Sustainability Institute and Forum (SIF) at Reykjavik University

On 12 December 2017 the Icelandic government under Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir announced her government’s plan to make Iceland carbon-neutral by 2040. Subsequently, in September 2018 the Icelandic government published an ambitious climate action plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2040. SIF at Reykjavik University conducts research on sustainable development and low carbon technology projects, providing evidence based solutions to reducing greenhouse gases (GHG). This will be done through an interdisciplinary and cross sectional team of experts providing expertise on socio-economic problems raging from sustainable management of the Icelandic resources (resilience-based land and water management), innovative technologies (carbon- and sulf-fix project) to socio-economic impact studies (e.g. electrification of the car fleet). The overall goal of the group is to provide evidence based results to policy makers in order to strive for resilient and sustainable economic growth while preserving the beauty of the Icelandic  nature.

Watch our SIF Seminar on the EU Green Deal and Climate Actions in Iceland (7 Dec. 2020).

Summary of teaching activities:

Towards a carbon neutral and sustainable economy

http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2017/EGU2017-4876.pdf

Poster:

http://presentations.copernicus.org/EGU2017-4876_presentation.pdf

Visionary summary of the group

Iceland as a demonstrator for a transition to low carbon economy?
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2017/EGU2017-18339.pdf

Founding members and board:

• Hlynur Stefánsson, Asso. Professor - area of expertise: transition to low carbon economy
• Einar Jón Ásbjörnsson, Ass. Professor – area of expertise: geothermal energy, industrial processes
• David Christian Finger, Ass. Professor - area of expertise: environmental engineering, modelling, LCA, EIA

Etymology