Communiqué. Life sciences universities addressing climate change and advancing sustainable bioeconomies

  Association for European Life Science Universities
Rectors and Deans Forum 2021

COMMUNIQUÉ
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 University of Tirana
Albania

Edmond Terthorja
Agricultural University of Tirana
Albania

University Professor Hubert Hasenauer
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Austria

University Professor Barbara Hinterstoisser
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Austria

University Professor Josef Glössl
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Austria

Ir Marleen Schepers
PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Belgium

Professor Yvan Larondelle
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, UCLouvain
Belgium

Dean Frédéric Francis
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège
Belgium

Professor Guido Van Huylenbroeck
Ghent University
Belgium

Professor Marc Van Meirvenne
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University
Belgium

Ir. Matt Tips
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven (University of Leuven)
Belgium

Professor Marnik Vanclooster
Earth & Life Institute, UCLouvain
Belgium

Professor Jos Van Orshoven
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven (University of Leuven)
Belgium

Professor Liesbet Vranken
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven (University of Leuven)
Belgium

Professor Erik Mathijs
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven (University of Leuven)
Belgium

Dr Tony Remans
PXL University of Applied Sciences
Belgium

Dean Christine Dupont
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, UCLouvain
Belgium

Full Professor Ivica Kisic
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb
Croatia

Assistant Professor Kristina Kljak
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture
Croatia

Vice-rector Martina Lichovníková
Mendel university in Brno
Czech republic

Professor Michal Lošťák
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Czech Republic

Ing. Lukáš Pospíšil
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Czech Republic

Dr Tereza Slámová
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Czech Republic

Ing. Dana Výlupková
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Czech Republic

Vice Dean Kurt Nielsen
Aarhus University
Danmark

Professor John R Porter
University of Copenhagen
Denmark

Reserch Director Jukka Tikkanen
School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland
Finland

Dean Ritva Toivonen
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki
Finland

Vice-Dean Janna Pietikäinen
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University 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, University of Hohenheim
Germany

Professor Stephan Dabbert
University of Hohenheim
Germany

Professor Ralf Vögele
University of Hohenheim
Germany

Rector Ragnheidur Inga Thorarinsdottir
Agricultural University of Iceland
Iceland

Professor Frank Monahan
University College Dublin
Ireland

Professor Alex Evans
University College Dublin
Ireland

Professor Stephen Onakuse
Agrinatura
Univertsity of Cork
Ireland

Professor Stefano Cesco
Free University of Bolzano
Italy

Dean Daniela Quaglino
Department of Life Sciences, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Italy

Professor Irina Pilvere
Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies
Latvia

Professor Antanas Maziliauskas
Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy
Lithuania

Karen van der Heide
Wageningen University and Research
Netherlands

Professor Wim Heijman
Wageningen University and Research
Netherlands

Professor Arthur Mol
Wageningen University & Research
Netherlands

Professor Marta Aleksandrowicz-Trzcińska
Warsaw University of Life Sciences
Poland

Associate Professor Roman Wójcik
Warsaw University of Life Sciences
Poland

Professor Marta Mendel
Warszaw University of Life Sciences
Poland

Professor Anna Chelmonska-Soyta
Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences
Poland

Professor Agnieszka Kita
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
Poland

Professor Andrzej Sechman
University of Agriculture in Krakow
Poland

Professor Teodor Trasca
Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine
Romania

Vice Rector Florin Stanica
University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine - Bucharest
România

Full Professor Nataša Poklar Ulrih
Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana
Slovenia

Full Professor Marina Pintar
Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana
Slovenia

Dean Daniel Brink
Stellenbosch University
South Africa

Professor Ylva Hillbur
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Sweden

Professor Maria Knutson Wedel
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Sweden

Professor Anna Lundhagen
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Sweden

Professor Ute Seeling
Bern University of Applied Sciences
Switzerland

Professor Vadym Tkachuk
National UNiversity of Life and environmental sciences of Ukraine
Ukraine

Professor Simon Mortimer
University of Reading
United Kingdom

Pro-Vice Chancellor Julian Park
University 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 www.ica-europe.info )
For more information contact Dr Simon Heath, ICA Secretary General [email protected]