The climate crisis: what is the role of Dutch universities?
Are Dutch universities ready to address climate change? Dr. ir. Sanli Faez, member of the Utrecht Young Academy, has written an about the role of the university in the climate crisis.
In the Netherlands, over 2000 scientists and scholars have signed a letter acknowledging the concerns of 鈥淔ridays for Future鈥 climate strikers. To combat climate change, universities should adapt too. So far, changes are being made in logistics and facilities: Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 aims to be CO2 neutral in 2030.
Faez emphasizes that the core activities of the university, education and research, should transition as well. 鈥淚t is past the time that our academic institutions take a holistic analysis of their core activities.鈥 We should study the role of the university in the transformation to a sustainable planet.
The Utrecht Young Academy has asked the university board to set up a climate change emergency taskforce. This team should prepare the educational programs and research agenda for a climate-neutral society. Faez asks several critical questions in his article that the team must address, such as how students should be prepared for various climate scenarios and whether the university should facilitate research that contradicts sustainable development.
Faez urges everybody to act if their workspace is not yet prepared for this transformation. 鈥淚t is your right as a citizen and your duty as an employee to ask for more action.鈥 All hands are needed on deck to complete this novel and urgent academic mission.