conservation

A Roadmap for Fostering Human Wildlife Coexistance in Greening Cities (SE, ZA, DE, BE)

Topics: biological sciences, economics and business, natural sciences, social sciences

Biodiversa+ is the European co-funded biodiversity partnership supporting excellent research on biodiversity with an impact for policy and society.

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences

Enabling biodiversity-positive transformation of energy planning towards climate neutrality (AT, DE, PL, DK, NL)

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, ecosystem-based management, ecosystems, governance, sustainability sciences

BIONEXT focuses on knowledge, tools, and guidance for mainstreaming biodiversity into policymaking and provides concrete options on how to initiate, accelerate and upscale biodiversity relevant transformative change in society.

Topics: biological sciences, computer and information sciences, databases, ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences

The BIOREFOREST project aims to initiate a societal transformation towards optimising reforestation strategies for forests and orchards, integrating biodiversity as a key factor in the planning process. The project focuses on European forest sites affected by natural disturbances and reforested as monospecific stands (including orchards) or mixed-species stands, as well as naturally regenerated sites with […]

Topics: agricultural sciences, biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences

It is not enough to become net zero; our world needs to become nature-positive. Based on this disruptive idea, all our activities not only minimise nature loss but actually enhance nature and ecosystems. In this context, the EU-funded BIOTraCes project will develop knowledge, tools and novel approaches to enable transformative changes necessary for achieving a […]

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, forestry, forestry and fisheries, natural sciences

Evidence-Based Strategies for a Biodiversity-positive Renewable Energy Transition (SE, ES, NL, MD, SI)

Topics: earth and related environmental sciences, ecosystems, environmental engineering

Creating leverage to enhance biodiversity outcomes of global biomass trade.

Topics: agricultural biotechnology, agricultural sciences, agriculture, biological sciences, biomass, business and management, commerce, ecology, economics and business, ecosystems, forestry, forestry and fisheries, governance, natural sciences, social sciences, sociology

ClimateJusticeReady, funded by the European Research Council, focuses on predicting, mapping, and preventing climate gentrification in climate-adapting cities.

Topics: social inequalities, social issues, social sciences, sociology

Coevolutionary approach to unlock the transformative potential of nature-based solutions for more inclusive and resilient communities.

Topics: business and management, economics and business, entrepreneurship, governance, social sciences, sociology

Leveraging transformative capacities for the governance of human-bear-coexistence in Europe. An integrated socialecological-institutional approach.

Topics: ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences, social sciences

This transdisciplinary project explores how the novel methodology and societal innovation of ‘Ecological Pilgrimage’ can transform the recreational use of hiking trails to meet biodiversity conservation objectives. Departing from historical connotations of colonial expeditions or religious ceremonies, pilgrimage is approached here as a reparative journey that enables meaningful engagement with non-human communities amid existential ecological […]

Topics: biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, ecology, sustainability sciences

LOODTRAIN aims to advance transformative floodplain restoration by transferring knowledge between science and practice and offering a certified curriculum to restoration managers.

Topics: agriculture, ecosystems, social issues

Food systems are crucial to reduce hunger, but they are also causing increasingly severe damage to the environment and human health. The ERC project FLORA will provide essential evidence to identify and implement the necessary shifts in practices and behaviours to transform global agri-food production, trade and consumption towards sustainable and healthy food systems. The […]

Topics: agricultural sciences, agriculture, agriculture forestry and fisheries, earth and related environmental sciences, ecohydrology, economics, economics and business, engineering and technology, environmental engineering, hydrology, natural resources management, natural sciences, social sciences, sustainability sciences, sustainable agriculture, sustainable economy

FORESTPOLICY examines whether company policies to stop sourcing products associated with deforestation have helped to slow forest clearing and encourage restoration.

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, governance, natural sciences, social sciences, sociology

FutureNature shifts the focus from minimising impacts to maximising contributions of translocated species to novel ecosystems by studying the contribution of non-invasive alien species to ecosystem functioning.

Topics: big data, biodiversity conservation, biological sciences, computer and information sciences, data science, ecology, invasive species, natural sciences

There is a worldwide decline in wild species and ecosystems. However, we can reverse biodiversity loss by addressing consumption patterns and values, as well as leveraging digitalisation and emerging technologies. The EU-funded GoDigiBioS project aims to promote positive changes in biodiversity using new digital and emerging technologies to help reverse this decline. The project will […]

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, governance, natural sciences, social sciences, sociology

GoNaturePositive! seeks to pave the way for a nature-positive economy (NPE), through transdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement related to Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Nature-based Enterprises (NBEs).

Topics: agricultural sciences, agriculture forestry and fisheries, astronomy, biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, forestry, governance, natural sciences, physical sciences, planetary sciences, planets, social sciences, sociology

ICE BRIDGE will contribute to transformative governance change, providing policy recommendations that align Arctic climate interventions with the Convention on Biological Diversity and EU strategies.

Topics: ecosystems, governance

Build a comprehensive global database on plant invasions, integrating ecological, social and economic information.

Topics: agricultural biotechnology, biomass, forestry

Solar energy is a key pillar of Europe’s climate mitigation strategy, but its rapid expansion is transforming rural landscapes where biodiversity, agriculture, and cultural heritage intersect.

Topics: ecologicaleconomics, economics, ecosystems

LAND-POLICY sheds light into the causal impacts of public policies on land conditions, comparing their cost-benefit ratios, and identifying factors influencing their performance.

Topics: computer and information sciences, databases, earth and related environmental sciences, ecology, economics, economics and business, ecosystems, environmental sciences, natural sciences, political policies, political sciences, pollution biological sciences, production economics, productivity, public policies, social sciences

LEVER aims to develop and implement a theory and practice that supports the production of transformational knowledge.

Topics: earth and related environmental sciences, environmental sciences, natural sciences

MANANDNATURE creates a body of research on natural resource management and energy use in developing countries with a focus on forest and ocean conservation…

Topics: aerospace engineering, earth and related environmental sciences, economics, economics and business, engineering and technology, environmental sciences, mechanical engineering, natural sciences, pollution, production economics, productivity, satellite technology, social sciences, vehicle engineering

Biodiversity and Offshore Wind: Understanding Transformative Impacts on Marine Ecosystems.

Topics: biological sciences, earth and related environmental sciences, ecology, economics and business, ecosystems, governance, natural sciences

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a proven Nature-based Solution that can simultaneously support biodiversity recovery, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being through sustainable fisheries.

Topics: biodiversity conservation, fisheries

Transformative changes in societies’ relationships with nature are urgently needed to halt and reverse biodiversity decline, yet such change remains elusive. Biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change are interlinked challenges that are cross-scale, dynamic, and intertwined with societies that themselves are characterised by multiple understandings, values, interests, and needs. Existing governance approaches are failing to […]

Topics: biodiversity conservation, governance

N-EXTLAW tackles the current extractive economic model proven to have enormous destructive impacts on both the environment and society.

Topics: law, social sciences

Nature-based solutions are interventions designed to use the properties of nature to address multiple sustainability challenges. As they are increasingly used across cities and their surrounding rural and coastal areas, our landscapes are changing. The focus of the NATURESCAPES project is nature-based solutions from a landscape perspective. We are exploring how this is happening and […]

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, governance, human rights, law, natural sciences, social sciences, sociology

NetworkNature platform can help you understand how working with nature can address real world challenges.

Topics: business and management, business models, economics and business, innovation management, social sciences

Forest restoration and agroforestry are key nature-based solutions to biodiversity loss, climate change, and declining rural livelihoods. In the Albertine Rift of Central and East Africa – a global biodiversity hotspot – forest plantations have largely relied on a few exotic tree species, leading to landscape homogenisation, reduced ecosystem resilience, and limited benefits for biodiversity […]

Topics: agricultural sciences, agriculture, forestry

PaCE will bring together a transnational and interdisciplinary group of researchers with Southeast Asia geographical expertise, to assess the ecological and socio-economic impacts of geopolitical conflict in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea on biodiversity, regional trade systems, and the livelihoods of coastal and neighbouring communities.

Topics: biodiversity conservation, social issues

European wetlands are of high ecological value for societies. At the same time, they are increasingly under threat.

Topics: governance

Biodiversity loss and increasing human-wildlife interactions are among the most pressing challenges in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Topics: ecology, economics and business, ecosystems, governance, sociology

Understanding Plural values, intersectionality, Leverage points, Attitudes, Norms, behaviour and social lEarning in Transformation for Biodiversity decision making.

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems

Despite ambitious global commitments to halt biodiversity loss, conservation efforts often struggle to deliver equitable and lasting outcomes.

Topics: biodiversity conservation, ecology

Coastal ecosystems face escalating threats from biodiversity loss, endangering communities reliant on their resources. Human activities such as pollution and overfishing exacerbate these challenges, jeopardising the delicate balance of marine life. As coastal populations bear the brunt of these impacts, urgent action is imperative to safeguard both livelihoods and biodiversity. In response, the EU-funded PRO-COAST […]

Topics: biological sciences, civil society, ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences, political policies, political sciences, social sciences

Every month, governments around the world gather to make important decisions to solve global environmental problems. However, their decisions often lead to new, and sometimes even more chronic and severe, environmental problems – what is known as global environmental problem-shifting. With over 800 international environmental treaties in force, the scale and complexity of environmental problem-shifting […]

Topics: governance, law, social sciences, sociology

The Pro-Coast project is about the riches of nature (biodiversity) in European coastal ecosystems. Around 40% of Europeans live within 100km of the coast, where there is continuing loss of natural services that provide food, water, health and recreation.

Topics: biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, ecology

This project pursues the development and testing of a novel production system that transforms predominantly monocultured rice (Oryza sativa) paddies into multifunctional sustainable ecosystems.

Topics: agricultural biotechnology, agricultural sciences, agriculture, Agriculture and Environment, ecosystems

RAINFOREST contributes to enabling, upscaling and accelerating transformative change to reduce biodiversity impact of food and biomass value chains.

Topics: agricultural sciences, agriculture, agriculture forestry and fisheries, ecosystems, forestry, forestry and fisheries, governance

The first core objective of Regreening Africa is to scale-up evergreen agriculture, using locally appropriate techniques including Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration, tree planting and other forms of agroforestry and complementary sustainable land management interventions. The second core objective of the program focuses on strategic decision making for scaling which entails working across the eight countries to […]

Topics: biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, forestry

The overall objective of RECON is to foster biodiversity conservation through systemic societal transformation driven by nature reconnection.

Topics: biodiversity conservation, governance, social sciences

This project aims to deliver interdisciplinary insights into how past, present, and future depopulation processes across Europe affect biodiversity.

Topics: biodiversity conservation

Resilience investigates how ecosystems’ tipping points can be prevented through structural processes and spatial patterns.

Topics: agricultural sciences, Agriculture and Environment, ecosystems, sustainable agriculture

REWILDING is an environmental anthropological project contributing to the budding field of environmental humanities. It focuses on the shifting entanglements between people, flora, and fauna in the worlds largest conservation landscape, the southern African Kavango-Zambezi Transboundary Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA).

Topics: biological sciences, ecological restoration, ecology, ecosystem-based management, ecosystems, engineering and technology, environmental engineering, natural sciences

Research on Indigenous Data Governance Protocols

Topics: governance, social sciences, sociology

The global decline of marine biodiversity due to human-related pressures, especially pollution, climate change, and overfishing, is our time’s critical emergency.

Topics: biodiversity conservation, biological sciences, ecosystems

The SKETCH project focuses on empowering Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) to protect coastal ecosystems through equitable, interdisciplinary conservation strategies.

Topics: biodiversity conservation, ecosystems, social sciences, transformation

Rapid increases in food production to meet the growing needs of a growing population worldwide is resulting in water and land scarcity.

Topics: astronomy, biochemistry, biological sciences, biomolecules, natural sciences, planetary sciences, planets, proteins

With the world facing a looming polycrisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and growing inequalities, there is an urgent need to enable societal transformation for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people (NCPs).

Topics: ecology, social sciences

Our global economy is intrinsically dependent on nature, and at the same time is playing a major role in its degradation.

Topics: biological sciences, computer and information sciences, databases, ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences

Agricultural biodiversity includes all wild and domesticated forms of life found on farms – from plants and animals to soil organisms, pests and pollinators.

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, governance, history, history and archaeology, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, sociology

Sandy beaches, from the surf zone to the dunes, connect land and sea. They support unique biodiversity and provide benefits people rely on, including recreation and tourism, coastal protection, and fisheries. Yet management often prioritises appearance and short-term convenience, which can degrade habitats and accelerate biodiversity loss.

Topics: ecologicaleconomics, economics and business, ecosystems

Small-scale fisheries represent a significant source of food and livelihood for millions globally. In developing countries, they also play a central role in poverty eradication. To understand the cultural and economic significance of Latin American small-scale fisheries requires the engagement of archaeology and history. The EU-funded TRADITION project will investigate a 4 000-year-old record of […]

Topics: agricultural sciences, agriculture, agriculture forestry and fisheries, archaeology, fisheries, history, history and archaeology, humanities

One way to adapt to the impacts of climate change and slow further warming is to work with nature in its capacity to restore and protect ecosystems. Nature-based solutions (NBSs) is an umbrella term that covers different approaches, spanning ecosystem-based management, sustainable forest management and blue-green infrastructure. In this context, the EU-funded TRANS-lighthouses project will […]

Topics: Agriculture and Environment, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, ecology, ecosystems, Food

As the world accelerates the shift to renewable energy to combat climate change, biodiversity loss remains an often-overlooked risk.

Topics: biodiversity conservation, biological sciences, governance

Translitigate is an EU-funded (ERC Starting Grant 2021) multidisciplinary research project that aims to how transnational collaboration networks contributes to environmental litigation.

Topics: earth and related environmental sciences, environmental sciences, governance, law, natural sciences, pollution, social sciences, sociology

The global biodiversity and climate crises cannot be solved in isolation or by merely ramping up what is already being done.

Topics: biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences

TwinPolitics seeks to address concerns surrounding the socio-technical aspects of the creation of a digital twin of the ocean (DTO), which is leveraged by the European Commission.

Topics: governance, social sciences, sociology

Urban sites can implement green infrastructures to encourage food production, promote air quality and temperature, and reduce environmental impact.

Topics: agricultural sciences, agriculture, agriculture forestry and fisheries

Urbanization of the sea: assessing and managing the impact of Offshore Wind developments on open ocean biodiversity (SE, NO, DK, BE, DE, IT)

Topics: ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences

Transform urban flowerbeds for future: sustainable use and pollinator conservation (FR, DE, ES, CH)

Topics: agricultural sciences, ecosystems, natural sciences

WaterSmartLand tackles the significant threat posed to water bodies, as nutrient run-off from intensive farming practices and increased fertiliser use degrades water quality, by pinpointing high-risk areas and proposing targeted solutions.

Topics: agricultural sciences, agriculture, agriculture forestry and fisheries, biological sciences, ecology, ecosystems, natural sciences

WildHarvest, through transdisciplinary action research and strong science-practitioner partnerships, will empower indigenous knowledge holders in two highly diverse biomes, the Cape Floristic Region and Dry savanna woodlands.

Topics: ecologicaleconomics, ecology, economics, ecosystems, sustainable economy

Bearded fireWORM invaSiOn: UnderwaTer monitoring, biodiversity and social impacts, PotentiaL indUstrial application and mitigation Strategies.

Topics: ecological restoration, ecology, ecosystems, fisheries