News about Sustainability

Project will create new narratives about open landscapes

With support from THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS, a major research project will address land use change in Danish agricultural sector by working with local narratives about the open landscape.

Satellite images confirm uneven impact of climate change

University of Copenhagen researchers have been following vegetation trends across the planet's driest areas using satellite imagery from recent decades. They have identified a troubling trend: Too little vegetation is…

Report: In retrospect, the burning of wood in district heating plants has resulted in climate savings

A new report from the University of Copenhagen shows that the burning of wood is significantly more climate friendly than coal and slightly more climate friendly than natural gas over the long run. For the first time,…

Students develop tool to predict the carbon footprint of algorithms

Within the scientific community, it is estimated that artificial intelligence — otherwise meant to serve as a means to effectively combat climate change — will become one of the most egregious CO2 culprits should curren…

Students develop tool to predict the carbon footprint of algorithms

Within the scientific community, it is estimated that artificial intelligence — otherwise meant to serve as a means to effectively combat climate change — will become one of the most egregious CO2 culprits should curren…

Surprised researchers: Number of leopards in northern China on the rise

Most of the world’s leopards are endangered and generally, the number of these shy and stunning cats is decreasing. However, according to a recent study by a researcher from University of Copenhagen and colleagues from…

Artificial intelligence reveals hundreds of millions of trees in the Sahara

There are far more trees in the West African Sahara and Sahel than most would expect. A combination of artificial intelligence and detailed satellite imagery allowed a team from the University of Copenhagen and…

Artificial intelligence reveals hundreds of millions of trees in the Sahara

There are far more trees in the West African Sahara and Sahel than most would expect. A combination of artificial intelligence and detailed satellite imagery allowed a team from the University of Copenhagen and…

Research in biodiversity and biomass receives a boost of 120 million DKK

Two new research projects will investigate the transplantation of soil from old forest to agricultural soil and fungal feeding habits With funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Sprat, mollusks and algae: What a diet of the future might look like

Rethinking what we eat is essential if we hope to nourish ourselves sustainably and mind the climate. One option is to seek out alternative food sources from the sea. All the way at the bottom, where algae, cephalopods…

Researchers awarded with prize for inventory of climate threats to Greenland’s cultural heritage

Researchers from the National Museum of Denmark, the Center for Permafrost (CENPERM) at the University of Copenhagen, and the Greenland National Museum were awarded the European Heritage Prize for their inventory of…

Mold now associated with food quality

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have studied a range of perceptions among Danes about good, healthy and safe foodstuffs. Their findings report that mold prone foods are considered to be more natural than…

Spy satellites reveal: Marmots flee agricultural areas

Data from a Cold War-era satellite show that agricultural expansion has a negative impact on biodiversity and wildlife across many parts of the planet. For example, in The Eurasian Steppes, agriculture have destroyed th…

Surprised team of researchers receives ten million kroner to make crops more nutritious

The University of Copenhagen’s Hussam Nour-Eldin heads a research team that has just received ten million kroner for basic research geared towards a future of increasingly bountiful harvests and ever more nutritious…

The electronic monitoring of fishermen ensures that cod aren’t tossed overboard

The remote electronic monitoring of fishermen generally has more advantages than disadvantages, according to an extensive international study conducted by University of Copenhagen researchers, among others. The method…

Bug doctors to the rescue

The first batch of insect veterinarians is set to be trained at the University of Copenhagen. This new breed of veterinarian will help the growing insect industry to keep their insect micro stocks healthy and abuzz.

Danish soy and palm oil imports account for 7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year

A new report released by University of Copenhagen researchers indicates that Danish soybean and palm oil imports account for seven million tons of CO2 emissions annually. By comparison, Danish agriculture’s combined CO2…

Growing sustainable oyster mushrooms on by-products

Researchers at the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen, together with three companies, are developing a food ingredient from oyster mushrooms that are grown on e.g. by-products from the beer…

New research centre puts focus on political mobilisation and protest

A new research centre under the Department of Sociology will shed light on the growing numbers of civic protests targeting issues such as social injustice, discrimination and climate change.

Newly discovered plant gene could boost phosphorus intake

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered an important gene in plants that could help agricultural crops collaborate better with underground fungi—providing them with wider root networks and helping…

Upcoming UCPH FOOD professor Serafim Bakalis receives The Hutchison Medal

Serafim Bakalis, who starts on 20 July 2020 as professor in Dairy Product and Technology at the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH FOOD), has been awarded The Hutchison Medal for a…

Ambitious EU climate efforts could increase greenhouse gas emissions in the rest of the world

The more the EU economy succeeds in dialing down greenhouse gas emissions, the more the rest of the world will turn them up – unless a similar level of green ambitions is shared by others. Up to 61.5% of the saved EU…

Is the corona pandemic supporting or crowding out the attention towards green transition?

New grant: Researchers from Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science (SODAS) will investigate how the corona crisis affects the climate change debate on three major social media platforms in Scandinavia.

Enormous potential: Deep groundwater could heat half of Denmark

A sea of untapped potential lies deep beneath Denmark. Hot groundwater can be used to cover up to half of Denmark's heating needs according to a comprehensive mapping conducted by, among others, researchers at the…