“On their own, governments will not be able to save the world from major environmental disasters caused by ongoing climate change.” This warning was delivered by Professor Mohan Munasinghe during a speech at Vale’s International Seminar on Sustainable Development. The workshop, running until May 15 in the Brazilian cities of Belém and Rio de Janeiro, is being organised by the Vale Technology Institute (ITV). The consultation with the international scientific community will help guide the agenda of research work to be undertaken at the ITV research centre to be built in Belém, which will focus on research into sustainable development.
Munasinghe, a Sri Lankan physicist who runs the Sustainable Consumption Institute at the University of Manchester, UK, and winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, highlighted the role of emerging countries in the fight against rising planetary temperatures. In his opinion, solutions that the world is hoping for in sustainable development and pollution control are likely to be developed in countries such as Brazil, India and China. He emphasised initiatives such as that taken by Vale, which through the ITV is supporting research on technology and projects to find ways of using natural resources without causing major environmental harm.
This consultation with the international scientific community will help to guide the agenda of research work to be undertaken at the ITV research centre to be built in Belém, the capital of the state of Par, which will focus on research into sustainable development.
In all, 30 researchers from 19 countries are participating in the workshop, including Munasinghe, one of the most renowned intellectuals in the environmental field. As a result of his work as Vice Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Munasinghe won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, together with former US president Al Gore, and other members of the IPCC.
In Rio, three days of debates are being held with researchers discussing sustainable development-related issues and exploring how mining activities can contribute to the wellbeing of local communities, minimising the impacts caused by these operations. The researchers will also take part in a technical visit to Vale’s mines in Itabira and Brucutu in the state of Minas Gerais. ITV was created by Vale to co-ordinate the company’s science and technology activities and support the production of scientific research in Brazil.
ITV’s Director, Luiz Mello, explained that the workshop is the institute’s first formal commitment to building a scientific research agenda and to collaborating with the academic community of Belém. Mello stressed the importance of Munasinghe’s talk. “Dr. Mohan is a renowned researcher who can make a contribution to ITV in Par by sharing his knowledge and experience gained from decades of study and research into climate change, an issue that is very important to the region, given that the Amazon plays a significant role in the planet’s climate,” he said.
Mello also emphasised that, with the establishment of ITV, the state of Par will take a major step forwards in science and research. “In Par we will have a worldclass institute, a centre for research into sustainable development that will benefit from the work of 50 scientists and researchers, hired in Brazil and from abroad, to carry out studies on the environment and sustainable development.”
The first of three ITV research centres will be built this year in the state of Par. The other two centres will be built in Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais), to specialise in mining, and Sâo Paulo, which will focus on innovations in energy. The centre in Belém, Par, will prioritise research on sustainable development.
The site for the Par ITV center is currently being selected. The campus will feature infrastructure and laboratories to accommodate an initial group of around 50 researchers, administrative staff and students, giving a total of about 400 people. Naturally, the centre’s architectural design was created with sustainability in mind, taking into account land use issues, the use of rainwater and solar panels to generate power.
Even before the centre is built, ITV’s initiatives to promote research in the state of Par have already begun: in 2008, ITV, the Par State Research Promotion Foundation (FAPESPA) and the State Development, Science and Technology Secretariat (SEDECT) awarded 84 scholarships for post-graduate studies in Par.
The following year, ITV, FAPESPA and SEDECT launched a project to provide financial support to researchers conducting research on issues related to the mining industry in Par. In 2010, ITV signed an agreement with the state research promotion foundations of Par (FAPESPA), Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and Sâo Paulo (FAPESP) to invest R$120 million in scientific work in the fields of mining, energy, eco-efficiency and biodiversity, and ferrous products used in steelmaking.