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Quaternary geologist Raimund Muscheler and physical geographer Thomas Pugh have been awarded the ERC Advanced Grant by the European Research Council. They will receive EUR 2.5 million each over a five-year period to study historical solar storms and the rate at which trees grow and die around the world. he European Research Council (ERC) supports research of the highest quality in all fields. The

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/two-lund-researchers-and-becc-pis-receive-prestigious-eu-grant - 2026-04-27

During the unusually dry year of 2018, Sweden was hit by numerous forest fires. A research team led from Lund University, and partly financed by BECC, has investigated how climate change affects recently burnt boreal forests and their ability to absorb carbon dioxide. The boreal forests form a single biome that spans the entire Northern Hemisphere. These forests play a key role in the global clima

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/unique-field-study-shows-how-climate-change-affects-fire-impacted-forests - 2026-04-27

It is here! Our annual report 2022/2023 and the first of its kind for BECC. We have aimed for a report that is interesting and inspiring to read, with a mix of highlights from our research, our activities, BECC outreach, colorful images and important numbers.The report is available in two formats:On the website: BECC annual report 2022/2023 - becc.lu.sejosefin [dot] madjidian [at] cec [dot] lu [do

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/our-first-annual-report-inspiring-highlights-20222023 - 2026-04-27

Toxins and chemicals are a major threat to our environment. The "third crisis" - the chemical crisis - is often forgotten when we talk about the climate and endangered species. Ahead of Biodiversity Day on 22 May, Maria Hansson, a researcher at Lund University and member of BECC, offers tips on how to create a non-toxic environment in your own garden, benefiting all its inhabitants, big and small.

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/five-ways-create-toxin-free-garden - 2026-04-27

After a year of intensive work by many involved, the Swedish Climate Symposium with its close to 400 participants, has come to an end. Now an evaluation of the conference awaits, but the feeling is that most people experienced it as a successful event. To take the pulse during the symposium itself, we did a couple of short interviews with some of those who were there. Satisfied organisers Josefin

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/voices-swedish-climate-symposium - 2026-04-27

Welcome to a BECC seminar on October 6th with invited speaker Professor Detlef Sprinz, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and University of Potsdam. The European Union has perceived itself as a leader to curb global climate change. This necessitates that ambitious intra-EU policies are implemented by its member states to lend credibility to its claim. The lecture elucidates whethe

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/effectiveness-eu-policies-comply-kyoto-protocol - 2026-04-27

One of the world's greatest challenges is to feed the world's population in a sustainable way. Organic farming is one option, but the downside is that it produces lower yields than conventional farming. Studies led by Lund University now show that the yield difference between organic and conventional farming is smaller than previously thought, but the yields are still significantly smaller than fo

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/organic-farms-potential-higher-yields - 2026-04-27

A new article in Ecology Letters has shown for the first time that grassland plants dependent on insect pollination are particularly susceptible to increasing land-use intensity in the landscape. Authors are BECC researchers Yann Clough, Johan Ekroos, BECC coordinator Henrik Smith et al. The researchers investigated the effects of land-use intensity in the surrounding landscape on the distribution

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/new-article-about-grassland-plants-and-surrounding-land-use - 2026-04-27

By analysing over 100,000 field measurements as well as environmental data, an international research team has created maps that show how and when naturally regrowing forests bind most carbon. To fulfil climate goals and avoid the most serious consequences of global heating, we need to both reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and remove carbon dioxide that is already in the atmosphere. Naturally

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/secondary-forests-could-be-key-factor-climate-management-if-we-protect-them-time - 2026-04-27

Kimberly Nicholas, Professor at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) and member of BECC, just launched a new science-based tool that helps individuals identify their most powerful climate actions, whilst bridging the gap between individual choices and systemic change. We had a talk with her to learn more about the guide. Observera: En svensk översättning finns längre ned på s

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/kimberly-nicholas-super-high-impact-initiative-fixing-tomorrow - 2026-04-27

One of BECC's founders and former coordinator, Henrik Smith, receives the Marsh Awards for Ecology by the British Ecological Society. The prize recognizes his long-standing contributions to advancing ecological research and strengthening the connection between science and society. He himself highlights the need for public engagement in science — the days of letting hefty reports collect dust are b

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/henrik-smith-receives-award-has-message-academia - 2026-04-27

In October, the Swedish Biodiversity Symposium 2025 took place – Sweden’s largest interdisciplinary conference on biodiversity. The event brought together researchers, experts and stakeholders from across sectors to encourage positive developments in the field. The theme for this symposium was “Social Transformation – from Knowledge to Action?” Around 400 participants attended to discuss how effor

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/full-house-swedish-biodiversity-symposium-2025 - 2026-04-27

In this post, we’ve put together a few tips for reading featuring BECC members attending COP30 in Belém. A decade of the Paris Agreement brings progress and setbacksTen years have passed since the countries of the world signed the Paris Agreement. Political scientist Fariborz Zelli, also member of the BECC board, sums up the surprises – both positive and negative – in climate policy over the past

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/becc-members-cop-30 - 2026-04-27

Continuous-cover forestry methods are gaining attention as a way to enable forests to deliver a broader range of benefits. The aim is to make forestry more sustainable, but significant challenges remain. These will now be addressed in a new project where five organisations are testing continuous-cover forestry in practice. In Bockeboda, just outside Kristianstad, the future of continuous-cover for

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/continuous-cover-forestry-testing-methods-future - 2026-04-27

We are delighted to invite you to submit your abstract for the Swedish Climate Symposium: a symposium dedicated to advancing scientific understanding of climate change and its environmental and societal consequences. The Swedish Climate Symposium serves as a national platform for advancing climate knowledge and driving action. It brings together researchers, policymakers, and societal stakeholders

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/swedish-climate-symposium-2026-call-abstracts-now-open - 2026-04-27

Can games serve as a method for spreading knowledge and inspiring action? If you ask Karl Sterner Isaksson and Jagdeep Singh, the answer is an obvious yes! They are both currently working on games about biodiversity and food waste, respectively, and they see games as a way to transform complex environmental challenges into something understandable, engaging – and fun! Biodiversity CallKarl Sterner

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/play-change-more-biodiversity-and-less-food-waste-gaming-table - 2026-04-27

A new report from "miljöforskningsberedningen" (MFB), a council for dialogue between the scientific community and the Swedish Minister for climate and the Environment, is arguing that the environmental politics has to change fundamentally in order to be effective. Henrik Smith, coordinator of BECC at Lund University, and Olof Johansson-Stenman, University of Gothenburg, are two of the 12 authors o

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/environmental-politics-should-be-included-all-politics - 2026-04-27

Through the DNA analysis of old air samples collected by the Swedish Armed Forces, researchers at Lund University in Sweden can show that spore dispersal of northern mosses has shifted over the past 35 years. It now starts several weeks earlier, revealing how quickly nature’s calendar can reset in line with a warmer climate. When the Swedish military began collecting air samples in the 1960s to re

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/old-air-samples-hint-effects-climate-change - 2026-04-27

In 2025 BECC had its first Lighthouse call ever, and 1 January 2026 marks the start of three projects that receives funding: Climate Change Requires Agricultural Change, Unbreaking the Planet and Promise and Perils of Markets for Nature’s Benefits. A BECC Lighthouse Project tackles some of the most pressing questions of our time, focusing on biodiversity and ecosystem services in a changing climat

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/announcing-our-first-ever-lighthouse-projects - 2026-04-27

Whether you work in a company facing a complex sustainability challenge, manage environmental issues at a municipality, or represent an organisation with a promising sustainable development idea that has stalled, Tiger Teams may be of interest to you. Tiger Teams is an initiative where interdisciplinary teams of PhD students collaborate intensively with societal actors for one week to tackle real-

https://www.becc.lu.se/article/tiger-teams-tackling-sustainability-challenges-together - 2026-04-27