News

Guidance to ensure emerging technology sustainability

Published:17.05.23 — We want to ensure that emerging technology won’t damage the environment once rolled out on a large scale. The third and final report of IRGC’s project on ‘ensuring the environmental sustainability of emerging technology’s outcome is now published. It is a guidance document with specific recommendations targeting lawmakers and regulators, technology developers, research funding organisations, technology investors, industry and standard-setting organisations.

New project continues EPFL's commitment to space sustainability

Published:19.04.23 — IRGC is happy to contribute to a project about understanding and enhancing space sustainability. The project, coordinated by eSpace, will provide evidence-based insights to policymaking and link with the Space Sustainability Rating system.

EPFL hones efforts to ensure new technology is sustainable

Published:20.03.23 — The environmental sustainability of up-and-coming technology is among the issues addressed by EPFL’s International Risk Governance Center (IRGC). The Center aims to develop a number of best practices and decision-making guidelines in this area.

Discussing the future of digital currencies and assets

Published:23.01.23 — Although digital currencies contain seeds of benefits, they may also contribute to destabilising monetary and financial policies, with cascading effects in economic and social policies that could significantly undermine well-being and trust. Concerned by the future of digital currencies and assets, the EPFL International Risk Governance Center (IRGC) released 10 highlights from an expert workshop.

Ensuring environmental sustainability of emerging technologies

Published:23.12.22 — Phase 2 of IRGC’s ESET (Ensuring environmental sustainability of emerging technologies) project: IRGC just published a series of papers written by experts in various fields who describe what is being done in their domain towards ensuring the environmental sustainability of emerging technology outcomes.

How could policy address risks from carbon dioxide removal (CDR)?

Published:15.11.22 — All options for removing CO2 from the atmosphere and sequestering it for the long term must be assessed for their potential to contribute to reducing climate change risk, but also for their uncertainties, limits and possible adverse impacts.

First Kinetic Space Safety Workshop hosted at EPFL in May

Published:30.06.22 — The first Low Earth Orbit Kinetic Space Safety Workshop, organised by ClearSpace, AXA XL Insurance, LeoLabs, along with eSpace – EPFL Space Center and the EPFL International Risk Governance Center (IRGC), was held last month at the SwissTech Conference Center.

IRGC project: environmental sustainability of emerging technologies

Published:23.05.22 — The International Risk Governance Center (IRGC) is conducting project work to look into ways to ensure the environmental sustainability of emerging technology outcomes (ESET). The objective is to develop guidance for those who develop technologies that might indirectly have an adverse impact on the environment, and those who fund, incentivise, deploy or regulate such technologies.

International workshop to address problem of space debris

Published:12.04.22 — A workshop at EPFL will bring together an international and interdisciplinary group of experts to find solutions to the pressing issue of space debris and safety. Taking place on May 4-5, the Low Earth Orbit Kinetic Space Safety Workshop is open to participants both in person in Lausanne and online.

IRGC 2021 annual report

Published:10.03.22 — IRGC’s annual report provides an overview of the many topics we work on with external experts, offering a contribution from the field of risk governance on issues such as: low-carbon transition risks, climate intervention techniques, risk of collision with space debris and environmental sustainability of emerging technologies.

Nine recommendations for the governance of AI systems in Europe

Published:09.03.22 — Governance functions traditionally performed by humans are increasingly informed and sometimes automatically executed by machine learning algorithms (governance by machine learning) to benefit society. Therefore, it is necessary to think also about the governance, or regulation, of AI systems. Work conducted by IRGC for the EU TRIGGER project concluded with nine recommendations for the governance of AI systems in Europe, presented in this spotlight on risk article.

How to think safely about Solar Radiation Modification?

Published:19.01.22 — In this ‘spotlight on risk’ article, we present a possible decision framework to help policymakers become more confident that thinking about possible use of stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is not dangerous. If concrete scientific evidence is found that SAI can contribute effectively to reducing global temperature increase caused by rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, and if research and populations find that the risks associated with SAI are acceptable, then a clear framework will be necessary. 

New policy brief highlights urgency for acting on space debris

Published:02.12.21 — Action on collision risk from space debris is needed now to ensure future operations in space, according to a new policy brief from the EPFL International Risk Governance Center (IRGC). The publication offers a range of technical and policy options that could help avoid potential disruptions to space-based services such as environmental monitoring, weather forecasting and communications.

New book from IRGC workshop on synthetic biology

Published:21.10.21 — The new book "Emerging Threats of Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity" is part of NATO's Science for Peace and Security Programme and comes out of discussions from an IRGC expert workshop on synthetic biology.

Deepfakes challenge to trust and truth

Published:25.08.21 — From personal abuse and reputational damage to the breakdown of democratic politics through the manipulation of public opinion, deepfakes are increasingly in the spotlight for the harm that they might cause to individuals and society as a whole. Tanya Petersen discussed these issues with Aengus Collins, deputy director and head of policy at EPFL’s International Risk Governance Center.

EPFL works to address debris collision risk

Published:19.05.21 — Space debris threatens human safety in space and puts at risk critical space-based infrastructure that supports services such as the internet, global navigation and climate monitoring. A new project from the EPFL International Risk Governance Center (IRGC), in collaboration with the EPFL Space Center (eSpace) and Space Innovation, is studying the governance of risks related to space debris and assessing policy options to ensure the safe and sustainable use of space.

A physical party to prove you're a real virtual person

Published:31.03.21 — The ease of creating fake virtual identities plays an important role in shaping the way information – and misinformation – circulates online. Could ‘pseudonym’ parties, that would verify proof of personhood not proof of identity, resolve this tension?

The time to take low-carbon transition risks seriously is now

Published:18.02.21 — A successful climate policy means preparing for unintended adverse impacts, such as job losses in declining energy sectors or potential environmental impacts of scaling up renewables. That’s the message of EPFL researchers in their latest policy brief that provides a roadmap for anticipating and mitigating the risks of transitioning to a low-carbon economy and society. It calls on decision-makers to plan ahead and take systematic action.

Crossing the artificial intelligence thin red line?

Published:22.12.20 — EPFL computer science professor tells conference that AI has no legitimate roll in defining, implementing, or enforcing public policy.

A call for better governance of climate engineering technologies

Published:19.06.20 — In a study for the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment EPFL’s International Risk Governance Center (IRGC) has brought together a group of global experts to point the way forward for international policymakers grappling with the risks and benefits posed by Carbon Dioxide Removal and Solar Radiation Modification.