The European Union needs to step up its collaboration with low- and middle-income countries on research efforts aimed at addressing climate-related challenges, the European Research Alliance for Sustainable Development (ERASuD) has said.
Unveiled in Brussels in November, ERASuD is a coalition of 12 European research organisations, which was launched as the EU deliberates the allocation of up to €200 billion for its upcoming Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10).
ERASuD said that by fostering long-term, equitable research partnerships with low- and middle-income countries, greater capabilities to address climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and economic inequality can be unlocked.
‘Meaningful and transformative’
“It is a great honour and privilege to be part of the ERASuD alliance,” commented Måns Nilsson, executive director of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), one of the groups involved in the collaboration. “The alliance is a perfect match and links with SEI’s research performed at our regional centers in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.”
“We want to see EU policies bring about meaningful and transformative change that will benefit everyone. We are convinced that such changes are both possible and imperative. Collaborative research on global challenges is essential to shape a more sustainable future – both for Europe and for low- and middle-income countries.”
ERASuD argues that a sizeable part of EU funding be directed towards fostering long-term, equitable research partnerships with low and middle-income countries, stating that such collaboration is essential for addressing interconnected global issues, particularly with regard to climate.
ERASuD also advocates for embedding these partnerships within the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, a program designed to enhance global cooperation through investments in education, research, and infrastructure.
‘Political priorities’
“While we fully understand the need for Europe to align its research efforts to its new reaffirmed political priorities and in particular its sustainable competitiveness, strategic autonomy and economic security, one must not forget that this cannot happen in isolation,” Nilsson added.
ERASuD members include the SEI — Stockholm Environment Institute, Institut Pasteur (France), the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Nordic 5 Tech Alliance: Aalto University (Finland), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), DTU – Technical University of Denmark (Denmark), KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (Norway), and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (Spain). Read more here.
