Launch of the prestigious Horizon Europe PLAN-B research grant | Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Gdańsk University of Technology

This four-year multidisciplinary research, coordinated by the University of Ghent, launched in January 2024.

The project is an inter-faculty project between the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Gdańsk University of Technology. The project leads are: Karolina M. Zielińska-Dąbkowska Ph.D., Architect, who was invited to cooperate by the consortium members and co-wrote the winning application with them, and Paweł Tysiac Ph.D.

The rate of global biodiversity decline is unprecedented and accelerating. Urban sprawl, population growth and industrialization bring previously unrecognised drivers of biodiversity loss, including light and noise pollution. The EU has adopted policies, including the EU Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, to enable transformative change through better protection of biodiversity and nature restoration activities. However, current projections suggest that the EU’s 2030 biodiversity target will not be met; an alternative plan is required. PLAN-B takes an integrated, multidisciplinary and multi-actor approach to deliver better understanding and support reduction of light and noise pollution impacts on terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Key outputs of PLAN-B include creation of:

• a framework and supporting handbook for assessing light and noise pollution impacts to inform environmental decision-making
• an open access database on light and noise impacts on terrestrial biodiversity
• spatiotemporal models for evaluating noise and light impacts on terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem services, including at the European scale
• innovative solutions to prevent and mitigate light and noise pollution impacts
• recommendations for enhancing legal and policy frameworks to reduce light and noise pollution impacts on terrestrial biodiversity
• sustainable Communities of Practice (CoPs), centred around key stakeholder groups, on the impacts of light and noise on terrestrial biodiversity
• a Strategic Research Agenda for light and noise pollution impacts on terrestrial wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystem services that can be used by researchers, regulators, policymakers and other stakeholders to develop future research activities.

Working with European and international partners, including from Brazil, CoPs, key networks (e.g. Biodiversa+) and the Horizon Europe sister project Aquaplan on aquatic biodiversity and ecosystems, PLAN-B will maximise its global reach and research impact. Through its work programme, PLAN-B will create the enabling conditions to support and enhance activities planned in the EU biodiversity strategy and provide a new path towards meeting the EU and international biodiversity targets.