VU Amsterdam has signed the manifesto 'Sustainable Thinking, Sustainable Doing' by The Young Academy and the Green Young Academy. With this step, VU joins a growing group of Dutch knowledge institutions that want to work together towards more coherence, transparency and ambition in sustainability policies within the academic sector.
The signing is part of VU's commitment to sustainability, with the VU Sustainability Office focusing on the strategic implementation of VU's sustainability strategy. The Amsterdam Sustainability Institute a driving force for sustainability in research. The Green Office 's students are connecting with students and driving further sustainability. Also, with the establishment of UNSDN, VU is a focal point for sustainable development within the Netherlands.
National call for more consistency
The manifesto was drawn up in response to the report Thirteen Shades of Green, published by De Jonge Akademie ,part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), in late last year. This study shows that there are big differences between universities and umc's in sustainability ambitions, climate goals and the way CO₂ emissions are measured and reported. The Young Academy concludes that this fragmentation hinders progress and made five recommendations, including raising ambitions, standardisation of sustainability plans, more transparency and better cooperation between institutions.
In line with strategic course
The signing is in line with the VU's strategic course. In the new institutional plan, worldcitizenship for a healthy, sustainable and just world is the focus until 2030. These are also the crucial years in which the goals of the Paris Agreement (a CO₂ reduction of 55% compared to 1990) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be achieved. Sustainability reporting is also an explicit goal in the new VU strategy and with this, VU wants to be a forerunner in transparency around sustainability.
The VU commits to the spirit, vision and general objectives of the manifesto. Besides the VU, other institutions that have now signed the manifesto include the University of Utrecht, TU Eindhoven, University of Twente, University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, University of Maastricht, Amsterdam UMC, the KNAW and the Academy of Arts. More institutions are expected to follow.
For more information visit www.dejongeakademie.nl.