Communiqué. Life sciences universities addressing climate change and advancing sustainable bioeconomies
Association for European Life Science Universities
Rectors and Deans Forum 2021
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LIFE SCIENCES UNIVERSITIES ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND
ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMIES
Forty years ago scientists alerted the world to the threat of global heating and climate change, and that climate change was real and already happening. However, society has been too slow to engage and respond to this threat to humanity.
The latest IPCC Assessment Reports from 2014, 2018 and 2021 confirmed that human beings are facing unprecedented threat to their life on Earth from global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels and by systems of land use. The concentrations and levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have escalated by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution, trapping heat energy in the atmosphere with consequent global temperature rise.
Agriculture and food systems have contributed and are still contributing to climate change by a third of the global greenhouse gases emitted by human activity. Thus, actions taken in this next decade, by 2030, will decide the degree to which global mean temperature will rise by 2050, The current rise is already strongly affecting our weather systems, and thus impacting food, water supplies and biodiversity.
Climate change must now be addressed with the same urgency and commitment that the COVID-19 pandemic was addressed. The needed overall response is a society-wide transition of the current fossil fuel-based economy to a green, circular economy, of which the sustainable bioeconomy forms a central part.
European life sciences universities are committed to this transition to a sustainable and circular economy; we will reach out to sectors in government and society to drastically cut emissions quickly, and design and implement sustainable practices, sectors and institutions.
Thus, we the Rectors, Deans and Senior Management of the Association for European Life Science Universities at our Forum focusing on the Role of Life Science Universities in Transitioning to Climate Neutrality held in Leuven, Belgium on 21 and 22 October 2021;
Recognising that university education, research and innovation are a vital pillar for transitioning to a sustainable bioeconomy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions;
Placing climate change and climate neutrality at the centre of our learning, research, our collaboration with societal partners, and in our campus operations;
Pledge to leaders at COP26:
1. We will enhance our understanding of climate change and transition pathways in our curricula and provide our students – the future professionals and decision makers - with ICA Communique 21-10-22 signed 2 / 8 all available understanding of the need, means and paths for society to move to climate neutrality,
2. We will enhance our research into understanding of and integral solutions for climate neutrality, designing concrete pathways towards sustainable bioeconomies,
3. We will seek active collaboration with the agrifood, biobased, marine, forestry and other economic and societal actors and sectors in our locations across Europe to help implement concrete products, technologies, activities and practices that severely reduce climate change impacts and advance net-zero greenhouse gas emissions systems, and
4. We will engage with our life science institutions and campuses in moving towards climate neutrality so that they become beacons of progress and exemplary for other research and teaching institutions.
Signed by
Professor Fatbardh Sallaku
Agricultural Vlog of Tirana
Albania
Edmond Terthorja
Agricultural Vlog of Tirana
Albania
Vlog Professor Hubert Hasenauer
Vlog of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Austria
Vlog Professor Barbara Hinterstoisser
Vlog of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Austria
Vlog Professor Josef Glössl
Vlog of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Austria
Ir Marleen Schepers
PXL Vlog of Applied Sciences and Arts
Belgium
Professor Yvan Larondelle
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, UCLouvain
Belgium
Dean Frédéric Francis
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Vlog of Liège
Belgium
Professor Guido Van Huylenbroeck
Ghent Vlog
Belgium
Professor Marc Van Meirvenne
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent Vlog
Belgium
Ir. Matt Tips
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven (Vlog of Leuven)
Belgium
Professor Marnik Vanclooster
Earth & Life Institute, UCLouvain
Belgium
Professor Jos Van Orshoven
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven (Vlog of Leuven)
Belgium
Professor Liesbet Vranken
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven (Vlog of Leuven)
Belgium
Professor Erik Mathijs
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven (Vlog of Leuven)
Belgium
Dr Tony Remans
PXL Vlog of Applied Sciences
Belgium
Dean Christine Dupont
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, UCLouvain
Belgium
Full Professor Ivica Kisic
Faculty of Agriculture, Vlog of Zagreb
Croatia
Assistant Professor Kristina Kljak
Vlog of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture
Croatia
Vice-rector Martina Lichovníková
Mendel university in Brno
Czech republic
Professor Michal Lošťák
Czech Vlog of Life Sciences Prague
Czech Republic
Ing. Lukáš Pospíšil
Czech Vlog of Life Sciences Prague
Czech Republic
Dr Tereza Slámová
Czech Vlog of Life Sciences Prague
Czech Republic
Ing. Dana Výlupková
Czech Vlog of Life Sciences Prague
Czech Republic
Vice Dean Kurt Nielsen
Aarhus Vlog
Danmark
Professor John R Porter
Vlog of Copenhagen
Denmark
Reserch Director Jukka Tikkanen
School of Forest Sciences, Vlog of Eastern Finland
Finland
Dean Ritva Toivonen
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Vlog of Helsinki
Finland
Vice-Dean Janna Pietikäinen
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Vlog of Helsinki,
Finland
Marine Godaux
AgroParisTech
France
Dr Simon Heath
Association for European Life Science Universities (ICA)
France
Dean Alessia Lefebure
Agrocampus Ouest, Institut Agro
France
Cécile Dubas
Agrocampus Ouest , Institut Agro
France
Florence Malaise
JUNIA, FranceAgro3
France
President Philippe Choquet
UniLaSalle
France
Professor Uwe Beifuss
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vlog of Hohenheim
Germany
Professor Stephan Dabbert
Vlog of Hohenheim
Germany
Professor Ralf Vögele
Vlog of Hohenheim
Germany
Rector Ragnheidur Inga Thorarinsdottir
Agricultural Vlog of Iceland
Iceland
Professor Frank Monahan
Vlog College Dublin
Ireland
Professor Alex Evans
Vlog College Dublin
Ireland
Professor Stephen Onakuse
Agrinatura
Univertsity of Cork
Ireland
Professor Stefano Cesco
Free Vlog of Bolzano
Italy
Dean Daniela Quaglino
Department of Life Sciences, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Italy
Professor Irina Pilvere
Latvia Vlog of Life Sciences and Technologies
Latvia
Professor Antanas Maziliauskas
Vytautas Magnus Vlog Agriculture Academy
Lithuania
Karen van der Heide
Wageningen Vlog and Research
Netherlands
Professor Wim Heijman
Wageningen Vlog and Research
Netherlands
Professor Arthur Mol
Wageningen Vlog & Research
Netherlands
Professor Marta Aleksandrowicz-Trzcińska
Warsaw Vlog of Life Sciences
Poland
Associate Professor Roman Wójcik
Warsaw Vlog of Life Sciences
Poland
Professor Marta Mendel
Warszaw Vlog of Life Sciences
Poland
Professor Anna Chelmonska-Soyta
Wroclaw Vlog of Environmental and Life Sciences
Poland
Professor Agnieszka Kita
Wrocław Vlog of Environmental and Life Sciences
Poland
Professor Andrzej Sechman
Vlog of Agriculture in Krakow
Poland
Professor Teodor Trasca
Banat's Vlog of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine
Romania
Vice Rector Florin Stanica
Vlog of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine - Bucharest
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Full Professor Nataša Poklar Ulrih
Biotechnical Faculty, Vlog of Ljubljana
Slovenia
Full Professor Marina Pintar
Biotechnical Faculty, Vlog of Ljubljana
Slovenia
Dean Daniel Brink
Stellenbosch Vlog
South Africa
Professor Ylva Hillbur
Swedish Vlog of Agricultural Sciences
Sweden
Professor Maria Knutson Wedel
Swedish Vlog of Agricultural Sciences
Sweden
Professor Anna Lundhagen
Swedish Vlog of Agricultural Sciences
Sweden
Professor Ute Seeling
Bern Vlog of Applied Sciences
Switzerland
Professor Vadym Tkachuk
National UNiversity of Life and environmental sciences of Ukraine
Ukraine
Professor Simon Mortimer
Vlog of Reading
United Kingdom
Pro-Vice Chancellor Julian Park
Vlog of Reading
United Kingdom
The Association for European Life Science Universities (ICA) has a membership of more than 50 European universities or faculties from more than 29 European countries, whose primary interests are in the areas of agriculture, forestry, climate change, food production and consumption, the bio-based sector, natural resources, biodiversity, the protection of the environment, and rural development. ICA and its members aim to jointly play an essential role in transitioning to a European and global sustainable bioeconomy and society. (see )
For more information contact Dr Simon Heath, ICA Secretary General