What we face
The EU has
devoted a lot of resources within the last years to the fight climate change
leading to the new ambitious policies, applied on the European and national
level, and close cooperation with many international partners. And all of that
with one main goal - to become the world’s first climate-neutral
continent by 2050. To fill
this ambition, there will be needed to fill many related sub-aims, as e.g. to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions for 2020, and has put forward a plan to further cut emissions by at least
55% by 2030.
The main
strategic framework for this transformation has been set in the European Green Deal, while the climate action is at the
heart of this strategy setting an ambitious package of measures ranging from
ambitiously cutting greenhouse gas emissions, to investing in cutting-edge
research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment.
First
climate action initiatives under the Green Deal include:
- European Climate Law to enshrine the 2050
climate-neutrality objective into EU law
- European Climate Pact to engage citizens and all parts of
society in climate action
- 2030 Climate Target Plan to further reduce net greenhouse
gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030
How we act
In Slovakia, as well as in other European
countries, during the last decade, we are observing more and more frequent
consequences of climate change in the form of extreme weather conditions with
adverse consequences such as floods, landslides, prolonged droughts, increasing
risk of fires etc.
And that is the reason why we want to actively
support the European initiative of the change what proves also The Strategy of Adaptation of the
Slovak Republic to the Adverse Consequences of Climate Change - the first comprehensive document
in this area, which seeks to link scenarios and possible consequences of
climate change with proposals for appropriate proactive adaptation measures in
the widest possible range of areas and sectors.
The priorities proposed in the strategy are
following:
- Education
of public government as well as general population about the need and
possibilities of adaptation to the climate change;
- Strengthening
the institutional framework for adaptation processes in the Slovak Republic;
- Elaboration
and development of methodologies for comprehensive risk assessment caused by
climate change at the local, regional and national level;
- Development
and application of methodologies for economic assessment of adaptation measures
(macroeconomic impacts) and development and implementation of a tool for the
selection of investment priorities based on the assessment of cross-sectoral
aspects of adaptation measures.
Following the European and national priorities,
also regional authorities actively support the adaptation while there are
following strategies, as e.g. Adaptation strategy for the consequences of
climate change in the Košice region 2020 or cross-border strategy Adapting to
climate change - the urgent role of cities, which have been developed in
cooperation of Slovak - City of Košice and Hungarian partners - City of
Miskolc.
Moreover, City of Košice is aspiring for European Green Capital 2023!
What we do
Technical University of Kosice, as one of the
leading public universities in the country and respected partner, cooperating
with regional government and NGOs institution in the process of joint
development leading to solution which would help us to adapt to the climate
change within the wide range of sectors.Since 2018
we are proud partner of the Knowledge and Innovation Community - EIT Climate-KIC - Europe's largest public-private partnership with the mission to
support climate innovation and adaptation, strongly supported also by the
European Union. Thanks to this membership, as well as other active
communication and cooperation activities with partners from all over the world
we can be informed about the new trends and technologies and transfer this new
knowledge to our regional network or even further develop them within wide
range of our project activities supported by national and international grant
programmes.
Our
teams of distinguished experts are focusing on various aspects of climate
change while one of the main is the environmental
risk assessment what has been the main topic of several project, such as
Adaptation to Climate Change (EEA and Norway Grants) implemented in cooperation
with NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research or Environmental
Assessment for Natural Resources Revitalization in Solotvyno with an
overarching view to preventing the further pollution of the Upper-Tisza Basin
through the preparation of a complex monitoring system (Hungary- Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine ENPI
Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020). Within both of these projects,
as well as within another one - Zipping and Innovating the Development Planning
of the Cross-Border SK-UA Territory – we have analyzed the environmental risks
in the particular territory with the aim to propose the strategy for adaptation within various scenarios according to
the future trends.
Moreover,
also the related processes are the objective of our research. As one of the
main driver for the global
changes are public institutions we are devoting our time and energy for
capacity building within various target groups, including public institutions.
Supporting this aim the project EU Public Procurement – EUPP has been
implemented thanks to which the special
modules helping the implementation of green public procurement have been
provided to the relevant stakeholders.
And last,
but not least, as one of our primary mission is the education of young
generations, we are constantly improving the content which is provided to our
students within several specialized
study programs, as e.g. Ecological and environmental constructions, Management
of technical and environmental risks in mechanical engineering, Environmental
engineering, Waste treatment and recycling etc. Thanks to the international cooperation of our experts
we are able to bring the knowledge about the trends from abroad and thanks to
the educational process support the innovation potential within the target
group of young entrepreneurs even more thanks to the extra activities as e.g.
project Enhancing climate innovation
mindset in the education system of CEE - Climate KIC (H2020 EDURESEARCH).
Opportunities
Would
you like to support transition to the Green Economy?
Let´s find an opportunity for cooperation within open calls under Horizon Europe, Interreg Europe, Interreg Central Europe, or Interreg Danube for the topic of Climate Action.
Would
you like to cooperate with us in the joint project development?
Do not
hesitate and click on the button below to meet with us!