A BECC Lighthouse Project tackles some of the most pressing questions of our time, focusing on biodiversity and ecosystem services in a changing climate. Each project brings together a dedicated consortium of BECC Principal Investigators (PIs) from diverse backgrounds who collaborate closely and meet regularly to discuss, analyse, and advance their shared challenge.
In 2025, BECC received 5 applications involving 28 PIs to the call, of which three were awarded funding, totalling almost 8 million SEK. Below is a brief introduction to each of the selected projects.
Climate Change requires Agricultural Change
- Exploring Sustainable Agricultural Ecosystem Services
Project description
Agriculture is crucial for society but brings devastating consequences for nature with severe negative impacts on major ecosystem properties and services. Climate change further threatens to add to these negative impacts resulting in decreased food security and reduced desired ecosystem services. This poses a grand challenge that must be addressed: the need to increase agricultural resilience and ecosystem functions in the face of climate change.
Jonas Ardö, Professor of Physical Geography, Lund University, is the main PI of the project. He explains how the project will target the stated grand challenge through a joint effort.
– The central goal is to develop knowledge and build competence related to agroecosystems. We will focus on (1) how to enhance the capacity to deliver essential ecosystem services—such as food, feed, fiber, carbon sequestration, soil health, and water quality while (2) simultaneously minimising negative environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, nutrient leaching, and biodiversity loss, as well as (3) reducing reliance on external inputs like seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, machinery, and fuel.
The group will investigate paths towards synergies of resilience and resource efficiency in agriculture and explore opportunities to feed the world more sustainably. More specifically the aim is to:
- Write and publish state-of-the-art review identifying pros and cons of prioritised options for tackling the diverse problems of current agriculture to identify opportunities mitigating negative impacts.
- Develop and submit an ERC synergy proposal that can trailblaze the realisation of these opportunities into the next agricultural paradigm for Sweden, Europe, and the globe.
Project facts:
Title: Climate Change requires Agricultural Change - Exploring Sustainable Agricultural Ecosystem Services
Granted funds: 2.3 million SEK
Duration: One year, 2026
Consortia: Jonas Ardö, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, LU; Johannes Rousk, Department of Biology, LU; Lettice Hicks, Department of Biology, LU; Lennart Olsson, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, LUCSUS; Elina Andersson, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, LUCSUS; Stefan Olin, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, LU; Torbern Tagesson, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, LU; Patrik Vestin, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, LU.
Unbreaking the Planet
- Evidence-Based Pathways to Restore Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries
Project description
Human activities have transgressed seven of eight Earth System Boundaries, the safe and just operating space for civilisation—threatening planetary stability. This project aims to synthesise existing scientific evidence to identify integrated and evidence-based ways to restore multiple Earth System Boundaries to their safe and just operating space. The project will address two fundamental questions:
- What solutions can restore each boundary to safe levels, with what quantified potentials?
- How do solutions interact across boundaries?
Kimberly Nicholas, main PI and professor at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, LUCSUS, explains why an integrated approach for restoring multiple Earth System Boundaries is needed:
– By using this approach, we move beyond identifying problems and addressing individual planetary crises in isolation, towards systemic solutions for planetary health. We aim not just to halt damage, but to restore the Earth system to full health, resilience, and abundance, while providing a good quality of life for all, says Kimberly Nicholas.
Main outputs of the project include:
- synthesis publication on integrated restoration pathways,
- boundary-specific solution pathways,
- policy brief for Swedish authorities,
- and public engagement through The Conversation.
Project facts:
Title: Unbreaking the Planet: Evidence-Based Pathways to Restore Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries
Granted funds: 3.15 million SEK
Duration: One year, 2026
Consortia: Kimberly Nicholas, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, LUCSUS; Jakob Skovgaard, Political Science, LU; Amelie Lindgren, Department of Earth Sciences, UGOT; Søren Faurby, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, UGOT; Yann Clough, Environmental and Climate Science, LU; Edith Hammer, Department of Biology, LU.
Promise and Perils of Markets for Nature’s Benefits
Project description
Addressing biodiversity loss and climate change requires leveraging additional financing. “Nature markets” refer to market-based mechanisms — such as biodiversity and carbon credits — that monetize multiple values of ecosystems (e.g., carbon storage, biodiversity, water purification). Biodiversity credit markets have the potential to succeed where carbon credit markets have struggled, provided they are designed with robust standards, transparency, and equity from the outset. But nature-based credit markets can also do more harm than good unless underpinned by rigorous science and transparent governance. Without credibility and accountability, these markets may fail to deliver real conservation outcomes.
In this project, both opportunities and limitations with Nature Markets are acknowledged. The consortia will synthesize existing scientific knowledge and emerging practice around biodiversity credits and other markets for nature’s benefits and evaluate their potential as effective instruments for conservation and climate protection.
Main outputs pf the project include:
- An open-science panel discussion with the international experts and BECC PIs.
- A policy forum publication in Science or Nature, where we contribute to the debate on market-based solutions for biodiversity contribution.
- A popular science piece to communicate to non-scientific audiences.
Project facts:
Title: Promise and Perils of Markets for Nature’s Benefits.
Granted funds: 2.5 million SEK
Duration: One year, 2026
Consortia: Nils Droste, University of Copenhagen (formerly Department of Political Science, LU; Kimberly Nicholas, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, LUCSUS; Alexandre Antonelli, Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, UGOT & Royal Botanical Gardens, KEW; Henrik Smith, Department of Biology, LU
Next BECC Lighthouse call
Next call is planned to open in spring of 2027. More information: