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Dresden Nexus Conference 2020: Urgent Societal Questions Cannot Wait

Saturday 6 June, 2020

How can the sustainable use of environmental resources be
better achieved through principles of the circular economy and what role
does the Nexus Approach play? This question moves many all over the
world. From 3 to 5 June, they discussed questions relating to the topic
of “Circular Economy in a Sustainable Society” at the Dresden Nexus
Conference (DNC2020). Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, DNC2020 was held
entirely in virtual form. This did not dampen the interest: More than
1,000 people from around 100 countries registered for the conference.
The eDNC2020 was jointly organised by the United Nations University
(UNU‐FLORES), the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional
Development (IOER), and the Technische Universität Dresden (TUD).


Dresden, 5 June 2020. – With the signing of the Declaration of the
Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC2020), the third Dresden Nexus Conference
ended today. The signatories include the Saxon State Minister of Energy,
Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture, Wolfram Günther, and
the three organisers of the DNC2020 – Prof. Edeltraud Guenther, Director
of UNU‐FLORES, Prof. Marc Wolfram, Director of IOER, and Prof. Lars
Bernard, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of TUD. Together
they want to stimulate a scientific and political debate on core issues
of the circular economy. In the declaration, they make clear which
thematic priorities are particularly important for the systematic
development of new approaches and the transition to a circular economy.
In addition to the political debate on the challenges of sustainable
development, these include technical, economic, and social issues as
well as the integrated management of environmental resources, as
envisaged by the Nexus Approach.


From classic conference format to virtual event


Due to the spread of the coronavirus, the organisers were faced with a
crucial question at the end of March: Should the conference be
postponed by one year or even longer? “We realised soon enough that this
was not an option. The societal challenges that we wanted to discuss
with people all over the world simply would not allow for any
postponement. This urgency may be increased by the pandemic, but crises
stimulate innovation,” says Edeltraud Guenther of UNU‐FLORES. In just a
few weeks, a virtual format was thus developed from the classic on‐site
conference. “We have to thank everyone involved in DNC2020 – the keynote
speakers as well as all conveners and contributors in the 13 sessions
and the side events. It is unbelievable with how much commitment
everyone contributed to transforming the DNC2020 into a virtual event,”
says Lars Bernard from the Technische Universität Dresden.


The five keynote speeches made clear how important it is to face the
challenges of a changing world now. They focused on various aspects of
the circular economy and the integrated management of environmental
resources (Nexus Approach) as well as on the question of how both
approaches can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) of the United Nations. “It has become very clear that the DNC
provides a unique opportunity for an international exchange on the state
of the art regarding the Nexus Approach. The conference has once again
underlined the crucial relevance of the nexus for shaping just
sustainability transformations. Through further deepening inter‐ and
transdisciplinary collaborations, effective support for societal
decision making can increasingly be offered at all levels,” says Marc
Wolfram from the IOER at the end of the conference.


The organisers’ outlook at the end of the DNC2020 clearly shows:
After the conference is before the conference. Science and practice will
continue to work together on important challenges regarding the Nexus
Approach and questions of circular economy. In the coming weeks and
months, the organising institutions of the DNC2020 will be publishing
various special issues on topics of the conference. In addition, a photo
and video contest on the topic of “Circular Economy in a Sustainable
Society” is planned. Those who want to stay informed can subscribe to
the DNC newsletter. The next Dresden Nexus Conference will take place in
2022 – probably again on site in Dresden.


Further information


Selected contents of the eDNC2020 are available on the DNC YouTube channel

Link to the DNC Declaration (German)

Link to the conference website of the DNC2020

Subscribe to the DNC newsletter



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