Interdisciplinary cooperation of UYA members on climate change #1punt5
In the new #1punt5 video, Elaine Mak, Professor of Jurisprudence and member of the Utrecht Young Academy, discusses the multidisciplinary approach to address climate change and its importance for the Urgenda climate case. If scholars in law, governance and ethics work together with geoscientists, they can help inform better institutional decisions for the climate.
To communicate the manifold consequences of climate change, the Utrecht Young Academy has produced the video series 鈥1punt5鈥, in collaboration with the Faculty of Science communication office. In these short clips of 1.5 minutes, several faculty members reflect on the necessary public understanding of global warming and its consequences from the viewpoint of their disciplines.
The Urgenda case shows how law deals with a complex social issue. In December 2019, the highest court of the Netherlands confirmed that the state has to adopt stronger measures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. This judgment is considered to be a source of inspiration for judges in other countries.
To accomplish this outcome, insights from climate science had to be translated to the legal sphere. The Urgenda case underlines, therefore, that multidisciplinary teamwork is essential for approaching complex social issues such as the climate crisis. Geoscientists can inform fellow academics on the state of the available knowledge on climate change. Liberal Arts scholars can, reciprocally, explain possible choices and ideas on social and political responsibility towards citizens.
Climate change is one of the core projects of The Utrecht Young Academy. In September 2019, the Utrecht Young Academy officially declared the Climate Crisis and stated that the concerns of climate strikers were justified. We believe the measures to combat and adapt to climate change are far from adequate, and as scientists and scholars, besides providing knowledge, we have a moral obligation to inform and warn society about the state of the planet.
Many members are involved in projects or activities related to climate change, such as the Pathways to Sustainability Conference and these #1punt5 videos. UYA members Rianka Rijnhout (Law) and Peter Bijl (Geoscience) recently joined forces in two pop-up lectures on the Urgenda judgment.