We are delighted to announce the eighth episode of Earth to Research, the podcast created by our colleague Lucy Sabin for RE4GREEN, which opens up space for critical reflection on the growing presence of artificial intelligence in research and everyday practice.

Titled Slow AI-cademia, this episode features Mariana Fernández Mora of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, whose work challenges dominant narratives around AI through her project Slow AI. The conversation invites listeners to reconsider how algorithmic systems are shaping academic cultures, knowledge production, and ethical responsibility.

Rather than centring technical performance or efficiency, the episode foregrounds values, emotions, and intentions in our engagements with generative AI. Through speculative thinking and storytelling, Mariana proposes alternative ways of relating to algorithmic technologies—ones that are attentive to environmental limits, social justice, and more-than-human perspectives. Themes of consciousness, nature, and care run throughout, offering a clear departure from mainstream Silicon Valley imaginaries.

This episode will be of interest to students, early-career researchers, educators, research co-ordinators, and AI practitioners alike. It encourages listeners to slow down, question assumptions, and imagine different futures for AI in academia. The discussion concludes—appropriately—with a spell, reminding us that critical inquiry can also be playful, poetic, and transformative.

References

Fernández Mora, M. (2025). A spell for the unlearning machine. In Fernández Mora, M. (ed.), Restless grounds: Speculative futures on algorithmic technologies, 1, May.
UNEP (2024). AI has an environmental problem. Here’s what the world can do about that. September 21.

Find and listen to all episodes of Earth to Research on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28S05gUCjiCW5Cczdg22j1
Podbean: https://earthtoresearch.podbean.com/

The IRECS Final Conference, held in Brussels, Belgium, from 11 to 12 December 2025, proved to be an exceptionally stimulating and productive forum, bringing together diverse perspectives on collaboration, sustainability, and research ethics across Europe and beyond.

Within this rich exchange of ideas, our colleague Dominic Lenzi represented the RE4GREEN project as an invited speaker in the panel “The Sustainable Use of Cluster Networks: IRECS as a Cluster of the Clusters”, which took place on Friday, 12 December 2025. His contribution focused on both the opportunities and the practical complexities of cooperation among European research projects and their partners, inside and outside the EU.

Drawing on RE4GREEN’s work, Dominic presented the project’s contribution to advancing ethical reflection in research, notably through the development of innovative micromodule training materials that embed sustainability and environmental ethics. Hosted on the Embassy of Good Science platform, these resources exemplify RE4GREEN’s commitment to supporting ethics and integrity in everyday research practice. He also outlined the project’s involvement in shaping a proposed addition to the ALLEA Code of Conduct for Research, reinforcing its engagement with European-level standards.

The discussion further addressed the broader reach of European research initiatives. In this context, Dominic highlighted the international character of the RE4GREEN consortium, which brings together expertise from South Africa, Japan, and South Korea, demonstrating how European-funded projects can foster meaningful dialogue on research ethics well beyond Europe’s borders.

At the same time, the panel did not shy away from critical reflections. Attention was drawn to the difficulties of building concrete and lasting collaborations between projects that often differ in scope, priorities, and timelines. Using examples from artificial intelligence and climate engineering, the conversation explored the tension between the strict ethical frameworks governing publicly funded research and the more flexible regulatory environments shaping private-sector research and innovation.

Overall, the session underscored the value of forums such as the IRECS Final Conference in nurturing open, critical, and inclusive scientific dialogue. Such exchanges are essential for strengthening collaboration, confronting emerging ethical challenges, and ensuring that research and innovation continue to be guided by shared values and robust ethical standards.

We are pleased to announce the publication of the first article of the project, entitled Convergences and Gaps between Environmental Ethics, Climate Ethics, and Research Ethics: A Scoping Review, in the peer-reviewed journal Science and Engineering Ethics.

Authored by Michel Bourban, Dominic Lenzi, Mads P. Sørensen, Rachel Fishberg, Jan Mehlich, Fabian Fischbach, José Luis Molina, Kasandra I. H. M. Poague, Alexandra Csábi, Rose Heffernan, Rosie Hastings, and Anaïs Rességuier, this article marks an important milestone for the project and sets the conceptual foundations for its subsequent research.

The paper addresses the ethical challenges posed by contemporary scientific research and technological innovation, particularly in relation to environmental and climate impacts. While innovation can help to reduce environmental and social harms, it can also intensify ecological pressures and generate new forms of risk. Against this backdrop, the authors argue for more forward-looking and anticipatory forms of research governance capable of responding to these tensions.

Drawing on a systematic review of academic literature conducted within WP1, the study examines how environmental ethics, climate ethics, and research ethics are currently conceptualised and how they intersect. A central finding is the limited extent to which environmental and climate-related concerns have been incorporated into existing research ethics frameworks. The analysis highlights the need to strengthen these frameworks by integrating insights from environmental ethics and climate justice.

The article also uncovers significant imbalances in the literature, notably a strong focus on climate change—and particularly on the ethics and governance of geoengineering—at the expense of other environmental issues. The authors caution against treating geoengineering governance as a broadly applicable model for research oversight and call for a more inclusive ethical agenda.

By identifying both convergences and gaps across these ethical domains, the article outlines a future research agenda aimed at fostering deeper integration between research ethics and environmental and climate ethics, thereby supporting more responsible research and innovation.

Read the article: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-025-00575-8

We are pleased to announce that our colleague Dominic Lenzi, Assistant Professor in Environmental Ethics, University of Twente, will be representing RE4GREEN at the IRECS Final Conference, taking place in Bruxelles, Belgium, from 11th to 12th December 2025. Dominic has been invited to contribute to the panel titled “The Sustainable Use of Cluster Networks: IRECS as a Cluster of the Clusters.”

This panel session, in which Dominic will speak, is scheduled for Friday, 12 December 2025, from 12:00 to 13:15. During his contribution, he will discuss our experience within RE4GREEN of connecting with other European projects and research partner organisations, offering insights into both the opportunities and the challenges that such collaborations bring. This engagement reflects our continuing commitment to fostering meaningful links across Europe’s sustainability and research landscape.

He will also highlight the micro-modules we have developed with the Embassy of Good Science, which we consider a notable example of best practice within the project. We are glad to see this work presented in a forum that brings together a wide community of experts.

Find the programme of the IRECS Final Conference here: https://irp.cdn-website.com/5f961f00/files/uploaded/irecsFinalConference_draft-agenda_version_20251104.pdf

We look forward to Dominic’s contribution to the conference and to the perspectives he will share on behalf of RE4GREEN.

The Social Lab in Vienna on digital, industry, and space technologies (15–16 October) proved to be far more than a success — it became a space for genuine inspiration and forward-thinking collaboration.

Organised by the Austrian Institute of Technology and hosted at Filmquartier Vienna, the event brought together participants for an inspiring 1.5 days of reflection and co-creation. Together, we not only explored the Do No Significant Harm principle but also dared to imagine bold pathways toward truly sustainable research ecosystems for 2050 and beyond.

A warm thank-you to all participants from across Europe for their energy and engagement throughout the workshop. Your insights, curiosity, and commitment shaped conversations that will continue to resonate well into the future. Special thanks go to our colleague Alexandra Csábi for leading the workshop design and organisation, to Wenzel Mehnert and Arianna Ferrari for their excellent facilitation, and to Michael Bernstein for his valuable contributions and continued support.

On 14 November 2025, the RE4GREEN EU Social Lab on climate and mobility convened for its fourth in-person workshop at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, an inspiring setting that vividly reflects the history of nature, the environment, and all living and non-living beings. The session was organised by ECSA as part of the ongoing Social Lab process within the RE4GREEN project.

Building on insights and results from earlier meetings, this workshop focused on translating previous reflections into practice, with particular attention to the Do No Significant Harm principle and a constructive review of the micromodules developed within the project. The day provided space for evaluation, co-creation, and forward-looking visioning—encouraging participants to consider how the green transition can be shaped in concrete project contexts.

The unique atmosphere of the Natural History Museum invited us to imagine pathways towards a greener and more harmonious future, fully capturing the spirit of the Social Lab methodology and the broader ambition of RE4GREEN.

We sincerely thank all participants from diverse fields for their valuable perspectives and active engagement throughout the workshop. Special appreciation goes to our colleagues Chrysanthi Bairaktari and François Jost for their excellent organisation and coordination, which made the day both productive and enjoyable.

We are pleased to highlight the contribution of the Japanese Social Lab team of RE4GREEN, who presented their research at the International Sociology Forum, held in Morocco in August 2025. Representing RE4GREEN, Haruka Ueda (University of Tokyo) delivered the presentation titled “Lessons from Fukushima: Food and Environmental Ethics, Arts and Philosophy.”

The presentation drew on findings from a 2024 field survey conducted in Iitate Village, Fukushima, designed to examine the current state of post-disaster revitalisation and to explore new possibilities for reconstructing environmental ethics. Although evacuation orders were lifted in 2017, most residents have not returned. Through interviews and field observations—including visits to experimental farms, contaminated zones, and the village’s new art hub—the team shed light on the pivotal role played by the NPO Revitalisation of Fukushima in supporting the recovery process.

Their research highlights a notable shift in the region’s revitalisation pathway: moving from science-driven responses, to economic rebuilding efforts, and now towards approaches grounded in philosophy and the arts. This evolution has contributed to the emergence of a new “public space” where diverse actors collaborate, rethink local futures, and reconsider the meaning of “nature” as a lived, rather than purely conceptual, experience—drawing on modern Japanese philosophy and comparative perspectives.

The presentation was delivered by Haruka Ueda, with contributions from co-authors Tomohiro Akiyama (Research Institute for Humanity and Nature), Ji-Yoon Kim, Sana Sakihama, and Takahiro Nakajima (all University of Tokyo). We congratulate the Japanese Social Lab team for their insightful work and for their valuable representation of RE4GREEN at this international forum.

On 16–17 October, the University of Bonn hosted a one-and-a-half-day Social Lab workshop conducted within the framework of the RE4GREEN project, funded by Horizon Europe. The event formed part of the project’s social lab methodology and provided a structured space for interdisciplinary exchange and collaborative reflection.

The workshop addressed key thematic priorities of Horizon Europe Cluster 6, with particular emphasis on urban farming, precision agriculture, vertical farming, and the bioeconomy. Participants engaged in a series of facilitated, discussion-oriented activities focusing on environmental risk assessment and the application of the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle.

Fourteen participants from across Europe and beyond took part, contributing diverse perspectives and expertise. The workshop fostered a highly constructive and collegial environment characterised by openness, collaboration, and creative thinking. Through collective foresight and dialogue, participants explored prospective research ecosystems and generated a range of innovative ideas that will inform the future strategic direction of RE4GREEN.

We sincerely thank all participants for their valuable contributions and insights.

RE4GREEN is proud to announce the publication of its first Policy Brief, a milestone in advancing ethical, sustainable, and climate-conscious research practices across Europe.

The RE4GREEN Policy Brief calls on universities and research institutions to embed environmental and climate ethics into all aspects of research governance, strategy, and education. It presents six key recommendations—from integrating climate ethics into policies and curricula to applying justice frameworks and the precautionary principle—to ensure research actively supports Europe’s green transition and avoids perpetuating environmental harm or injustice.

By fostering ethical responsibility and systemic change, this Policy Brief aims to inspire institutions to take concrete steps toward a research culture that truly aligns with the values of sustainability and justice.

You can read, download, and explore the full Policy Brief in our new website section dedicated to Policy Briefs.

Last week, RE4GREEN had the pleasure of contributing to the ENRIO Congress 2025, joining forces with colleagues and partners to strengthen the dialogue on how environmental challenges intersect with research ethics and integrity.

As part of the satellite event “How do European funded projects promote research integrity policy and practice in the European Research Area…”, RE4GREEN co-organized the panel “Embedding sustainability principles in research to support the green transition” together with the Finnish institute LUKE and the Lyte project. We also contributed to discussions on “Developing research system resilience for times of disruption and change.”

On Wednesday, Janina Bau and Lorenzo Molina (EARMA) presented our second policy brief: “Safeguarding Trust: Ensuring Research Integrity in Climate Change Research and Innovation.”

In addition, we showcased the findings of three major reports during our poster session, which stimulated meaningful conversations and exchanges with the wider community.

We are proud to have shared our insights, engaged in dialogue, and contributed to advancing the conversation on safeguarding trust in research.

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who attended our sessions, visited our poster, and to the organizers of ENRIO Congress 2025 for enabling such an inspiring exchange.