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In its mission statement, VITO commits itself to promoting sustainable development via scientifically underpinned  advice and support. Within the Transition Energy and Environment Research Unit (TEM), ‘transitions’ and ‘transition management’ are the guiding concepts for the effective realisation of sustainable development and for the research intended to contribute to this objective.

Transitions are processes of radical, structural change in a society and its diverse socio-technical systems. They encompass fundamental changes in the established structures, cultures and modes of action. Consequently, transitions are long-term processes - the typical timehorizon covers several ‘generations’ - typified by complexity and insecurity. While examples of historical transitions (e.g.  from transport by horse-and-carriage to automobiles, or from sailing ships to steam ships) often boil down to radical and structural change processes without a well-defined and pre-set objective, the present concept of ‘transition’ as working framework is clearly linked to an explicit goal: sustainable development. 

Based on the literature and on our own interactive reflection process, TEM adopts a ‘transition’ framework that synthesizes a number of basic theories and that allows us to embed our own research activities.

For detailed information on this curve, see Transition Framework

TEM envisions using these six typical transition activities in its own strategic approach to its research projects, more specifically in its core thematic areas:

• Transport and mobility
• Energy use & supply
• Climate change & land use
• Living & building
• Resources management
• Industrial emissions   

In this, our expertise and competences with respect to tools for sustainability assessment are major assets and building blocks.

Several recent research projects and publications:

• Energy use & supply:
  • Post Kyoto options for Belgium – MARKAL/TIMES, 2012-2050, VITO/KUL – Centre for Economic Studies, November 2007
  • TUMATIM (new window): Treating uncertainty and risk in energy systems with MARKAL/TIMES
  • MKM: Environmental costing model for Flanders (See: www.emis.vito.be (new window))
  • ETSAP network (See: www.etsap.org (new window); Energy Technology Systems Analysis Program of the International Energy agency)
  • Assessment and improvement of methodologies used for greenhouse gas projections, 2008, in preparation
  • Yearly energy balance Flanders, from 1990 (See: www.emis.vito.be/energiebalans (new window))
  • Refund+: evaluation of experience on the effect of tax measures for RES heating systems in residential buildings. (See: www.energies-renouvelables.org/refund/observ.asp (new window))
  • Bio-fuel cities: building a European partnership for exchange and networking on bio-fuels applications in transport. (See: www.biofuel-cities.eu (new window))
  • Elobio: review of current experience with bio-fuels and other RE policies and their impact on other markets. (See: www.elobio.eu (new window))
  • BAP driver: leveraging the development of national biomass strategies and action plans. (See: www.bapdriver.org/doku.php (new window))
• Transport & mobility:
  • CLEVER– Clean vehicle research (2011) 
  • BIOSES– Analysis of life cycle emissions of bio fuels (2011)
  • LIMOBEL- Long-run impact of policy packages on mobility in Belgium (2011) 
  • SHAPES - Systematic analysis of health risks and physical activity associated with cycling policies (2011) 
  • A model-based approach for evaluating the safety and environmental effects of traffic policy measures
   (2011)
  • Beckx, C., Panis, L.I., Janssens, D., & Wets, G. 2010. Applying activity-travel data for the assessment of vehicle exhaust emissions: Application of a GPS-enhanced data collection tool. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 15, (2) 117-122 available from: ScienceDirect (new window)
  • Int Panis, L., Beckx, C., Broekx, S., De Vlieger, I., Schrooten, L., Degraeuwe, B., & Pelkmans, L. 2011. PM, NOx and CO2 emission reductions from speed management policies in Europe. Transport Policy, 18, (1) 32-37 available from: ScienceDirect (new window)Vanhulsel, M., Beckx, C., Janssens, D., Vanhoof, K., & Wets, G. 2010. Measuring Dissimilarity of Geographically Dispersed Space-Time Paths. Transportation, 38, (1) 65-79 available from: Springerlink (new window)
• Sustainability evaluations:
  • Best Available Techniques for the surface treatment of metals, 2008 (See: www.emis.vito.be/BBT (new window))
  • SuFiQuaD - Sustainability, financial and quality evaluation of dwelling types

Contact:

Peter Vercaemst
Tel. + 32 14 33 58 63
Fax + 32 14 32 11 85
Mobile + 32 473 78 08 57
Send a message to Peter Vercaemst