BUP’s 35-year celebratory webinars

This webinar explored how Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) can guide the development of safer, circular, and bio-based materials. It brought together approaches for assessing chemicals and nanomaterials with innovations in recyclable biopolymers, bio-based plastics and next-generation textile chemistries. The webinar was held online on 1 October.

The webinar also highlighted how these approaches can contribute to ecosystem and soil restoration, including in contexts affected by war, by linking material innovation with circularity, environmental safety and resilient recovery.

The webinar featured the following presentations:

Safety and Sustainability Assessment of Chemicals and Nanomaterials

This presentation introduced the CheMatSustain project and DTU’s work on the safety and sustainability assessment of chemicals and nanomaterials. It highlighted how Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Risk Assessment (RA), and Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA) can support Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approaches. The presentation discussed how these methods can be applied throughout material development and product innovation to support informed decision-making and the development of safer and more sustainable materials. The speaker was Dr. Ahmed Waqas at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

Bio-based Plastics from Organic Waste: Soil-Regenerative Biopolymers and the Role of Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD)

This presentation introduced INSOIL, which develops soil-regenerative biopolymers from organic waste that are fully recyclable and support carbon-neutral production. It highlighted the role of the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework in developing innovative bio-based plastics and advancing sustainable material solutions. The speaker was Jutta Hildenbrand at the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

Towards the Next Generation of Safe, Circular and Bio-based Textiles: The TEX4GREEN Project

How can the textile industry reduce its dependence on fossil-based chemicals while improving safety, sustainability, and circularity? TEX4GREEN addresses this challenge by developing innovative bio-based textile chemistries under the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework. The project combines renewable feedstocks, circular design principles, and comprehensive environmental and safety assessments to create high-performance coatings, surfactants, and dyes for technical and consumer textiles. This presentation introduced the project's vision, technological developments, and expected environmental benefits, highlighting the importance of SSbD as a key enabler of Europe's transition towards a competitive, resilient, and toxic-free textile sector. The presenters were Dr. Jelena Barbir at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) and Arantxa Ballesteros at ITENE.

Safe, Circular and Bio-based Solutions for Recovery

This presentation highlighted the urgent need for safe, sustainable, and circular solutions for post-conflict recovery, with a particular focus on ecosystem restoration and soil rehabilitation in war-affected areas. It explored how bio-based plastics from organic waste, soil-regenerative biopolymers, bio-based fibers, and phytoremediation strategies can be combined to support resilient land restoration and circular value chains. The presentation also discussed the role of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles in developing environmentally sound materials and solutions that contribute to safer reconstruction, sustainable ecosystem management, and long-term circularity. The speaker was Dr. Maria Fedoruk at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg).

This webinar focused on water safety and how water consumption influences the Baltic Sea Region. It was held on 21 May and the participants were invited to contribute with questions to broaden the discussion.

Artur Magnuszewski (University of Warsaw) gave a talk titled 'Can we measure the sustainability using water consumption?'. There are different ways to measure water resources and their use. One popular is the index of water availability - volume of river runoff divided by number of citizens in a year - (Falkenmark, 2005). Another way used recently is the Water Exploitation Index (WEI). For sustainability at the lowest personal level, it can be used as the volume of water used per person per day. Questions raised were: How much water do you use daily and how is this consumption controlled in the digital era? What is the meaning of green water, blue water, black water and grey water? Is the water from the tap healthy?

Inga Grinfelde (Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies) explored the question of whether we can drink digital water. In an era of artificial intelligence, digital twins, and data-driven hydrology, this provocative question highlights a critical reality. No model or algorithm can replace safe, clean drinking water, which remains essential for human health and survival. As water safety becomes increasingly sensitive due to pollution, climate change, and emerging contaminants, the responsibility of water engineers grows not only to model systems but to ensure a reliable, high-quality water supply for society. The talk called for a new educational paradigm that integrates AI innovation with strong scientific understanding, ethical responsibility, and a deep commitment to safeguarding safe drinking water for present and future generations.

This webinar explored the relationship between nature-based solutions (NbS) and public participation. It was held on 23 April and the participants could contribute with questions to broaden the discussion.

The webinar targeted students, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in urban sustainability, participatory planning, and collaborative governance. The session began with an introduction by Małgorzata Blicharska (Uppsala University/UUniCORN), who provided context and background on nature-based solutions and then moderate the webinar.

Following the introduction, Bianka Plüschke-Altof (Tallinn Technical University and Tallinn University) and Bradley Loewen (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) presented their research on ‘Transforming the City with NbS: Unpacking Tensions of participatory sustainability transition projects’.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly promoted as a way to address urban environmental and climate challenges while improving the quality of life in cities. At the same time, participatory planning is widely encouraged to ensure the legitimacy and acceptance of sustainability initiatives. Policy frameworks such as Horizon Europe and the New European Bauhaus emphasise collaborative and transdisciplinary approaches involving citizens, researchers, and public authorities.

Typically part of one-off, externally funded project-based initiatives operating largely outside established planning and governance systems, practitioners in NbS projects, however, frequently encounter obstacles when trying to integrate public participation into NbS planning and ensure long-term results.

Based on cross-case analysis of several urban NbS projects in Northern Europe, the research examines the tensions encountered in participatory NbS planning. Reflecting on these empirical insights from practice, the presenters discuss strategies that planners, researchers, and project organisers use to navigate these tensions and engage in transformative planning, hence simultaneously work towards more inclusive and effective approaches to NbS and sustainability transitions.

This webinar explored, through two talks, how what we eat influences the environmental status of the planet and how everyday practices can contribute to sustainability. It was held on 19 March at 14 CET.

These were the two presentations that were given during the webinar:

Amanda Wood (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) – 'How diets can support healthy people on a healthy planet'

We know that the foods we eat affect our health, but our diets also influence the health of the planet. This talk explored the many ways in which our diets impact environmental sustainability - for better and for worse - and described what we can eat to keep both people and the planet healthy and thriving. Starting from a global view on what foods are produced, eaten and wasted, and moving down to a local Nordic perspective on diets, listeners learned about dietary shifts that can make a positive impact on themselves and the planet.

Rūta Pelikšienė (Kaunas University of Technology) – 'Veganism, Stereotypes, and Everyday Climate Action'

Climate change discussions often focus on energy, transport, and industry, yet the climate impact of what we eat remains largely overlooked. This talk explored the climate relevance of vegan practices and why their potential is often underappreciated. Drawing on sociological research and accessible data, it examined how cultural norms and stereotypes shape public perceptions of veganism and influence people’s willingness to engage with plant-based eating. By reframing veganism as a spectrum of everyday practices rather than an all-or-nothing lifestyle, the session invited participants to reconsider how food choices relate to climate action. This presentation offered an engaging and practical perspective, leaving participants with concrete ideas for how gradual shifts toward plant-based eating can contribute to meaningful climate action.

This webinar explored how war reshapes ecosystems, public health, and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. It was held on 26 February. During the event, about 60 participants from BUP participating universities took part.

The event contained three focused presentations by Ukrainian researchers that examined environmental resilience and flood risks in Transcarpathia, the targeting and degradation of water bodies as both victims and instruments of war, and the emerging links between armed conflict, environmental exposure, and human health:

• ‘Water bodies of Ukraine as victims and weapons of war’, presented by Viktor Karamushka, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
• ‘Environmental Resilience of Transcarpathia during Wartime: Flood Risks, Infrastructure Degradation, and Emerging Anthropogenic Pressures’, presented by Svitlana Delegan-Kokayko, Uzhhorod National University.
• ‘War, Environment, and Cancer: Lessons from Ukraine’, presented by Olexiy Kovalyov, Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University.

This webinar explored the evolution of ESD and its current state, together with insights and perspectives from the participants. It was held on 12 February. During the event, about 40 participants from BUP participating universities took part.

This was the first webinar in a series celebrating BUP’s 35th anniversary in 2026, dedicated to sustainability and the ten BUP themes.

Climate change, extreme weather events, global pandemics, financial instability, political and military conflicts, and the rapid evolution of AI – these are interconnected challenges shaping our world today, often emerging simultaneously and unpredictably.

Questions that were considered at the webinar: How do these polycrisis conditions influence Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)? Are higher education institutions in the Baltic Sea region truly “walking the ESD talk”? What obstacles do university educators face, and what expectations are students bringing to the table?

The presenters were PhD Aleksandra Halaim (Uppsala University) and PhD Cecilia Lundberg (Åbo Akademi University).