The latest RE4GREEN Newsletter has just been published, featuring the most recent updates on the project’s activities.

In this edition, you will find information about the three newly available project deliverables, including new educational resources developed under WP4—a practical zine on sustainability and eco-justice in everyday research and a collection of 31 self-paced micromodules covering research ethics, integrity, and sustainability. You will also find all the essential details about the RE4GREEN Final Event, including registration information, as well as other exciting news about the project’s participation in conferences, workshops, and other dissemination activities.

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As Europe accelerates its transition towards a more sustainable future, ensuring that research and innovation (R&I) are conducted responsibly has never been more important. While R&I is essential for addressing environmental and climate-related challenges, it can also give rise to unintended ethical, social, and environmental implications. The EU-funded RE4GREEN project is helping to meet this challenge by contributing to a stronger European Research Area ethics and integrity framework, supporting researchers and research organisations in advancing the goals of the European Green Deal.

We are delighted to announce that 31 self-paced RE4GREEN micromodules are now available, offering practical, interactive learning experiences that can be completed in just 15–60 minutes.

The collection explores a wide range of timely and relevant topics, including environmental justice, sustainable research practices, AI ethics, citizen science, conflicts of interest, and the foundations of research integrity. Designed for researchers, ethics reviewers, ethics and integrity advisors, students, citizen scientists, and all those interested in responsible research and innovation, these micromodules combine practical guidance with real-world examples to support meaningful learning at your own pace.

All micromodules are hosted on The Embassy of Good Science and are easily accessible through the RE4GREEN website. Simply visit the Main Outputs section and select Training Materials to explore the full collection.

Whether you are taking your first steps into research ethics or expanding your existing expertise, the RE4GREEN micromodules provide an engaging and accessible way to strengthen your knowledge and contribute to more ethical, responsible, and sustainable research and innovation.

Start exploring the RE4GREEN Training Materials today and join us in shaping a more responsible and sustainable future for research and innovation.

As one of RE4GREEN’s three contributions to the Inari Symposium on Research Ethics in Nature, (see here and here) Environment and Indigenous Research (InRENEI2026), held on 10–11 June 2026 at the Sámi Cultural Centre Sajos in Inari, Finland, our colleague Dominic Lenzi delivered the keynote lecture “Finding ‘Nature’ in Bioethics and Research Ethics”.

In his presentation, Dominic argued that the ongoing ecological crisis requires bioethics and research ethics to move beyond traditional approaches by integrating insights from environmental ethics. In particular, he highlighted the importance of context-based environmental values and diverse worldviews when assessing the ethical dimensions of research. Without incorporating these perspectives, he argued, the harms and risks associated with research cannot be adequately understood or addressed.

The keynote reflected RE4GREEN’s commitment to advancing research ethics that responds to today’s environmental challenges while fostering ethically robust, environmentally responsible, and socially inclusive research and innovation practices in support of Europe’s sustainability transition.

RE4GREEN was pleased to participate in the Inari Symposium on Research Ethics in Nature, Environment and Indigenous Research (InRENEI2026), which took place on 10–11 June 2026 at the Sámi Cultural Centre Sajos in Inari, Finland.

Organised by the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK) in collaboration with the Sámi Parliament, the University of Lapland and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), the symposium brought together researchers, ethics experts and members of research ethics committees to discuss ethical principles and ethical review in research on nature, the environment and Indigenous peoples. Hosted in the heart of the Sámi homeland, the event highlighted the close relationship between Indigenous cultures and the environment while promoting dialogue on responsible and ethical research practices.

On the second day of the symposium (11 June), our colleagues Jan Mehlich (Center for Life Ethics, University of Bonn) and Fabian Fischbach (German Reference Center for Ethics in the Life Sciences, University of Bonn) facilitated the interactive workshop Indigenous Knowledges for Sustainability: Tackling Epistemic Injustice in Research, Innovation, and Policy.

Together with participants from diverse disciplinary and professional backgrounds, the workshop explored how Indigenous and local knowledge systems continue to face structural and attitudinal barriers to meaningful participation in research, innovation, environmental governance and related ethical discourses. Through interactive group discussions, participants shared experiences, reflected on power imbalances in knowledge production, and exchanged ideas on fostering more inclusive, participatory and collaborative approaches.

The discussions were informed by insights from the RE4GREEN project, which has identified epistemic injustice as one of the major ethical challenges in addressing complex sustainability issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Participants emphasised that responding to these global challenges is not solely a scientific or technological endeavour. It also requires recognising diverse knowledge systems, addressing inequalities in whose knowledge is valued, and ensuring that Indigenous and local perspectives are meaningfully included in research, innovation and policy-making.

The workshop reaffirmed RE4GREEN’s commitment to integrating environmental and climate ethics into research and innovation while promoting gender-sensitive, intercultural and Indigenous perspectives as essential elements of responsible research and innovation. These discussions contribute directly to the project’s broader mission of supporting a fair, inclusive and ethically grounded Green Transition.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who participated in the workshop and generously shared their experiences and perspectives. The engaging discussions reinforced the importance of embedding epistemic justice within both research ethics and environmental ethics, demonstrating that more inclusive knowledge practices are fundamental to building sustainable futures.

RE4GREEN was proud to participate in the InRENEI2026 Symposium, held in Finland on 10–11 June 2026, through the presentation of the poster “Ethics Review & Research Ethics in Indigenous Territories under the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) Principle.”

The poster, authored by José Luis Molina, Karla Nahuelpán, Miroslav Pulgar, Victoria Reyes-García, Jordi Grau, and Agnese Capurri, explored how the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle can be more effectively integrated into research ethics review processes, particularly when research is conducted in Indigenous territories.

The work highlights important challenges faced by Research Ethics Committees, including the limited consideration of environmental impacts, ex-ante evaluation mechanisms, and the implications of Open Data policies for Indigenous communities. A central focus of the research was the concept of Indigenous data sovereignty, emphasizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples to govern, control, protect, and benefit from data and knowledge related to their communities, lands, cultures, and resources.

The authors argue that fully implementing the DNSH principle requires ethics review frameworks to extend beyond traditional research ethics considerations and incorporate environmental dimensions alongside culturally sensitive approaches to data governance. Such an approach is essential for ensuring that research and innovation activities contribute to sustainability while respecting Indigenous rights, local knowledge systems, and community priorities.

The symposium provided a valuable platform for dialogue on responsible research, sustainability, and societal impact, bringing together researchers and practitioners from diverse disciplines and backgrounds.
RE4GREEN’s participation in InRENEI2026 reflects the project’s commitment to promoting ethical, inclusive, and socially responsible pathways towards a sustainable and just green transition

We are pleased to announce that Dr Giulia Inguaggiato, Assistant Professor at Amsterdam UMC and member of the RE4GREEN consortium, will lead Pre-conference Workshop 2 at the 14th International Conference on Ethics Education (IAEE 2026), taking place in Amsterdam from 24–26 June 2026.

Pre-conference Workshop 2, entitled “Training the Trainers: Embedding Sustainability, Eco-Justice, and Ethics in Everyday Research Practice”, will take place on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, from 09:00 to 12:00, bringing together educators, ethics reviewers, researchers and institutional leaders interested in strengthening sustainability and ethical responsibility in research and innovation.

Drawing on the work and outcomes of the RE4GREEN project, the workshop will introduce participants to innovative educational resources, practical training tools and learner-centred approaches designed to support responsible research practices aligned with the ambitions of the European Green Deal and the transition towards a climate-neutral future.

Through a highly interactive format, participants will engage in reflective exercises, collaborative discussions and hands-on exploration of RE4GREEN learning materials. The session will also provide opportunities to co-design training pathways for different audiences and explore how sustainability, eco-justice and ethical reflection can be effectively embedded within educational programmes, research environments and institutional processes.

By equipping educators and trainers with adaptable resources and practical methodologies, the workshop aims to foster a new generation of researchers who are able to critically reflect on the societal, environmental and ethical dimensions of their work and contribute to more sustainable research cultures.

The session aligns closely with the IAEE 2026 theme, “Shaping the Future: Educating Responsible Professionals”, emphasising that sustainability and eco-justice are not supplementary considerations but essential competencies for research and innovation in the twenty-first century.

The RE4GREEN consortium is proud to contribute to this important international forum and looks forward to engaging with colleagues from across the globe in advancing more sustainable, ethical and socially responsible research practices.

For more information about IAEE 2026 and the preliminary programme, please visit: https://amsterdamumc.eventsair.com/iaee-conference-2026/conference-program—preliminary-program

Our colleague Alexandra Csábi from the Austrian Institute of Technology presented a poster at the Sustainability Science Conference “Towards a just and habitable world: exploring the role of technology” in Lausanne.

Her presentation focused on the Social Lab process and findings – which environmental and climate ethics issues researchers and other stakeholders find most relevant in their own R&I context, and how these can shape research ethics and integrity frameworks and research governance to support the green transition.

As part of RE4GREEN’s commitment to fostering inclusive, reflective and socially responsible research and innovation, the Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) team recently delivered two internal training sessions for the consortium, held on 30 April 2025 and 19 May 2026, respectively.

Developed following a mid-term survey and a subsequent assessment of partners’ interests and requirements, the sessions combined expert presentations with interactive and reflective exercises, encouraging participants to critically engage with key concepts shaping contemporary sustainability research and innovation.

Ecofeminism and Intersectionality (30 April 2025)

The first training session, “Ecofeminism and Intersectionality”, provided an opportunity for consortium members to revisit and deepen discussions initiated at the beginning of the project. The session explored the foundations of ecofeminist thought, while also examining important critiques of ecofeminism, including concerns regarding essentialist understandings of gender and the need to better address material, social and economic dimensions of environmental challenges.

Participants were introduced to perspectives from feminist political ecology, feminist science and technology studies, Black feminism and intersectionality, highlighting how social identities, power relations and lived experiences shape access to resources, participation and representation.

Through an interactive intersectionality exercise, partners reflected on their own identities and positionalities, considering how inclusion and representation are addressed within research, innovation and decision-making spaces. The session also encouraged critical discussion on diversity, participation and whose voices are recognised and valued in sustainability transitions.

Coloniality and Rethinking Research (19 May 2026)

Building on the themes explored in the previous session, the second training, “Coloniality and Rethinking Research”, examined the often-overlooked colonial dimensions of the European green transition and contemporary research practices.

The session explored how the growing demand for critical raw materials required for renewable energy technologies can reproduce extractive dynamics, both globally and locally. Through a series of case studies and examples, participants examined the social, environmental and geopolitical implications associated with the sourcing of transition minerals and the role of international institutions, private finance and research systems in shaping these processes.

A key focus of the training was the distinction between extractive and care-based approaches to research. Participants reflected on how conventional research methodologies may unintentionally reproduce unequal power relations and discussed alternative ethical frameworks that prioritise transparency, reciprocity, long-term responsibility and meaningful engagement with communities.

Through guided reflection exercises, consortium members critically assessed previous research experiences and considered practical ways to minimise colonial dynamics in future projects. Discussions highlighted the importance of research practices that move beyond knowledge extraction towards collaboration, mutual learning and shared responsibility.

Strengthening Responsible Research and Innovation

These training sessions provided valuable opportunities for RE4GREEN partners to critically reflect on the broader social, political and ethical dimensions of sustainability transitions and research practice. By encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue and reflexive learning, the trainings contributed to strengthening the consortium’s capacity to advance research and innovation that is inclusive, equitable and socially responsible.

RE4GREEN remains committed to embedding principles of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) throughout its activities, ensuring that technological and environmental solutions are developed with careful consideration of their wider societal impacts.

How can research contribute to more sustainable and socially responsible management of our oceans and freshwater ecosystems? And what role do participation, collaboration, and ethics play in shaping the green transition?

In a new interview produced within the framework of the RE4GREEN project, Professor Isidro Maya from the University of Seville shares inspiring insights from his work on fishermen’s collaboration networks, participatory governance, and environmental responsibility in marine contexts.

Conducted by our colleague Karla Nahuelpán as part of Social Lab 5: Fresh Waters and Ocean, the conversation brings together key reflections on how environmental ethics can move beyond theory and become an active part of research, policymaking, and community engagement.

Drawing from case studies across the Mediterranean, the Atlantic coast, and the Gibraltar Strait region, Maya explains how network analysis and participatory approaches can help connect stakeholders, strengthen local governance, and support more inclusive decision-making processes in the fishing sector. From fishermen and shipowners to local businesses and policymakers, the interview highlights the importance of creating spaces where diverse voices can come together to address shared environmental challenges.

One of the most compelling messages of the interview is the idea that research should not exist in isolation from society. According to Maya, scientific work carries a broader social and environmental responsibility: it should benefit communities, protect shared resources, and contribute to collective wellbeing. He also underlines the importance of embedding ethical thinking into higher education and professional research practices, especially in areas directly affected by climate change and sustainability transitions.

The discussion offers a powerful reminder that protecting marine ecosystems is not only an environmental issue — it is also a social, ethical, and collaborative process that depends on dialogue, trust, and shared responsibility.

Discover how participatory governance and ethical research can help shape a more sustainable future for marine communities.

Watch the full interview here

RE4GREEN was proudly represented at the 9th World Conference on Research Integrity (WCRI 2026), held in Vancouver from 3–6 May 2026 — one of the world’s leading forums dedicated to shaping global discussions on trust, ethics, transparency, and integrity in research.

As part of the conference programme, Janina Bau, Policy and Project Officer at the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA), delivered the RE4GREEN session entitled:

“Safeguarding Trust: Ensuring Scientific Integrity and Inclusiveness in Climate Change Research and Innovation.”

The presentation highlighted the growing urgency of strengthening research ethics and integrity frameworks in the context of climate change research and the Green Transition. Drawing on emerging findings from RE4GREEN, Janina Bau emphasized that climate change is not only an environmental challenge but also a profound ethical and societal one.

The session explored how inequalities between low- and high-income countries continue to shape access to sustainable technologies, resources, and participation in research and innovation ecosystems — contributing to wider risks such as water scarcity, food insecurity, socio-economic instability, and unequal policy outcomes.

A central message of the presentation was that safeguarding trust in climate science requires moving beyond compliance-based approaches toward a more inclusive, transparent, and ethically grounded research culture. RE4GREEN advocates for embedding ethics-by-design principles across the entire research lifecycle while reinforcing openness, accountability, and societal engagement.

Particular emphasis was placed on:

• promoting Open Science practices and FAIR data principles,
• addressing systemic biases and governance gaps,
• preventing ethics dumping in international collaborations,
• and ensuring that environmental responsibility becomes a core dimension of research integrity.

Janina Bau also presented RE4GREEN’s policy-oriented approach for aligning environmental research with ethics and integrity through targeted action. These include strengthening ethical oversight in funding schemes, improving EU–national policy alignment, expanding inclusive research integrity training, and fostering collaboration among researchers, ethicists, citizen scientists, policymakers, research managers, and communities directly affected by climate change.

The session further showcased evidence generated through RE4GREEN social labs and gap analysis activities, which revealed the critical importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and the need to integrate justice theories, inclusiveness, and environmental ethics more systematically into existing research integrity frameworks and training materials.

Importantly, RE4GREEN is building on existing European initiatives and governance tools while introducing a dedicated focus on environmental sustainability and climate ethics. The project is currently developing operational Research Ethics and Research Integrity (RE&RI) Guidelines, to be published in 2026, which will provide practical tools for embedding environmental ethics into research governance and innovation practices.

WCRI 2026 offered an invaluable opportunity to engage with the international research integrity community and to contribute to ongoing global discussions on how ethics, inclusiveness, sustainability, and scientific excellence can jointly support more trustworthy and socially responsible research systems.

RE4GREEN remains committed to supporting a research ecosystem where integrity, environmental responsibility, and societal trust are placed at the heart of climate research and innovation.