Universiteit Gent moet klimaatnoodtoestand uitroepen / Ghent University Must Declare Climate Emergency

(English version and list of first signatories below)

Open brief: Universiteit Gent moet klimaatnoodtoestand uitroepen

Het IPCC-rapport van oktober 2018 voorspelt dat de opwarming van de aarde de grens van 1,5°C boven het pre-industriële niveau waarschijnlijk zal bereiken tussen 2030 en 2052 als de door menselijke activiteiten veroorzaakte opwarming aan het huidige tempo doorgaat. De overgrote meerderheid van de klimaatmodellen voorspelt dat een stijging van de wereldwijde gemiddelde oppervlaktetemperatuur van 1,5°C of meer een significante en wijdverbreide impact zal hebben op natuurlijke en menselijke systemen in elk deel van de wereld, met onnoemelijk leed tot gevolg (1,2). Op basis van dit bewijsmateriaal hebben meer dan 11.000 wetenschappers uit 153 landen onlangs verklaard dat de aarde met een klimaatnoodtoestand wordt geconfronteerd (3). De klimaatnoodtoestand is slechts één, maar een cruciaal, aspect van een bredere ecologische noodtoestand (4,5,6,7). Sociale rechtvaardigheid en billijkheid worden aangemerkt als kerncomponenten van klimaatbestendige ontwikkelingstrajecten om het lijden van de armste en meest achtergestelde gemeenschappen in de wereld te verlichten (1).

Als een vooraanstaande wetenschappelijke instelling heeft de Universiteit Gent de verantwoordelijkheid zo krachtig mogelijk te reageren op de klimaatnoodtoestand en de bestaande beleidsmaatregelen en initiatieven te versterken. De urgentie van de situatie vereist dat de universiteit een voortrekkersrol opneemt en zowel haar onderzoeksinspanningen als haar missieverklaring, waarin ze haar maatschappelijke engagement benadrukt (8), resoluut in de praktijk omzet. Een gepaste reactie op deze crisis erkent ook de bezorgdheid van huidige, toekomstige en oud-studenten—een stap die veel wereldvermaarde klimaatwetenschappers al hebben gezet (9).

Gehoor gevend aan de dringende oproep van meer dan 11.000 wetenschappers (3,10), en het voorbeeld volgend van meer dan 200 universiteiten en hogescholen (11,12,13), vragen wij de Universiteit Gent om:

1. de noodtoestand voor het klimaat uit te roepen en zich ertoe te verbinden tegen 2030 CO2-neutraal te zijn m.b.t. haar directe uitstoot en tegen 2050 m.b.t. haar directe en indirecte uitstoot.
2. tegen het begin van het academiejaar 2020-2021 een helder en coherent plan uit te werken met tweejaarlijkse intermediaire doelstellingen om deze ambitie waar te maken, met speciale aandacht voor een sociaal rechtvaardige transitie.
3. ervoor te zorgen dat bij elke bestuurlijke beslissing rekening wordt gehouden met de klimaatnoodtoestand door zowel voor de Raad van Bestuur als voor elke faculteitsraad de functie van klimaatvertegenwoordiger te creëren.
4. de uitvoering van het implementatieplan te laten opvolgen door een onafhankelijke monitoringcommissie. Elke twee jaar zal het rapport van deze commissie worden voorgesteld op een vergadering die toegankelijk is voor personeel en studenten, in overeenstemming met de missieverklaring van de universiteit, waarin ze kiest voor een participatief, gedecentraliseerd en dynamisch organisatiemodel (8).

Wij schrijven deze open brief in de geest van het streven van de Universiteit Gent om ‘een toonaangevende kennisinstelling [te] zijn voor een toekomst die ecologisch, sociaal en economisch duurzaam is, binnen een lokale en mondiale context’ (14).

Referenties
1. IPCC. (2018). Special report: Global warming of 1.5ºC.
2. Watts et al. (2019). The Lancet. The 2019 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Ensuring that the health of a child born today is not defined by a changing climate.
3. Ripple et al. (2019). BioScience. World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency.
4. Steffen et al. (2015). Science. Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet.
5. IPBES. (2019). Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
6. Ceballos et al. (2017). PNAS. Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines.
7. Fowler et al. (2013). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. The global nitrogen cycle in the twenty-first century.
8. Ghent University: https://www.ugent.be/nl/univgent/waarvoor-staat-ugent/missieverklaring.htm
9. Hagedorn et al. (2019). Science Letters. Concerns of young protesters are justified.
10. Renouf et al. (2019): https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/why-universities-need-declare-ecological-and-climate-emergency
11. Global Universities and Colleges for the Climate: https://www.sdgaccord.org/climateletter
12. University of Bristol: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/news/2019/climate-emergency.html
13. University of Warwick: https://globuswarwick.com/climateemergency/
14. Ghent University: https://www.ugent.be/nl/univgent/waarvoor-staat-ugent#Duurzaamheidsbeleid

WIJ ONDERSCHRIJVEN DEZE BRIEF.

Eerste ondertekenaars:
Ann Buysse, Dean, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Gita Deneckere, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Frank Gasthuys, Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Piet Hoebeke, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Herwig Reynaert, Dean, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Isabel Van Driessche, Dean, Faculty of Sciences
Patrick Van Kenhove, Dean, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Marc Van Meirvenne, Dean, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering

Jeroen Adam, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Maaheen Ahmed, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Lieven Annemans, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Lander Baeten, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Berber Bevernage, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Brent Bleys, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Koenraad Bogaert, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Eva Brems, Professor, Faculty of Law and Criminology
Gert Buelens, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Marco Caracciolo, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
An Cliquet, Professor, Faculty of Law and Criminology
Veerle Cnudde, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
Wim Cornelis, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Stef Craps, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Koen De Bosschere, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Kristoffel Demoen, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Joost Dessein, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Tine Destrooper, Professor, Faculty of Law and Criminology
Petra De Sutter, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Bruno De Wever, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Marijke D’Haese, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Myriam Dumortier, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Claire Dupont, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Jelle Laverge, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Luc Lens, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
Chia Longman, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Frank Maes, Professor, Faculty of Law and Criminology
Bernard Mazijn, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Jan Mertens, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Diego Miralles, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Erik Paredis, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Glenn Rayp, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Stijn Speelman, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Christel Stalpaert, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Marijke Steeman, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Yves T’Sjoen, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Frieke Van Coillie, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Nathan Van Den Bossche, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Jan Van den Bulcke, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Sonia Vandepitte, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Nele Vandersickel, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
Ann Van Soom, Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences
Hans Verbeeck, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Wim Verbeke, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Kris Verheyen, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Niko Verhoest, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Sabine Verhulst, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Hans Vernaeve, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
Hendrik Vos, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Sami Zemni, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences

Initiatiefnemers:
Moritz Gallei, Assisting academic staff, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Jonas Van der Slycken, PhD student, Faculty of Economic and Business Administration
Kobe Van Vooren, Student, Faculty of Sciences
Stef Craps, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Joris Meys, Administrative and technical staff, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Mahlu Mertens, PhD student, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy

___________________________

Open Letter: Ghent University Must Declare Climate Emergency

The IPCC report released in October 2018 predicts that global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels between 2030 and 2052 if warming induced by human activity continues at its current rate. As global mean surface temperatures rise by 1.5°C or more, the vast majority of climate models predict significant and pervasive impacts on natural and human systems in every region of the world, leading to untold suffering (1,2). Considering the weight of this evidence, more than 11,000 scientists from 153 countries have recently declared that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency (3). The climate emergency is only one, but a crucial, part of a wider ecological emergency (4,5,6,7). Social justice and equity are highlighted as core aspects of climate-resilient development pathways in order to alleviate the suffering of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities around the world (1).

As a leading scientific institution, Ghent University has a responsibility to respond in the strongest possible way to the climate emergency and to reinforce existing policies and initiatives. The urgency of the situation requires the university to take a frontrunner role and translate its research efforts and mission statement, which includes a commitment to social responsibility (8), into firm practice. Finding an appropriate response to the predicament also means acknowledging the deep concerns of previous, current, and future students—a step many of the world’s most renowned climate scientists have already taken (9).

Following the urgent call from more than 11,000 scientists (3,10), and the example of more than 200 universities and colleges (11,12,13), we ask Ghent University to:

1. declare a climate emergency and commit to a target of net zero carbon from direct emissions by 2030 and net zero carbon from both direct and indirect emissions by 2050.
2. develop a clear and coherent implementation plan with two-yearly intermediate goals to reach this target, paying particular attention to a socially just transition, by the start of the academic year 2020-2021.
3. ensure that the state of climate emergency is at the heart of every management decision at Ghent University by creating the position of a climate spokesperson for the board of governors and each faculty council.
4. monitor the progress of the implementation plan through an independent monitoring committee. Every two years, the committee’s report will be presented at an event open to staff and students in line with the university’s mission statement regarding a participative, decentralized, and dynamic organization model (8).

We write this open letter in the spirit of Ghent University’s vision of itself as ‘a leading knowledge institute for a future that is ecologically, socially and economically sustainable within a local and global context’ (14).

References
1. IPCC. (2018). Special report: Global warming of 1.5ºC.
2. Watts et al. (2019). The Lancet. The 2019 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Ensuring that the health of a child born today is not defined by a changing climate.
3. Ripple et al. (2019). BioScience. World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency.
4. Steffen et al. (2015). Science. Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet.
5. IPBES. (2019). Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
6. Ceballos et al. (2017). PNAS. Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines.
7. Fowler et al. (2013). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. The global nitrogen cycle in the twenty-first century.
8. Ghent University: https://www.ugent.be/en/ghentuniv/principles/mission.htm
9. Hagedorn et al. (2019). Science Letters. Concerns of young protesters are justified.
10. Renouf et al. (2019): https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/why-universities-need-declare-ecological-and-climate-emergency
11. Global Universities and Colleges for the Climate: https://www.sdgaccord.org/climateletter
12. University of Bristol: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/news/2019/climate-emergency.html
13. University of Warwick: https://globuswarwick.com/climateemergency/
14. Ghent University: https://www.ugent.be/en/ghentuniv/principles/sustainability/vision.htm

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, SUPPORT THIS LETTER.

First signatories:
Ann Buysse, Dean, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Gita Deneckere, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Frank Gasthuys, Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Piet Hoebeke, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Herwig Reynaert, Dean, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Isabel Van Driessche, Dean, Faculty of Sciences
Patrick Van Kenhove, Dean, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Marc Van Meirvenne, Dean, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering

Jeroen Adam, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Maaheen Ahmed, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Lieven Annemans, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Lander Baeten, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Berber Bevernage, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Brent Bleys, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Koenraad Bogaert, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Eva Brems, Professor, Faculty of Law and Criminology
Gert Buelens, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Marco Caracciolo, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
An Cliquet, Professor, Faculty of Law and Criminology
Veerle Cnudde, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
Wim Cornelis, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Stef Craps, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Koen De Bosschere, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Kristoffel Demoen, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Joost Dessein, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Tine Destrooper, Professor, Faculty of Law and Criminology
Petra De Sutter, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Bruno De Wever, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Marijke D’Haese, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Myriam Dumortier, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Claire Dupont, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Jelle Laverge, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Luc Lens, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
Chia Longman, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Frank Maes, Professor, Faculty of Law and Criminology
Bernard Mazijn, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Jan Mertens, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Diego Miralles, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Erik Paredis, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Glenn Rayp, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Stijn Speelman, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Christel Stalpaert, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Marijke Steeman, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Yves T’Sjoen, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Frieke Van Coillie, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Nathan Van Den Bossche, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Jan Van den Bulcke, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Sonia Vandepitte, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Nele Vandersickel, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
Ann Van Soom, Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences
Hans Verbeeck, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Wim Verbeke, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Kris Verheyen, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Niko Verhoest, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Sabine Verhulst, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Hans Vernaeve, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
Hendrik Vos, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Sami Zemni, Professor, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences

Open letter initiated by:
Moritz Gallei, Assisting academic staff, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Jonas Van der Slycken, PhD student, Faculty of Economic and Business Administration
Kobe Van Vooren, Student, Faculty of Sciences
Stef Craps, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Joris Meys, Administrative and technical staff, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Mahlu Mertens, PhD student, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy