A central component of the advisory work is carried out through the Danish Centre for Environment and Energy (DCE), Aarhus University’s core unit for knowledge exchange and public-sector consultancy within environment, climate and nature.
Through DCE, Aarhus University provides research-based advisory services to Danish authorities, particularly under the framework agreement with the Danish Ministry of the Environment.
In the Arctic context, this advisory work focuses especially on:
Based on the research foundation established through the framework agreement with the Danish Ministry of the Environment, DCE also provides scientific advice related to mineral and petroleum activities in Greenland, working under contract with the Government of Greenland’s Environment Agency for Mineral Resource Activities. The aim is to support sustainable development and informed decision-making in a region experiencing increasing economic activity. The advisory work is performed in collaboration with Pinngortitaleriffik (Greenland Institute of Natural Resources) in Nuuk. The main activities of the advisory services are linked to environmental assessments related to exploration and extraction of natural resources, and transport and infrastructure related to resource activities.
An important basis for the advice is also the maintenance of a database of relevant environmental data on, for instance, particularly sensitive areas for wildlife, chemical data from previous studies in Greenland and regional environmental assessment. DCE also have a chemical laboratory and a test bank with a large collection of environmental samples from Greenland.
Advisory work at Aarhus University is inherently interdisciplinary, combining expertise from environmental science, ecosystem research, climate modelling, and chemistry, among other fields. This integrated approach ensures that advice reflects the complexity of Arctic systems and provides robust, holistic decision support for public authorities and other stakeholders.
