All the best for 2030 – let's all make it happen!
Sustainability is a major challenge of our time. Awareness and solutions can be developed at universities, but they have to be integrated into society, blogs Reto Knutti.
I’m sure that you have wished plenty of people all the best for the New Year, just as I have. But do we make sure that it really is the best for them? Do we not usually think of ourselves first and foremost, even in a wider societal context? Climate change, resource consumption, species extinction and the overuse of land and sea: humans are over-exploiting everything we need to survive. And we’ve known this for decades – the books and reports on the subject fill entire libraries.
Gap between knowledge and action
We don’t think these issues are unimportant. According to a representative survey conducted by SRF at the end of 2017, Swiss people rank climate change as a greater threat than terrorism, economic crises or a precarious pension scheme.1 However, we do very little to try and fix things. In 2017, the UN determined that “the rate of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is in many areas far slower than needed to meet the targets by 2030.” 2 Many people do no more than shrug their shoulders at this – the main point is that they are doing well themselves at the moment.
The reasons behind this short-term thinking and the discrepancy between knowledge and action are well known. Many sustainable development goals are global, long-term, complex and abstract, whereas our decisions are immediate, egotistical and emotional. They are determined more by our personal values and the opinions of those that are close to us than by rational arguments.
This explains, but it does not excuse such behaviour. Is it not our duty to shape the future together in such a way that all of us are better off, including the next generation? And I don't just mean in terms of people’s bank accounts. You can’t buy values such as respect, justice or unspoilt nature. You have to care for it.
The role of universities
For a university like ETH Zurich that conducts research and teaching for the benefit of society, sustainability has long been an area of focus. Universities can use research to not only improve their own footprint, but also develop technical and societal solutions to urgent problems together with other disciplines.
The role of teaching is to educate young people to the highest level and motivate them to think creatively and critically, beyond disciplinary and cultural boundaries, and to act responsibly. And on its campus, ETH Zurich lives out a culture of “living labs”, which tests aspects of sustainable development as comprehensively as possible and integrates them into everyday life.3
Challenging communication
As scientists, we can point out dangers and suggest potential measures and solutions. As a university, we can use technology transfer to rapidly make our research results available to the economy and society. But when it comes to which path we will take and how we will act, we must decide as a community.
“You can’t buy values such as respect, justice or unspoilt nature. You have to care for it.”Reto Knutti
But how do we conduct this dialogue with society? The tensions arising from communication between universities and the general public are currently more strained than ever. In a time when scientific findings come up against alternative facts, and when ideology and polarisation dominate politics, universities are challenged to step up. “Intervene!” was the recent request to scientists in an excellent opinion piece in the NZZ.4
Researchers have to point out when politics distorts relevant facts or ignores them when making decisions. However, anyone who intervenes with a statement on genetic technology, the energy transition or climate change also has to be aware that they may quickly be politically pigeonholed and held up as an elitist enemy by others.
Shaping a sustainable future
Resignation is not the answer. Of course universities can use research and teaching to analyse problems and develop solutions, but that is not enough. We have to build bridges between people, tell stories about what drives us as researchers, and point out risks and opportunities without offering value judgements or prescribing a particular course of action.
To that end, you will continue to hear and read much more from us on sustainability and other relevant topics. Together, we can begin a constructive dialogue about how the world should look in future: not only in 2018, but in 2030 and beyond. Sustainability is a generational project. It isn’t just an empty phrase; it is a societal responsibility, and will remain so in the future. The challenges are substantial, but it is our job to tackle them. It is irresponsible to try and push them onto the next generation.
Further information
1 SRG external page survey on the threat of climate change (in German)
2 UN report on the external page Sustainable Development Goals
3 Some examples of sustainability at ETH Zurich include the Anergy Grid, the House of Natural Resources and the sustainable catering project. As part of the Mobility Platform,there is currently a project running to reduce CO2 emissions from air travel.
4 Opinion piece in the NZZ on 22 December 2017 (in German): external page Mischt euch ein!