Climate and Planetary Change Hub (The Planet Hub)

The Climate and Planetary Change Hub addresses the interplay between the fate of the planet as a result of the current climate crisis and the pressures exerted on it as a whole by ecosystem changes and anthropogenic dynamics.

Humanity has become a dominant force in shaping the face of Earth. In addition, we are also at a time when failure to act on the climate crisis will lead humanity to one of the more extreme climate change scenarios with irreversible consequences for the planet's climate stability and ultimately for our whole civilization. A report from the World Weather Attribution group and the Imperial College London analyses the ten deadliest events since the devastating heatwave of 2003 and quantifies that together, these events caused more than 570,000 deaths, and in all of them they find the fingerprints of climate change.

An emerging related question is how the overall anthropogenic driving forces emanating from human activities are re-shaping the Earth and its climate and out-passing the internal dynamics of ecosystems and generating more anthropogenic materials than the overall natural biomass. Earth is exactly now at this crucial crossover point; in the year 2020 (± 6), the anthropogenic mass, which has recently doubled roughly every 20 years, will surpass all global living biomass (Elhacham et al., Nature 2020). While the mass of humans is, instead, only about 0.01% of global biomass, humans have already had a substantial and diverse impact on the planet, especially after the industrial revolution.

Goals

The main goal of the Planet Hub is to promote excellence in scientific research, foster multidisciplinary collaborations, and disseminate knowledge, including translation to policy whenever possible on the topics of climate change and its worldwide impact on human health, water and food security; ecosystem change and the concurrent impact on zoonotic spillover and the spread of infectious diseases; changes in regional vector distribution; biodiversity collapse and mass extinction; soil degradation and chemical exposure due to intensive farming practices; emergence of antimicrobial resistance globally (AMR); human migration and conflict.

These will be addressed through the following proposed activities:

1. High-impact research and innovation projects in the area of climate tipping points, ecosystem resilience and adaptation to climate change, health impacts of climate change, planetary health data science.
2. Trans-disciplinary workshops and scientific conferences aiming to: promote collaboration between climate scientists, epidemiologists, ecologists, public health experts, economists, sociologists, local communities and policymakers; create a platform for presenting groundbreaking research and sharing of innovative ideas; brainstorm and develop integrated solutions to global climate and planetary health challenges, and foster networking and partnerships between academic institutions, NGOs, government agencies and the private sector.
3. Building networks and strategic partnerships with/to: key players in climate and planetary health research and initiatives (WMO-WHO Joint Office, UNEP, IPCC, ECDC); collaborate and co-develop research and translation projects and promote data-sharing with academic institutions and research centers around the world; partner with NGOs, policy makers and civil society organizations to translate research into actions/climate services for health (EWS in regions most vulnerable to climate change); the private sector for climate solutions and co-development of projects.
4. Capacity building and training programs aiming to: offer specialized training programs for researchers, policy makers and activists on climate resilience, environmental health, data science and public policy; help low- and middle-income countries where climate impacts are severe (on climate adaptation, disease monitoring, ecosystem monitoring); launch fellowships and visiting scholar programs to attract international researchers and promote knowledge exchange, organize summer schools and online courses that integrate climate science, environmental health, and interdisciplinary research methods.
5. Policy advocacy and knowledge translation through: policy briefs and reports translating climate and health research outcomes into actionable recommendations for decision makers; participation in international climate and policy forums (climate and biodiversity COPs, Global Tipping Points Conference); engaging with governments and policy makers to promote climate resilience and adaptation; provide scientific evidence applicable to climate and environmental policies (eg. on climate change governance), involvement in effective humanitarian response to climate emergencies
6. Outreach initiatives (citizen science projects, media engagement including educational content, and workshops to inform the general public about the consequences of climate and planetary change, promote climate education through collaboration with schools and universities).

Research

Arbocat

TipESM

CERCAGINYS

MicroBioMap - Knowing the urban microbiome to improve the quality of life

https://www.uia-initiative.eu/en/uia-cities/barcelona-call3

Climate Shelters - impact of implementing measures to adapt schools to climate change, especially rising temperatures.