RUG gets UN climate centre

Part of the UN Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation (GCECA) will be located at the RUG’s Energy Academy Europe.
By Peter Keizer / Translation by Sarah van Steenderen

The centre will employ approximately twenty people in Groningen and Rotterdam, and will advise countries on how to best adapt their infrastructure and agriculture to climate change.

The ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment says the choice landed on Groningen because of the available knowledge on the consequences of climate change and because the Energy Academy is an innovative ‘office building’. ‘The city is a perfect breeding ground for a climate centre due to the presence of the university and the companies specialised in climate’, state secretary Dijksma says.

At the Energy Academy Europe (EAE) – which will be renamed to New Energy Coalition – companies, education, and science work together on research and innovation in the energy field. In addition to the RUG and Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the partners of the Energy Academy are NAM, GasTerra and Gasunie. They, in turn, are controlled by Shell, ExxonMobil, and the state. The latter rule the Dutch gas market together.

According to the RUG, the EAE institute itself will not have any ties to the UN climate centre. The university will only house the climate centre in the EAE building.

Network

‘This will be a boost to both Rotterdam and Groningen, who will be making a global mark by housing this centre. Global warming will continue to affect more and more people. Our initiative for this global climate centre helps countries and organisations looking for concrete solutions to arm themselves against climate change’, according to Dijksma.

According to the ministry, the centre will bring together a wide global network of partners, including international knowledge institutes, businesses, interest groups, local and national governments, and the financial sector.

Photo: RUG / Egbert de Boer

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