Dr. Heikki Lihavainen, focuses on the ethical challenges related to environmental data, which lies at the core of ENVRI-Hub NEXT. He points out that issues such as data collection bias can have real-world consequences, as poorly designed data collection can distort scientific findings and lead to unfair or misleading conclusions. 

Dr. Lihavainen underlines the need for environmental data to be representative, inclusive, and transparent. He encourages the use of accessible language and clear metadata, so that data can be understood and used by a wide range of people, from scientists to local communities. 

His presentation also addressed data privacy and confidentiality, highlighting the importance of secure data handling, anonymisation techniques, and respecting the rights of individuals whose information may be part of environmental datasets. A particularly important aspect of his talk concerns data sovereignty and indigenous knowledge, with a strong call to meaningfully engage Indigenous communities in the data collection process and to respect their rights over data concerning their traditional knowledge and territories.