Message from the Rector

Throughout its centuries-old existence, the University of Coimbra (UC) has always complied with the principle of being an institution “ahead of its time”. One could not expect anything else from a School where knowledge is permanently (re)created, the greatest antidote to the temporal erosion that leads to the crystallisation of many institutions.

The UC breathes “sustainability” and knows that every single day is a precious time for the implementation of preventive and corrective measures (also known as sustainable): young people demand an effective change in environmental policies; the national and international scientific community points out, in a consensual and clear way, the risks that humanity incurs by foolishly degrading its own habitat; and almost all the main world leaders – with special emphasis on the United Nations (UN) – elect climate action as an indisputable priority for the coming years.

Although society is intensely faced with this emergency, essential measures leading to the balance so urgently needed are still incipient, both in form and in pace.

The space for science, technology and more advanced education is the environment in which we are called upon to create ideas and solutions for a better world, especially when faced with the absence of a (well) defined and structured or politically collective path.

Universities cannot remain indifferent to climate emergence.

They cannot be led as structures immobilized and stagnant in time, unable to face societal challenges. They cannot censor potentially reforming measures just because they are seen as inconvenient or susceptible to derogatory comments.

Nonconformism, constructive criticism and the claim based on factual data are principles that should move us, despite the social unrest that may be caused by their use by some established mindsets. Such principles only intend to translate the purpose of a pedagogical approach associated with the dissemination of knowledge.

The UC, with such an enormous legacy, bears an increased responsibility in the face of the serious and real crisis of climate change, and should also shake up dominant rationales – especially if they are of a mere political nature, lacking scientific grounds – acting in favour of the generations of tomorrow.

Science foreshadows a true and objective gloomy scenario but, at the same time, it shows that it is within our reach to revert this scenario, if we act globally committed.
If we had started to eliminate or mitigate CO2 emissions caused by mankind since 2010, its global decline would be of 45% by 2030 and a zero balance should be seen around 2050. However, this goal will only be achievable with a quick and widespread transition involving energy, soils, transportation, buildings, and industrial systems, in the light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

In fact, these were objectives set by the UN in its 2030 Agenda, in order to seek to engage government entities, civil society, local communities and the private sector in a close and effective international cooperation.

We were the first national University to take on this commitment publicly and with no hesitation.

Seizing the work developed in the recent past, we intend to increase the critical debate, the creation of ideas and the assessment of pre-existing measures, bringing together researchers from the most diverse areas of climate action. Therefore, it is possible to strategically place the UC at the forefront in national and international contexts, alongside the major references in sustainability policies, fostering the establishment of cooperation and consortia with external entities to share experiences.

With such an innovative capacity, our goal is to become a central platform in Portugal for scientific discussion (open to society and under the UN seal) of the major causes of climate change and inherent actions to be taken, in order to protect the environment. It is not just about the information part. Above all, we intend to be a vehicle for promoting credible and well-founded proposals, aimed at all agents of change. And, without a doubt, students should be our main allies and spokespersons for disruptive projects, aiming to achieve the SDGs.

In addition, a research university like ours has an obligation to mitigate its own environmental impact, promoting, streamlining and monitoring actions adeveloped jointly within the academic community.

It is in our reach to:

1. encourage local and regional reforestation in areas affected by increasingly frequent extreme phenomena – unfortunately – such as wildfires or storms, establishing collaborations with entities responsible for nature conservation;
2. build and preserve an increasing number of green and leisure spaces in the university area, providing a strong and appeasing link between the academic community and the environment, making spaces more pleasant;
3. completely eliminate single-use plastic products from the university facilities, using natural and biodegradable raw materials;
4. promote the dematerialization of procedures and files based on paper consumption to digital platforms;
5. foster the culture of combating the waste of food resources, promoting their efficiency, monitoring the rates of waste and also reviewing the menus served, in order to enrich the offer of environmentally sustainable meals;
6. boost energy efficiency and renewable energy in our facilities by reducing the consumption of electricity, water and gas;
7. reduce traffic congestion in the historic spaces of the UC, enabling the increasing use of a network of electric vehicles, in order to ease traffic and protect our heritage and the environment.

We believe that carbon neutrality in 2030 at the UC is within our reach.

For the planet, for young people, for humankind!