How NGO’s contribute to find solutions, Michael Løvendal Kruse, board member of The Danish Society for Nature conservation

The Committee for the Protection of Scientific and Scholarly Work (UBVA), The Confederation of Professional Associations in Denmark, The Danish Society of Engineers IDA, and the Danish UNESCO National Commission organise an international seminar about the right to a sustainable nature and scientists' right to discuss the nature and its conditions.

Climate change has had an enormous impact on our nature and our biosphere. Therefore we need to ensure a balanced co-living of human beings and nature. For decades, scientists have without success stressed that changes to the climate and the nature would soon be here and now they are truly here. However, too often scientific research has been neglected. Furthermore, the risk of self-censorship, pre-expected results of research, and harassment of researchers can have a damaging effect on democracy.

Thus, for the sake of our future, we must demand freedom of research and freedom of scientists and civil society to critically address the nature, its conditions and strategies to improve it. Academic freedom with the rights for scientists to frame our challenges must be protected. Critical voices telling the truth can include all citizens involved in ensuring a sustainable nature.

Meet at the seminar among others Mads Randbøll Wolff, UNESCO Man and the Biosphere; Malene Nielsen, deputy at permanent delegation of Denmark to UNESCO; Mirna Fernandez, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, Bolivia; Lucie Sýkorová, chairman of the journalists in The Czech Republic; Julian Lo Curlo, The Danish UNESCO National Commission; Morten Rosenmeier, president of UBVA, Kåre Press-Kristensen, Green Transition Denmark, and Michael Søgaard Jørgensen, chairman of The Society of Green Technology in IDA and associate professor at Aalborg University.

PROGRAM (version 13 September 2023):

10h00 Opening of the Conference: 

Moderator Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, freelance International

Deputy director of The Confederation of Professional Associations in Denmark (Akademikerne), Janus Broe Malm   

Chair of the UBVA, Morten Rosenmeier 

10h15 Opening note (keynote): Why is it important to link the fight for a Sustainable Nature with good governance and critical voices?

Mads Randbøll Wolff, the Danish expert on the UNESCO program “Man and the Biosphere” 

10h30 Challenges for scientists and reporting: 

- When scientists are threatened, Mirna Fernandez, Bolivian activist, Global Youth Biodiversity Network 

- Challenging the main stream green strategy, Kåre Press-Kristensen, Senior adviser, Green Transition Denmark 

- What happens on reporting when local journalism run dry? Lucie Sykorová, Freelance journalist and advocating for local journalism 

- The effect on next generation, Elise Sydendal, Climate activist, The Green Youth Movement 

- When science is for sale – the reason why climate, health and environment is losing in the public debate, Stiig Markager, professor, Department of Eco Science, the University of Aarhus  

- Greenwashing, Emil Blicher Bjerregård, MSc Biology. 

11h15 Debate 

12h45 The role of UNESCO Opening note by Malene Nielsen, The Danish delegation at UNESCO 

13h15 International approach: 

- How can EU contribute – Janica Borg, Expert and coordinator of the EU biodiversity strategy at the European Environment Agency 

- What could wildlife monitoring teach us about Conservation field teach us about conservation? Tomáš Jůnek, PhD, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University

of Life Sciences, Prague  

- How NGO’s contribute to find solutions, Michael Løvendal Kruse, board member of The Danish Society for Nature conservation 

- How scientists can make a difference, Michael Søgaard Jørgensen, Associate Professor, Aalborg University, Chairman of The Society of Green Technology, IDA 

- Representing the frame of a monitoring unit for scientific and academic freedom, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård 

14h00 Debate 

14h40 Presenting the frame of a monitoring unit for scientific and academic freedom, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård  

14h50 Key note listener, Julian Lo Curlo, The Danish UNESCO National Commission 

15h00 Closure of the event, Representative, The Danish Society of Engineers IDA