Mandatory sustainability courses, vegetarian meals, and reduced travel: Dutch university tackles climate change

Erasmus University in Rotterdam (EUR) is making huge changes for staff and students in an effort to reduce its climate footprint. 

The university has a plan: reducing its emissions, reconsidering its ties with polluting companies, reducing travel by staff and students, implementing plant-based food, and having students receive mandatory sustainable education.

Cutting those ties

EUR announced its sustainability plans in a press release on the university’s website on Monday. In the release, EUR declared that it would end relationships with organisations that have a major impact on climate and ecosystems. 

READ MORE | How do the Dutch feel about climate change?

This isn’t the first time climate warnings have been brought to the university’s attention. In November of 2022, a dozen climate protesters occupied a building at the University and demanded that the university end its ties to the fossil fuel industry. 

Go green! 

Among other things, the university wants to reduce travel by staff and students in order to be energy–positive. Already for one year, employees have had to take the train for international trips within 700 kilometres.

That’s it? Not quite. EUR wants to implement sustainable education for all courses at the university so that students are educated on the seriousness of the climate emergency at hand. 

De Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam erkent de klimaat- en ecologische noodtoestand. Daarmee onderschrijven we @erasmusuni dat er dringend en gecoördineerd actie nodig is om de gevolgen van klimaatverandering en de verwoesting van ecosystemen tegen te gaan.https://t.co/KEeJrMbKob

— Annelien Bredenoord (@ALBredenoord) February 6, 2023

Translation: Erasmus University Rotterdam recognises the climate and ecological emergency. In doing so, we @erasmusuni endorse the need for urgent and coordinated action to combat the consequences of climate change and the destruction of ecosystems. 

The meals that the university provides will also be cutting down on meat and dairy products and soon will only be vegetarian. From 2030, vegan food should be ‘the norm’ at the university. 🌱

Our thoughts? You go, EUR, we hope more Dutch universities follow! 👊

What do you think about these new changes? Tell us in the comments below!