A look back with Annelot Broerze, TU Delft, and Joran Lammers, Leiden University, on the recent meeting on Climate and Biodiversity at the Green Village in Delft.
Why this meeting Climate and Biodiversity?
The aim of the meeting was to bring the network together, get to know each other's projects, and get input for the development of the new LDE Climate and Biodiversity programme.
We did this through presentations of several existing initiatives that interface with the themes, both within LDE universities and beyond, such as government agencies and practice partners. Our role was and is to connect these initiatives, and the people behind them, in terms of networking, education and research - mainly around Living Labs.
Follow-up to white paper or separate from it?
With the white paper ‘Connect Climate and Biodiversity’, the LDE universities mapped what is already happening at the universities, and how people look at connecting climate and biodiversity in research and practice. From different disciplines, a common message clearly emerges: connect climate and biodiversity for society, economy and nature. What is already happening, how do people think about it, what are they looking for and where can we capitalise on it? That was the goal of 21 November.
> Read the English articles of the white paper Climate and Biodiversity here
Which parties came together next to universities?
Scientists from all kinds of faculties, research groups, and initiatives, but also the Zuid-Hollandse Impact Alliance (ZHIA) which represents HBOs, DRIFT, GreenVillage, KIN and the Province of Zuid-Holland. The programme will function as a counter where knowledge partners, government institutions or researchers can put their questions: cleverly connecting and expanding what is already there. Through our activities, we are increasingly expanding our network of knowledge partners so that we can better fulfil the role of knowledge director.
What came out of it, what are next steps?
The past year was a year of exploration. Is there support for an organisation focusing on Climate and Biodiversity within and outside LDE? Yes, there is, and so there will be a programme. Why? Both themes are wide-ranging, urgent and unresolved for now, joint solutions to these themes come from inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations, and in practice/our living environment, both research themes do not exist separately from each other.
On 21 November, a lot of enthusiasm and ideas came from the attendees. It was great to see how much is actually already happening, but also how much can still be connected! During the Open Space session, for instance, we gained innovative insights. For instance, we want to actively involve practical partners, HBOs and Citizen Science in the Living Labs and apply them within the programme. In this, we are also pulling together with the Centre for Sustainability.
What appear to be obstacles or, on the contrary, promising points?
Despite the themes being inextricably linked in practice, this is not yet the case in science or policy. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and education is increasingly being developed, but there is also much to be gained there.How do you get funding, how do you arrive at the common denominator between different disciplines, and how do you implement this in education?
You have to learn to speak each other's language, the system has to change, but above all we have to dare to experiment. We are therefore also very happy with the existence of the Netherlands Climate Research Initiative, which stands for changes in the knowledge system in order to accelerate system transitions. Together we are stronger!
How can others join this initiative?
Be sure to email Annelot Broerze via a.e.w.broerze@tudelft.nl and Joran Lammers via j.a.lammers@cml.leidenuniv.nl. You will then be added to our network list, which we regularly update with developments and interesting activities around the Climate and Biodiversity Programme, such as the meeting on 21 November.
Photos: Iris Klop
