The Centre for Sustainable Development conducts research and provides scientific and technical support to national strategies in relation to international commitments and national circumstances in the fields of climate change, environmental assessments, landscape, nature conservation, verification of environmental technologies and monitoring in waste management.
SCOPE OF ACTIVITY
The Department of Atmospheric and Climate Modelling owns computer infrastructure at the Institute of Environmental Protection for the purposes of modelling air quality was purchased under contract no. 352/2017/Wn07/MN-po/D.
The Department is involved in providing substantive support to the national policy on air quality and climate using numerical modelling, in relation to tasks arising from national and EU legislation, including in particular the tasks of the Department include:
- providing substantive support (including development of guidelines, recommendations and guidance) for the application of modelling results in air quality assessments
- providing scientific support to national policies through analyses and calculations of change scenarios using numerical modelling
- acquisition, updating and processing of input data to the air quality model, including geophysical, meteorological and atmospheric emission data, data archiving
- processing of modelling results (including evaluation of the results using available measurement information) and their conversion into a format required by the recipients, sharing the results
- support for national air quality and climate policy in relation to tasks arising from the Environmental Protection Law, using numerical modelling, including air quality assessments and forecasts
- performing calculations and analyses in respect of the scenarios prepared for the National Air Protection Programme
- substantive support and providing modelling information for the preparation of reports and information on air pollution for national and local administrations, international organisations and the European Commission as well as for public information
- use of data from the Copernicus Atmospheric Service (CAMS) for national air quality policy requirements
- analysis and calculation of climate scenarios according to IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), using numerical modelling
The Department of Environmental Assessment, Nature and Landscape Protection deals with research in the field of environmental impact assessments, landscape protection, environmental determinants of spatial planning and sectoral policies, soil cover, soil and water environment, physical and geographic regionalisation of Poland, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in environmental and landscape assessments and analyses, including in particular the following tasks:
- drawing up forecasts of the impact on the environment, preparing plans, programmes and reports on the impact of enterprises on the environment, as well as drawing up co-reports to forecasts and reports on the impact on the environment
- preparation of ecophysiographic studies and draft studies of conditions and directions for spatial development of municipalities (or documents of a similar nature to be specified by the law on spatial planning and development)
- preparation of draft strategic documents, including those on climate change adaptation
- carrying out landscape audits
- preparation of protection and protection tasks plans for protected areas
- carrying out inventories and opinions on nature and sozology
- carrying out environmental reviews, post-implementation analyses and reports on the state of the environment
- development of an environmental database
- carrying out GIS analyses and cartographic studies
- providing opinions on environmental impacts and benefits of technologies and products
The Environmental Technology Verification Unit carries out work in support of innovative environmental technologies necessary to deliver the highest quality environmental technology verification services in the EU ETV (Environmental Technology Verification) programme and to ISO14034:2016, including in particular the following tasks:
- Performing technology eligibility assessments for verification
- Receiving and processing applications as well as performing ETV environmental technology verification
- Technical advice related to ETV procedures
- Advice on the possibilities of obtaining financial support for ETV verification
- Assessment of the compliance of test facilities with ETV quality requirements
- Promotion of ETV among consumers and producers of environmental technologies
- Performing environmental technology verification under the international standard ISO 14034:2016
- Carrying out assessments of environmental innovation and market opportunities for a wide range of environmental technologies
- Supporting environmental technologies in entering new markets
The Department of Waste Management Monitoring and Forecasting deals with forecasting and monitoring of waste management processes and waste prevention, including in particular the following tasks:
- Conducting research work and analysis on waste management assessments, waste prevention and forecasting of these phenomena for the sustainable development strategy
- Development of methodological materials, guidelines, recommendations, pointers on monitoring and evaluation of waste management, including waste prevention
- Preparation of concepts, principles, assumptions for the creation and reorganization of waste management monitoring systems (at company, local, regional, nationwide level)
- Development of assumptions and specifications for the creation of waste management databases
- Substantive and technical support at the stages of setting up and running of IT systems for collecting and processing data covering waste management and waste prevention at local, regional and national level
- Working towards an improved monitoring system for waste prevention in Poland
- Developing strategies for waste management as a source of raw materials and renewable energy
- Creating conditions for sustainable development in degraded as well as protected areas
- Cooperation with public administration authorities in preparation of reports and information on waste management and remedial actions in Poland
- Work on monitoring and assessment of waste management and waste prevention (European Environment Agency, European Commission, OECD) – including carrying out tasks in support of public administration activities
- Providing opinion on documents and legislation relating to waste management, food waste monitoring systems and related areas.
- Providing opinions on regional and local strategies, programmes and projects for waste management in terms of maintaining the principles of sustainable development
- Creating promotion and image building programmes for waste management based on corporate social responsibility;
- Establishment of intersectoral partnerships for the implementation of waste management rationalisation projects based on sustainable development principles
- Providing training, consultation and advice on matters arising within the scope of the establishment
The Department of Environmental Strategies deals with theoretical and practical aspects of actions to achieve global, long-term environmental goals, taking into account national circumstances and drawing on international experience, including in particular the tasks of:
- Conducting scientific and research work in the field of:
- shaping the scientific basis of environmental protection policies and strategies as well as the technical-economic and legal-organizational conditions of their implementation;
- principles and methodology of planning and management in the field of environmental protection;
- systems and instruments for economic stimulation of the economy, aimed at improving environmental quality and environmental management;
- analysing the state and forecasting changes in environmental pollution;
- assessment of threats to the environment and losses caused by its pollution;
- effectiveness and efficiency of legal regulations and economic mechanisms applied in environmental protection;
- Principles and methodologies for improving existing and introducing new standards and procedures to improve the quality of the environment.
- Research and work on multilateral environmental agreements regarding:
- approaches to cooperation with the EU, ECE and UNEP on improving environmental quality;
- negotiations of new international agreements in the field of environment;
- national conditionalities for the implementation of environmental conventions.
- Development of expert reports and opinions in the areas of interest of the Department listed above, as well as in the field of:
- threats caused by environmental degradation, including the impact of environmental pollution on human health and comfort of living;
- extraordinary environmental hazards, including risk assessments related to transport of hazardous substances and determination of water hazard levels in industrial accidents.
DEPARTMENTS
