A new joint initiative between the University of Aberdeen and the Macaulay Institute will combine the skills and experience of leading academics in natural and social sciences to position North East Scotland at the frontier of research in protecting our planet for the future.
The Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES) was launched today (April 29) by Scotland's Minister for Environment, Michael Russell MSP, at King's College Conference Centre, University of Aberdeen.
Key to the ACES approach is the bringing together of experts from different disciplines in environmental, social and economic science, with the overriding aim of tackling a diverse range of pressing environmental issues, from the sustainable management of biodiversity to the impact of climate change.
ACES will work with policy makers and stakeholders to help develop solutions to some thorny issues.
A key aim is to address 'environmental conflict science', through linking natural and social sciences to analyse and reconcile the conflicts that threaten sustainability - such as opposing views on how to manage natural predators in the environment.
One of the first topics to be tackled is the controversial and emotive topic of hunting and its impact on biodiversity.
The launch event featured contributions from a range of academic leaders including Professor Richard Aspinall, Chief Executive of the Macaulay Institute, and Professor C Duncan Rice, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen. The event will be chaired by Professor Maggie Gill, Chief Scientific Adviser for Rural Affairs and the Environment (RERAD).
Minister for Environment Michael Russell said: "I am delighted to launch the Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES) which will position North East Scotland at the frontier of research on help protecting our planet for future generations to come.
"Scotland is renowned for its world-class science, and key to this new approach is bringing together leading experts from a range of different disciplines in environmental, social and economic science, to combine their skills and expertise.
"I hope this will help to tackle a variety of issues, from sustainable management of biodiversity to the impact of climate change, the single biggest environmental threat to our planet."
The Scottish Funding Council has given £1.2m to help set up ACES, which is headed by ecologist Professor Steve Redpath, and involves staff from a variety of disciplines from across the University and Macaulay Institute.
Professor Redpath stressed the importance of the ACES approach, saying: "One of the greatest challenges facing society is to understand how we can sustainably manage our planet.
"It is increasingly recognised that we need new approaches to solve our environmental problems. We have to cut across scientific disciplines and link closely with our policy makers and other stakeholders.
"ACES represents a wonderful opportunity to develop such an approach, by building on our existing strengths in the Aberdeen area and working together to strive for solutions."
The 'HUNT' project is among a €4 million package awarded to North-east scientists which will be implemented through the ACES partnership. 'HUNT' will assess the social, cultural, economic and ecological aspects of a variety of hunting traditions in both Europe and Africa.
Working with partners in eight European and African countries, the project seeks to understand what influences attitudes to hunting, how these attitudes determine individual and societal behaviour, and finally, how hunting behaviour influences biodiversity.
Project leader and conservation biologist Dr Simon Thirgood explained: "Throughout the project we will use hunting as a 'lens' through which we will examine the wider issue of how people interact with biodiversity. The project results will be interpreted in respect to current and future EU policy on hunting and biodiversity conservation, and they will contribute to the global debate about the sustainable use of biodiversity. "
The project is financed by €2.9 million from the European Commission 7th Framework Programme and will involve experts from the Macaulay and the Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling, and London, with international partners in Norway, Sweden, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Ethiopia and Tanzania.
Today's event also featured short presentations on the link between land use and climate change from Professor Pete Smith, Professor of Soils and Global Change, University of Aberdeen; Professor Bill Slee, Socio-Economics Research Group, Macaulay Institute, and Professor John Farrington, Director of the Institute for Transport and Rural Research, University of Aberdeen, on the importance of different disciplines working together to tackle the challenges of sustainability; environmentally sustainable approaches to cleaning contaminated land with Professor Ken Killham, Professor of Soil Science, University of Aberdeen; and examining environments for life, with Professor Tim Ingold, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Aberdeen.
More information about ACES can be found at www.aces.ac.uk