Cambridge and Lund join forces to break barriers to climate solutions
Researchers and students from the University of Cambridge and Lund University met at this year’s sustainability conference with a shared goal: to develop new interdisciplinary knowledge and scale up the solutions that already exist to tackle the urgent crises of our time – from climate change and collapsing ecosystems to a transforming energy sector.
‘The problems are so complex that we must work together and across disciplines,’ says Professor Nazia M Habib, University of Cambridge.
On Tuesday, around 120 researchers, students and a handful of participants from business and the public sector gathered in the historic AF-Borgen venue in Lund to discuss the future of our planet. A further eighty or so joined digitally.
The conference, titled Breaking Barriers to Climate Solutions, was organised for the fifth time by Lund University’s Sustainability Forum. This year, it took place under the university’s star status as number one in the global sustainability ranking and with a brand-new collaboration with Cambridge Zero, the University of Cambridge’s collective climate research initiative.
Lund University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Per Mickwitz, responsible for sustainability issues among other areas, opened the conference by acknowledging the grim state of the environment, but also with optimism that change is possible. When people around the world eventually demand transformation, there must be knowledge and educated students ready to tackle the challenges, he emphasised.
From raw materials to industrial transformation
Lars J Nilsson, Professor in Environmental and Energy Systems at LTH, researches the industrial transition to a fossil-free future. He was the day’s first keynote speaker and highlighted the issue of critical raw materials and our dependence on them, which is linked to the development of new technologies such as electric batteries. Research is needed to understand these developments and their consequences, he argued. He also spoke about the industry’s growing emissions, green steel, and the increasing importance of material efficiency, circular material flows, energy efficiency and electrification.
Lund University has around 900 researchers in climate and sustainability, and Lars J Nilsson noted that joint initiatives with Cambridge would be welcome. When asked by the audience about the three main issues to focus on in such collaboration, he mentioned petrochemicals, including plastics, critical minerals and raw materials, as well as future power systems for the data centres being built as a result of the ongoing AI revolution.
The role of law and the pressure of time
The second keynote speaker, Harro van Asselt, Professor of Climate Law at the University of Cambridge, highlighted the role of law as both part of the problem and part of the solution to crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss. He noted that legal changes take time. One of the problems with UN climate negotiations is that they rely on consensus – where those who want to achieve the least often dictate the outcome – and the difficulty of implementing what countries have agreed.
‘We’re talking today about how to create a sustainable future, but we no longer have the luxury of time. Our time is running out,’ added Hannah Bickel, a student of Human Ecology.
Interdisciplinarity and new perspectives
The conference featured presentations, panel debates and breakout sessions on themes such as energy transition, climate and biodiversity, adaptation, loss and damage, and how we can understand future risks in a changing climate and society. Much of the discussion focused on introducing and scaling up the solutions that already exist.
‘This is a great opportunity to meet across multiple disciplines in Europe. I see a growing openness not only to interdisciplinary collaborations but also transdisciplinary ones, where we also need to educate the younger generation to find solutions to our societal problems,’ says Professor Nazia M Habib, founder and Research Director of the Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge.
Several times during the day, the importance of including many perspectives to succeed in transforming society was raised. For example, the audience suggested that psychology should be more integrated into research projects, as change begins from within ourselves.
Participant Erik Brandstedt, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights and Associate Professor in Practical Philosophy, looked forward to finding collaboration points with Cambridge on issues related to climate change and climate policy.
‘For example, it could involve energy transition and how we can create a just transition. I hope the humanities perspectives will have a place there,’ he says.
Inspiring encounters and future projects
During the networking sessions, many participants emphasised how inspiring it was to gain so many different angles on the challenges and that the conference had a warm and open atmosphere, encouraging engagement and questions.
Tuesday’s sustainability conference was followed by a joint workshop day on Wednesday, focusing on finding new forms of collaboration and seeking funding for research projects. Thomas Northcote, Head of Development for Europe at Cambridge, was enthusiastic about Wednesday’s workshops.
‘The collaboration between Cambridge and Lund and joint fundraising feels exciting. I have high hopes for new ideas where we can also work with actors in Scandinavia, which is a new area for us.’
Link to the conference page for more information about the programme and organisers