The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have drastically pushed us to re-think our working modes and practices, leaving almost no domain unchanged. At the same time, the latest IPCC report leaves no room for doubt about the urgent need to take action against the climate crisis. These two crises have inescapably had an impact within the academic system as well, urging the scientific community to think about the role that the academic system can play in mitigating climate change, and the steps that can be taken to make the work within academia more sustainable without compromising the quality of output.

ALLEA’s upcoming panel discussion ‘Climate Sustainability in the Academic System – the Why and the How’ will examine these issues following two driving questions: why is it necessary to work towards climate sustainability in the academic system, and how can this be achieved without sacrificing research excellence nor diminishing international collaboration in the process?

The virtual event will offer a preview of the report that the ALLEA Working Group Climate Sustainability in the Academic System is preparing on the topic, followed by a panel discussion. The challenges as well as opportunities that lie within academia’s transition to climate sustainability will be addressed, while also highlighting best-practise examples with an international and interdisciplinary perspective.

Participants are also invited to join one of the three different thematic break-out sessions: Universities & University Networks; Students & Individual Researchers; and Funding Organisations. These sessions will allow those who are interested, or even already engaged, in climate sustainability in academia to meet each other, exchange ideas and best-practise input, and build networks. You may choose the break-out session you wish to join in the registration form on the event page linked below.

Visit the event page

The ALLEA working group on Climate Sustainability in the Academic System is led by Die Junge Akademie and is chaired by Astrid Eichhorn. As a further member, Valerie Domcke represents Die Junge Akademie in the working group. Central topics are the assessment of the climate impact of academia, the travel culture in academia, virtual and physical mobility, best practices for climate sustainable academia, and an outlook on future practice for climate sustainable academia. A final report will be released in Spring 2022.

In 2020 Die Junge Akademie was chosen to join ALLEA (All European Academies) as the first representative of the younger generation of academics. ALLEA is the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities. It was founded in 1994 and now has over 50 members in more than 40 countries among the members of the Council of Europe.