AU brings climate research to The Climate Festival

The major questions surrounding the green transition will be on the agenda when members of the public, politicians and professionals gather at KulturØpladsen in Middelfart from 27 to 29 August. Discussions will range from agriculture and climate policy to melting ice, clouds and batteries.

But this year’s The Climate Festival will also examine the smaller dilemmas of everyday life: Should we fly or take the train, eat less meat, buy new products or repair what we already have – and how much responsibility really lies with the individual?

For Jørgen E. Olesen, Head of the Department of Agroecology, this is precisely where AU’s research needs to demonstrate its potential and bring new perspectives to the table:

“Looking at the bigger picture, we will only succeed in tackling the climate challenge if we combine new green technologies with changes to our lifestyles. This requires connecting the local with the global. We need to mobilise all our resources if we are to succeed, and at AU we are contributing across the board,” he says.

The good life

Since 2017, The Climate Festival in Middelfart has developed from a local event into a national gathering where researchers present the latest knowledge, companies showcase practical solutions, and visitors can see, hear, touch and taste for themselves how climate issues affect both the big picture and the small details of everyday life. Last year, around 40.000 people attended.

Once again this year, Aarhus University researchers will contribute to the programme from iClimate, the Department of Agroecology, the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, the Department of Environmental Science and the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, together with a number of interdisciplinary research environments and partners.

Søren Wandahl, Head of the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, sees The Climate Festival as a unique opportunity to engage in dialogue about how we can significantly reduce the climate and resource footprint of the construction sector while continuing to support good homes, strong communities and a high quality of life:

“At the Aarhus Centre for Regenerative Building, one of the things we are investigating is what it will take to promote a new paradigm for construction in which we plan, design, build and live within planetary boundaries. This requires interdisciplinary collaboration, new knowledge and dialogue across disciplines. At The Climate Festival, we encounter a wide range of stakeholders and disciplines that bring new ideas, perspectives and partnerships, all of which can help shape the built environment of the future,” he says.

Hay fever and the Greenland ice sheet

Visitors will also be able to test their knowledge of the Greenland ice sheet as researchers explore what is true and false about the climate of the future. They can learn more about how microorganisms in the soil could help make crops more resistant to drought. And they can find out why Denmark’s Green Tripartite agreement could inadvertently result in more Danes suffering from hay fever.

War, security and geopolitical unrest have taken up an increasing share of political attention in recent years. But climate change has not become any less urgent – which is precisely why it remains important to bring research-based knowledge into the public debate, says Jørgen E. Olesen:

“Climate change is not something that belongs to the future. It is already here and, in many areas, its consequences are far more serious than we predicted a couple of decades ago. Rising food prices and increased algal growth in the sea are just two examples. We need to take these impacts into account in public and private planning to a far greater extent than we do today.”

Find the full programme for The Climate Festival here. 

Contact:

Jonathan Torp Henschel
Jth@agro.au.dk
+45 41 89 32 41

Gitte Brandt Hedegaard
gbh@envs.au.dk
+45 21 61 25 77