Check out the latest enews, sent 17 October
IAIA24: Preliminary Program available
The IAIA24 preliminary program is now available and registration is open! Download the program today for an overview of 120+ sessions, 13 training courses, 7 technical visits, descriptions of special meetings and networking activities, and more! Submit your abstract now through 31 October.
Check out the various financial aid opportunities for help attending IAIA24: Energy Capacity Building Stipend Program; Conference Inclusiveness Bursary Program; Rita R. Hamm Excellence Scholarship; and Student Training Course Fee Waivers.
Be sure to book your stay early! Accommodation is in high demand in Dublin, so availability will be limited. IAIA has arranged blocks of rooms at special conference rates for three selected hotels located near the conference venue.
Interested in increasing your company’s profile at IAIA24? Check out the sponsorship opportunities brochure to learn about the various benefits available for the in-person event in Dublin.
IAIA24, “Impact Assessment for a Just Transformation,” will be held 24-27 April 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.
Thank you to these organizations for their contributions toward making IAIA24 a success: British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office (BC EAO), Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), University College Dublin, and European Investment Bank (EIB).
New online course opens
Led by Angela Reeman and Liz Wall, this live, virtual course on Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration: Achieving the Intended Outcomes will be held 13, 14, 20, 21, and 22 November. The course is designed for anyone involved in designing, implementing, or auditing resettlement and/or livelihood restoration activities. Register by 6 November.
Innovation grants: Applications now invited
IAIA is pleased to announce the launch of its next round of Innovation Grants. Applications will be accepted through 10 November 2023 for a small number of grants ranging from USD $2,000 to $5,000 each each. Innovation Grants are a competitive source of funds provided by the IAIA Board to encourage members, Sections, Branches, and Affiliates to undertake innovative, short-term (12 months) projects to advance the strategic direction of IAIA.
SEA Guidance reviewers needed
The full draft of IAIA’s "Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Guidance for Improving Decision-making in the Energy Transition” is available online and in the process of being peer reviewed. Please consider reviewing one (or more!) chapters. The review due date has been extended to 30 November 2023.
IAIA says hello, goodbye to staff members
Please join IAIA HQ in welcoming Caitlyn Grimm, Events and Projects Specialist, to the team. Caitlyn started 9 October and looks forward to contributing to IAIA’s mission and supporting its initiatives. Communications and Development Specialist Jack Marsden is leaving IAIA as of 20 October; we wish him well in his future endeavors.
In other professional news...
- Climate change could make beer taste worse: Global warming is changing the quality and taste of beer, scientists have warned. A new study reveals that the quantity of European hops, which gives beer its distinctive bitter taste, is declining. Hotter, longer, and drier summers are predicted to worsen the situation, and could lead to beer becoming more expensive. The authors warned growers to adapt their farming techniques.
- Canada to amend environmental law: Canada will bring about changes to existing environmental legislation (Impact Assessment Act of 2019) that came under scrutiny by its Supreme Court. The court recently ruled that although parliament has the powers to legislate on environmental issues, the ownership of non-renewable natural resources rests with provinces/territories. The federal government would be "overstepping its constitutional competence" if it were to come in the way of approving projects that were in the jurisdictions held by provinces, the court said in its ruling.
- Indigenous environmental defenders among favorites for Nobel Peace Prize:
- Every year in the run-up to the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) publishes a shortlist of possible contenders. This year included two long-time campaigners for Indigenous rights: Kankanaey Igorot leader Victoria Tauli-Corpuz from the Philippines and Shuar leader Juan Carlos Jintiach from Ecuador. This is the first year the PRIO has included a topic for Indigenous environmental defenders.
- Ireland will fulfill commitment to protect 30% of marine areas by 2030: Ireland will fulfill its commitment to protect 30 percent of the State’s marine areas by 2023, Minister for Heritage Darragh O’Brien said. A large number of other countries have signaled a willingness to consider a similar policy, while the High Seas Treaty agreed by the United Nations in March will designate 30 percent of international waters protected.
- Extreme weather: Is climate change always to blame? As extreme heat waves, storms, and wildfires increase in severity and frequency, a comparatively new kind of research called weather attribution studies determines whether they are linked to human-caused climate change. How much of a heatwave or massive storm is down to global heating, and how much is just natural weather variability?
- Concrete progress on constructing buildings to soak up carbon: More than 4 billion metric tons of cement, concrete’s crucial binding agent, are produced each year, with chemical reactions and energy use in its manufacture accounting for as much as 8% of all global emissions. A host of startups are experimenting with different ways of using CO2 in the production of concrete, from injecting it into the mix to growing synthetic aggregates.
Upcoming events
Find more upcoming events on IAIA’s News page
