Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland call for more funding for studies on the sustainable use of resources

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have formed a new research community (RC) for sustainable resource society. The RESOURCE RC calls out the urgency for influential research on sustainable use of resources in our societies and in business.

Professor Rauno Sairinen, Director of RESOURCE, states: “To achieve the goals for a sustainable future and carbon neutrality, we need improved societal understanding of sustainability transition processes from the fields of energy, resources and circular economy. For example, battery revolution in our society opens new kind of sustainability challenges when integrating the use of renewable energy and electric cars, mining of required battery metals, and need for circular economy.”

Acronym RESOURCE comes from the longer name Sustainable Resource Society: Circular Economy, Energy and Raw Materials. The new research community integrates together various sciences from environmental policy and law, to business studies, geography, history and digital geosciences. RESOURCE aims to responds to the systemic challenges of sustainability transitions through advancing high-level scientific research in three interlinked thematic research areas: circular economy, energy, and raw materials.

 “We will continue strengthening collaboration with industry and government to advance the adaptation of business and society and to accelerate sustainability transition in society. The sustainable use of natural resources creates opportunities for innovation and change in society, business and individual behavior. The multidisciplinary RESOURCE research community provides a fruitful platform for advancing research on responsible and sustainable innovation”, says Hanna Lehtimäki, Professor of Management.

 “The European Green Deal calls for a systemic transformation across all sectors. Ambitious EU-wide objectives such as the climate neutrality target for 2050 and transitioning to clean energy require enhanced, coherent, and substantial contributions from EU law. This not only challenges the EU legal system but also requires high-level legal scholarship especially in the fields of climate, energy, and environmental law”, continues Seita Romppanen, University Lecturer.

This article was first published on June 04 by University of Eastern Finland.