Symposium Interdisciplinarity for the Net-Zero transition

Date & time

3 November 2022 from 14:00 to 17:00 local time Brussels

Place

The event will take place fully online. Connection details will be provided to registered participants closer to the date.

Programme

See booklet with final programme and speakers bio.

Background

This event is co-organised by CESAER, the European University Association (EUA), the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), Science Europe, the Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA), and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow (UK), and , as a side event to the twenty-seventh United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh from 6 to 18 November 2022.

On 8 November 2021, at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), CESAER, the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), Science Europe and the University of Strathclyde organised a ‘Science for Net-Zero transition’ Symposium and launched a joint call for collective global action to tackle climate change by reducing and transitioning to Net-Zero emissions.

Six key areas were identified:

• Responding to the complexity of the Net-Zero challenges by addressing them in an interdisciplinary way.
• Developing the next generation of students and researchers for the Net-Zero Transition.
• Reducing our own organisational carbon footprint.
• Supporting the Net-Zero transition in policymaking at all levels.
• Improving the shared understanding of what needs to be done.
• Facing the challenges together.

A full report on this challenge was published in March 2022, elaborating this vision.

The four partners have committed to reconvene at every COP to take stock of the progress made towards the Call to Action, as well as seek more partners to join their cause. This is why they are now organising a COP27 Symposium ‘Interdisciplinarity for the Net-Zero Transition’, alongside new partners: the European University Association (EUA) and the Network of Universities for the Capitals of Europe (UNICA).

About the event

This open, online event has the following objectives:

• Present the engagement of the promoting organisations for the Net-Zero Transition to their membership/constituencies.
• Take stock of the progress towards the Call to Action and the partners’ commitment to its cause.
• Engage other actors of the (European) research and higher education systems for the Net-Zero Transition.
• Advocate to stakeholders the importance of acting together.

The proposed format for the event is as follows:

1. A first panel discussion with experts from universities and research funding organisations, presenting practical examples of interdisciplinary projects necessary for the Net-Zero Transition from a researcher's perspective.
2. A second panel discussion with policy experts discussing how the results of interdisciplinary projects are shared with policy makers and society to lead the Net-Zero Transition at the national, regional, and global level.
3. A final panel discussion with the Presidents of each partner organisation. In this session, a keynote speaker will present the Sci4Net0 Call to Action and the new partners involved. The moderators of the first two sessions will then report key messages from the first two panels. The Presidents will take stock of the progress made towards the Call to Action and present concrete actions and how they (can) act together to enhance the Net-Zero Transition.