This October 5th, the LDE Centre for Sustainability Student Board collaborated with other green associations from the city of Delft in organising the annually occurring Day of Sustainability. The theme for this year was ‘The Roaring Green Twenties?’ which saw speakers from various professional spheres deliver insightful lectures and workshops. The variety of subjects all honed in on the changes that must be brought about in the next 10 years and how to stimulate the action needed to achieve the desired climate goals.
The LDE Centre for Sustainability students organised a lecture and workshop that contributed to the schedule of the day. The first lecture ‘The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change’ by Roel Dobbe, local TUDelft assistant professor, delved into the implications of technological advancements in the context of climate change. Through his own extensive research, Roel demonstrated how artificial intelligence could ease the energy transition situation in the Netherlands but at the same time spoke of the high environmental costs demanded by the running of artificial intelligence.
After a vegan lunch, the second and final event of the day was a workshop by Senior Sustainability Officer at NIBC bank Robin Willing on ‘Policy in Sustainable Financing: Challenges and Opportunities’. Robin educated students on what goes on behind environmentally accountable financial policy making and the variety of possibilities for green policy emerging within this sector.
Aside from our contributions, the day included events on policy, communicating the urgency of the climate crisis, zero emission fuels, climate change solutions and roles of individuals in the age of climate emergency. We hope the Day of Sustainability 2021 was a step forward in encouraging the student community to take positive climate action in their personal and profession endeavours.
Written by: Holly Thomas (CfS Student Board)