Students advise decision makers on achieving Utrecht’s sustainability goals

Photo credit: Astrid Mangnus

A towering and eye-catching globe the size of a six story building has taken over the Jaarbeursplein. The Climate Planet has come to Utrecht. On Monday 8th October Utrecht University students and researchers were invited to engage with Utrecht City Council decision makers about local sustainability policy inside this massive installation.

At the beginning of the session a film was projected on a globe-like screen at the centre of the audience. Images turned around the central globe following the planet’s rotation. The students, researchers and policy makers saw how the Earth’s climate has changed throughout time and how climate change has various negative implications on planet Earth.

It is such a strange and fascinating feeling to be walking on a planet, enter a planet to watch and understand the same planet. Our planet.

Virginia Bergamasco, 3rd year Global Sustainability Science student.
Photo credit: Joost Vervoort

Engagement with Utrecht City Council decision makers

After the film students and researchers engaged directly with decision makers from the Utrecht City Council. They used posters showing pathways to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as starting points for discussion. Made during the second year course Global Integration Project (Bachelor Global Sustainability Science), and tying into Utrecht University's Pathways to Sustainability theme they will be displayed at the Climate Planet for the entire exhibition.

How does Utrecht City Council go about trying to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, both locally and internationally? And what should they be doing? These were just some of the questions Utrecht University students and researchers posed to local decision makers, while coming prepared with concrete critiques and suggestions for current policy.

Student Catherina de Zilva in front of the Climate Planet. Photo credit: Virginia Bergamasco

3rd year Global Sustainability Science student Christoph Krüger talked with policymakers about the Long-term agreement on energy efficiency 2001-2020. “It's a policy measure that says companies have to implement energy efficiency measures that have a payback time of five years or less. It’s up to Utrecht City Council to enforce this law. I was eager to talk to them about this, and provide feedback using my energy and resources background”.