European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC)

Semi-natural grasslands are among the most species-rich ecosystems on earth, offering a unique example of how long-term, low-intensity human activities can enhance #biodiversity. They are disappearing fast, but there is hope: 2026 is the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists #IYRP2026. As part of a broader collaboration, The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), European Academies' Science Advisory Council and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences are hosting a webinar to take a comprehensive view of grasslands and showcase the latest scientific and policy insights. The event will explore options for reversing current trends, including how regenerative management, rooted in both modern science and Indigenous knowledge, can offer a more sustainable future for people and the planet. It will convene interdisciplinary experts from around the world who will share perspectives from diverse policy and ecological contexts. 📅 : Tuesday, 15 July 2025 ⏰ : 07:00-08:30 UTC; 09:00-10:30 CEST (Rome); 10:00-11:30 EAT (Nairobi); 15:00-16:30 PM ULAT (Ulaanbaatar). ✒️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/eT3pQrXj You will then receive the time in your local time zone. Explore with us how regenerative management & traditional knowledge can secure a #sustainable future for these vital ecosystems: https://lnkd.in/e3SUCVj9 #grasslands #science

Apply Now 📢 25 new scholarships for US reasearchers 🌍✈️The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) is proud to announce a major step in international collaboration: €10 million in funding from the Fonds Zukunft Österreich (FZÖ) to launch the APART-USA programme 🎓🔬 What’s it about? 25 prestigious four-year fellowships will be awarded to outstanding postdocs from the U.S., giving them the opportunity to conduct research at top Austrian universities and research institutions. 🇦🇹🤝🇺🇸 Strengthening transatlantic ties This initiative not only enhances Austria’s research landscape, but also fosters deeper scientific exchange between the USA and Austria. As OeAW President Heinz Faßmann said: “The right signal in these turbulent times.” Curious? 🤓 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/d62vVmBf #research #postdoc #science #Austria #USA #academia #internationalcollaboration #OeAW #FZÖ #innovatio

Europe is facing a historic #heatwave, with wildfire risks increasing. And right at the start of the tourist season, many more people will be travelling to Mediterranean areas with particularly high fire risks. In Crete, Greece, a wildfire has just prompted evacuations of hundreds of residents and tourists. Firefighters are still trying to contain the blaze. So, especially if you are heading for a Southern European destination for your vacation, take a few minutes to improve your fire literacy. It could save your life. In this short video, Bachisio Arca, Wildfire Specialist of the Italian National Research Council | CNR · Institute of BioEconomy, advises tourists on how to behave in case of a wildfire. Bachisio holds a PhD in Agrometeorology and Ecophysiology. 📽️ https://lnkd.in/e7Cv_G26 For more info on #wildfires and how #policymakers could improve #prevention, check out EASAC's report: 🧯 https://lnkd.in/e2nJf9Gt

We want you! EASAC is seeking a Programme Director for its Energy Programme. If you are passionate about energy and want to make a difference with evidence-based policy advice, this part-time job may be for you. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eu5fa4Rr Interested candidates are requested to send their CV and a motivation letter to the EASAC Secretariat by 10 August, 2025 #scienceadvice #job #energypolicy #europeanunion #itsscience

Continue to increase not curtail renewable energy The Renewables 2025 Global Status Report published by REN21 shows that even as renewable energy hits record highs, progress is faltering – undermined by unclear policies, mounting trade restrictions and deepening market volatility amid rising global energy demand. 2024 and early 2025 saw major economies roll back or delay climate and sustainable energy measures, from the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement to New Zealand reversing its ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, while the UK announced it is stepping back from its planned ban on the sale of new gas boilers by 2035. EASAC’s Energy Programme Director, Dr William Gillett, highlights the risks to #security and #competitiveness if policymakers in Europe adopted similar moves and backslide on agreed targets and policies. „Europe is highly dependent on fossil fuel imports. Failing to quickly transition to sustainable alternatives constitutes a serious security risk and jeopardises Europe’s competitiveness. Our reliance on #oil and #gas imports makes us vulnerable and exposes us to political blackmail. Take the recent escalation of the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US: The mere fear of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz has already driven up global oil prices, with Brent crude futures reaching a six-month high.“ The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage between Iran and Oman. At its tightest point, it’s only about 33 km wide - roughly the same as the English Channel. It is one of the world’s busiest and most important shipping routes. About 25% of all oil traded globally pass through it. „Instead of falling back into old habits, policymakers should seize the opportunity to push forward policies and invest in the system infrastructure needed to accommodate the highest possible shares of today’s low-cost #renewables, with a focus on #electricity and district heating infrastructure, sector coupling, and #storage. This will be our best bet for both higher resilience to avoid more crises like the Iberian blackout, and better affordability of our energy supplies. I am glad to see that the European Parliament seems to support pushing forward in this direction.“ The text adopted by the European Parliament on 19 June calls for more effective rules and procedures to attract private investment in addition to public funding, and to ensure that electricity network tariffs reflect real costs. It emphasises the need to address grid bottlenecks and prevent the curtailment of renewable energy. 👉 REN21: https://lnkd.in/ehnKrmd8 👉 EASAC: https://lnkd.in/dvE-bNwg 👉 IEA: https://lnkd.in/gs_-JNSh 👉 European Parliament: https://lnkd.in/dARgN6rd #energysecurity #iran #energyprices

In a recent letter, the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) is demanding a complete overhaul of how the EU assesses the risks of #pesticides to non-target arthropods. Their message is clear: the current approach is simply not good enough. They highlight the critical flaws in the existing guidance and lay out clear scientific recommendations to ensure the revised document leads to meaningful protection. https://lnkd.in/eBScwps5

🔥 G7 Leaders Vow to Cooperate to Better Prevent and Fight Wildfires The G7 meeting in Kananaskis, Canada, released a statement expressing deep concern about record-breaking wildfires across “every forested continent over the past decade, often overwhelming available national resources.“ Not only do they acknowledge the costs in human lives, ecosystem damage and billions of taxpayers' money, but also vow to take action. “Reading it, it seems like quite many of EASAC’s core messages are there,” says Environment Programme Director, Prof Thomas Elmqvist. “It is hard to know to what extent this results from our timely report launch and our contacts with the President of the European Council, but the statement is encouraging to read.” In particular, the G7 leaders highlight nature-based solutions and express their intention to take steps to prevent and mitigate the occurrence of wildfires by: 🧑🚒 Adopting a whole of society approach, including different levels of government, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, international and non-governmental organizations, academia, and the private sector, to share knowledge and drive research on reducing risks. 🌳 Implementing mitigation and adaptation actions, grounded in scientific research and local knowledge, that reduce the risk of extreme wildfires, such as sustainable forest management, nature-based solutions, Indigenous land management practices including cultural or controlled burning, and adopting fire risk reduction measures around communities, buildings, and infrastructure. 🚒 Raising awareness of the different causes of wildfires and measures to prevent them including to reduce the number of wildfires started accidentally or maliciously.     Read the full statement here: https://lnkd.in/gyiaaqpF EASAC Report on “Changing Wildfires”: https://lnkd.in/e2nJf9Gt #wildfires #G7 #nature #wildfireprevention #scicomm #scienceadvice The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) EU Science, Research and Innovation Global Young Academy Austrian Academy of Sciences - Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW) Tobias Plieninger Urbano Fra Paleo Jutta Paulus Claudia Berchtold Claudia Vinci BERTA MARTINEZ GARCIA Rudolf Hielscher

For our Portuguese colleagues and friends: On 26 June, our member Academia das Ciências de Lisboa organizes a briefing session on our latest Report „Changing #Wildfires: policy Options for a Fire-literate and Fire-adapted Europe“.

EASAC Council meets at KNAW - Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen It is always a pleasure to engage with leading scientists and policy advisors from our members across Europe to discuss how #science can best support evidence-based policymaking. Topics ranged from trust in science to policy developments in Brussels, from wildfire prevention to energy security and advice on meat alternatives — all central to shaping a more sustainable and equitable future for Europe. Participants also discussed how to further improve ways of working and the organisation's responsiveness to increase policy impact and make full use of the academies' capacities. Many thanks to our Dutch hosts for their warm hospitality and to all Council members for the productive discussions and shared commitment to scientific integrity and societal impact. Photo credits: Suzanne Blanchard #EASAC #ScienceForPolicy #Amsterdam #Sustainability #PolicyAdvice #EvidenceBasedPolicy #ClimateAction #Health #FoodSystems #scicomm

Climate change and escalating geopolitical tensions increasingly threaten the security of Europe's energy supply. Europe's dependence on fossil fuel imports continues to be high. But how secure is an alternative system based on sustainable energy? In April, EASAC released a new report outlining risks and potential responses. Thijs Van de Graaf, Associate Professor of International Politics at the GIES (Ghent Institute for International and European Studies), is one of the 27 experts of the Working Group who authored the report. In this video, he explains the difference between being dependent on fuel supplies and being dependent on cleantech, and why just switching from one gas supplier country to another can be problematic. Download EASAC's Report on the Security of Sustainable Energy Supplies here: https://lnkd.in/dvE-bNwg #energysecurity #energytransition #fossilgas #energydependence https://lnkd.in/eG4xhh8d