On 8 November 2021, at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), CESAER, the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), Science Europe and the University of Strathclyde organised a ‘Science for Net-Zero Transition’ Symposium and launched a joint call for collective global action to tackle climate change by reducing and transitioning to Net-Zero emissions.
This Symposium provided a unique opportunity to gather together research funding and performing organisations and universities from around the world to share their experiences, viewpoints and possible ways to collaborate.
Each of the four founding organisations share this vision for a collaborative, systems-based approach, where research and education systems work together and in interaction with industry and society at large, engaging in contributing to this crucial societal challenge.
Our commitment aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Action to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.” The Call to Action is for universities and research funding and performing organisations to assess how their actions and ambitions around climate change can collectively be upgraded.
Rik Van de Walle, President of CESAER, said:
“We are launching a call to action based on our own commitment for the Net-Zero Transition to other partners, leaders, and the broad public, to join efforts towards the most pressing challenge of our time, climate change,”
The four partners have now jointly-released a report to reiterate their engagement to the Call to Action and their commitment to continue their cooperation, leading a session on ‘Engaging Researchers for the Net-Zero Transition’ on 15 July at the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF 2022) and reconvening at COP27 in November 2022.
For more information please contact our Advisor for Innovation & Sustainability, Louise Drogoul.