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Øystein Opedal was one of 494 European researchers to receive an ERC Starting Grant for his project “POLLCLIM: Plant adaptation in a changing pollination climate“. As Øystein is a member of BECC, we were curious to know a little bit more about his grant. The ERC Starting Grant is intended for early-career researchers and the only selection criterion is scientific excellence. After undergoing peer

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/oystein-opedal-receiving-erc-grant - 2025-10-29

Hydrogen is expected to play an important role in the transition to a climate-neutral society. Although hydrogen is not a greenhouse gas with a direct climate impact, there are large knowledge gaps about its indirect impacts on the climate and environment. The Horizon Europe-funded research project HYway aims to fill these gaps. We spoke to David Wårlind from Lund University who is leading one of

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/new-project-fills-knowledge-gaps-climate-impact-hydrogen-emissions - 2025-10-29

Long-term effective methods are needed to curb the negative effects of coastal erosion. Within the LIFE Coast Adapt project, researchers from Lund University, together with officials from Region Skåne and several coastal municipalities in Skåne, have tested various nature-based methods to contribute to a practice in the field. The project has now come to an end with promising results. In the LIFE

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/collaboration-led-methods-can-protect-our-coastal-environments-erosion - 2025-10-29

Read the 2014 self evaluation of BECC. Some of the headlines of the report are: research output, strategic value for the society and the business sector and research and education integration. The BECC Self Evaluation is one step of the total evaluation of the strategic research environments. Before summer the final BECC self-evaluation was sent in, answering 20 questions about our performance dur

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/curious-about-how-becc-doing - 2025-10-29

To create a functional urban environment for people, the environment and biodiversity, cities need to make careful considerations. Urban densification can be positive, for example in terms of reducing car traffic and providing better services to more people. At the same time, it can be at the expense of green spaces and human health. Johanna Alkan Olsson is a senior lecturer at CEC and has been re

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/five-challenges-and-tips-creating-functional-urban-environment-when-densifying-cities - 2025-10-29

Summer may be extending longer into the season, but we still have changed the name of our annual meetings in September to Autumn meetings. And this year autumn showed itself in full effect when ClimBEco students arrived by train from the north and the south into Helsingborg on 25-27 September and getting ready for this autumn meeting entitled “The Nature of the Urban: Sustainability challenges in

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/reflections-climbeco-autumn-meeting-2024 - 2025-10-29

In the Colombian rainforest, cattle ranching is spreading and leading to forest fires and deforestation. This threatens the environment, climate and indigenous people in the Amazon. More efficient use of existing pastures and alternative livelihoods are some of the factors needed to protect the rainforest, according to a new thesis by Jesica López. Colombia's rainforest is part of the Amazon and i

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/new-thesis-highlights-sustainable-solutions-protect-amazon-rainforest - 2025-10-29

The government has appointed Olof Johansson Stenman, professor of economics at the University of Gothenburg and a BECC PI, as a new member of the Climate Policy Council. "It is an honor, but above all, it is an important task that the council has," he says. The Climate Policy Council is an independent and interdisciplinary expert body that evaluates and reviews the government's climate policy. The

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/olof-johansson-stenman-new-member-climate-policy-council - 2025-10-29

Exhaust fumes and burning reduce the ability of rainforests to capture carbon by 0.29 billion tonnes each year. A new study by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, with professor Johan Uddling as a member of BECC, shows how ozone at the ground-level formed by human combustion harms plant photosynthesis. Rainforests are the most effective counterforce to the greenhouse effect. Tropical fo

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/burning-reduce-rainforest-carbon-sequestration - 2025-10-29

What were the main outcomes of the UN Biodiversity Conference COP16 and what happened behind the scenes? Here are key takeaways from our webinar with negotiators, researchers, NGOs and other experts. On 21 November, some 150 people tuned into the webinar Post COP16 analysis: From biodiversity commitments to action. The event was co-organized by SIANI, Focali, Stockholm Environment Institute, WWT,

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/post-match-analysis-cop16-learn-what-happened-and-why-it-matters - 2025-10-29

Andreas Nord, a researcher at the Department of Biology and Mikkel Brydegaard, senior lecturer at the Physics department - both members of BECC, have been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant Mikkel Brydegaard draws on his experiences from electrical engineering and atomic physics to develop laser diagnostic tools for new insights into the ecology and diversity of insects.By combining biophotonics (i

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/congratulations-andreas-nord-and-mikkel-brydegaard-recieving-erc-consolidator-grant - 2025-10-29

Bioenergy plays a vital role in the transition to a fossil-free society. However, the "unused" agricultural land, so-called marginal land, deemed suitable for bioenergy cultivation in southern Sweden is practically nonexistent, according to a new study from Lund University. Much of the land is already in use, for example, for horse grazing. "Our study shows that the potential for bioenergy product

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/land-identified-crucial-swedish-bioenergy-already-occupied-new-study-shows - 2025-10-29

Much of the world's infrastructure is made of concrete, which presents a challenge when it cracks and needs repair. Traditional repair methods involve cutting away a large amount of material. Now researchers at Lund University are investigating an innovative solution: using fungi to mend concrete. This groundbreaking research got off the ground with a Sustainable Idea Exploration grant and support

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/sustainable-construction-how-fungi-research-lund-university-could-revolutionise-infrastructure - 2025-10-29

With his cycling helmet perched on his head, he rushes in like a whirlwind, fires off monosyllabic replies to emails and then asks thoughtful questions during meetings while simultaneously managing to work away on his computer. For Henrik Smith, life moves at a hundred miles an hour. But he is also a lauded professor and the previous, long-time coordinator of BECC with an awful lot to do. Henrik S

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/henrik-smith-visionary-who-never-slows-down - 2025-10-29

Over the last 40 years, the majority of the world’s lakes have changed colour, according to a new study. The research team analysed 32 million satellite observations from over 67,000 lakes. Major changes in the lake ecosystems are thought to be the cause. Lakes are critical components of Earth’s ecosystem. They provide habitats for aquatic and terrestrial species, support biodiversity and help mai

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/lakes-worldwide-are-changing-colour-possibly-due-human-impact - 2025-10-29

Tropical forest canopies play a crucial role in the biosphere’s carbon, water, and energy cycles. Despite this, they are often treated as uniform in climate system models. A new study now reveals that canopy traits vary significantly across different regions, which could have major implications for how we understand and model forest functions in a changing climate. By combining field data from ove

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/unique-mapping-canopy-diversity-tropical-forests - 2025-10-29

Lead, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, plastic additives, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals. This is what researchers at Lund University found when they collected dead hedgehogs to investigate the environmental pollutants found in urban environments. Previous research has investigated the presence of heavy metals in hedgehogs from other urban areas in Europe and found simi

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/surprising-number-environmental-pollutants-hedgehogs - 2025-10-29

This October marks the launch of Sweden’s first Swedish Biodiversity Symposium—an entirely new meeting place where experts and stakeholders in biodiversity will gather to promote positive developments in the field. We had the opportunity to talk with Mats Björkman, BECC's coordinator in Gothenburg and the project manager for the symposium. Mats Björkman is a senior lecturer at the Department of Bi

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/has-been-lacking-premiere-swedish-biodiversity-symposium-new-meeting-place-biodiversity - 2025-10-29

A new global study shows that in human-disturbed regions, many native plant species are absent from their natural habitats, contributing to the missing so called “dark diversity”. Natural vegetation often lacks many species that could potentially be present, especially in regions heavily affected by human activities, according to a new study coordinated by researchers at the University of Tartu an

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/global-study-dark-diversity-reveals-hidden-impact-human-activities-nature - 2025-10-29

On 15 May 2025, scientists, engineers, and environmental stakeholders will gather to celebrate a milestone for Swedish climate research: the 10-year anniversary of ICOS Sweden’s national greenhouse gas observation network; a decade of operation for ICOS Sweden’s station Hyltemossa and 30 years of data collection at the Norunda site. This year sees a decade of operation for ICOS Sweden’s station Hy

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/celebrating-decade-data-icos-sweden-marks-milestone-climate-science - 2025-10-29