Climate Action Programme


The Climate Action Programme was launched in 2021 and functions as a community for climate action on the TU Delft campus and beyond. We coordinate various events, activities and functions, providing a central platform for climate related research, education and innovation at TU Delft. Through these efforts, we help to bring to fruition our university’s goal of creating impact for a sustainable society.

Our four overarching themes of Climate Science, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Change Adaptation and Climate Change Governance are composed of Flagships. Researchers from different disciplines co-operate within the Flagships, and dedicated researchers have been appointed to each Flagship. We foster co-operation within Flagships, between the Flagships, with other climate related researchers and with external stakeholders and partners to secure societal impact.

We actively collaborate with other TU Delft initiatives including:

There is always a reason not to act. Let’s do something about this. Time is running out

― Prof Herman Russchenberg

Climate Action News

05 August 2024

Maarten van Rossem in gesprek met Herman Russchenberg

Maarten van Rossem in gesprek met Herman Russchenberg

Maarten preekt met hoogleraar Herman Russchenberg over wolkenmanipulatie en andere manieren om de planeet af te koelen. ‘Climate engineering is voor God spelen, maar onvermijdelijk. Anders warmt de aarde te veel op.’

25 July 2024

App to pre-order flight meals saves fuel and food

App to pre-order flight meals saves fuel and food

Design students Joep van Gils and Inès Peeters have designed a concept for a pre-order app that allows passengers to choose their in-flight meals in advance when they check in online. “This is a quick win and cost-neutral solution for airlines to fly more sustainably, reduce food waste and improve travel experience.”

19 July 2024

Scale model of Indian Ocean island allows scientists to assess the impact of rising sea levels

Scale model of Indian Ocean island allows scientists to assess the impact of rising sea levels

11 July 2024

Designing a decision-support tool for climate adaptive urban planning

Designing a decision-support tool for climate adaptive urban planning

Heat stress and air pollution ravages cities more and more. In a new Horizon Europe project, researchers will develop a digital twin that supports decision makers to design resilient urban areas that can cope with the changing climate. Researchers from TU Delft and 18 other partners receive the Horizon Europe grant for their project called UrbanAIR.

04 July 2024

Revolutionising Water Level Monitoring: TU Delft's Alticube+ Selected by ESA

Revolutionising Water Level Monitoring: TU Delft's Alticube+ Selected by ESA

Als het waterniveau ergens op aarde stijgt -of daalt- willen we dat graag snel weten, zodat niemand gevaar loopt. Daarvoor is het nodig om het wereldwijde watersysteem goed te begrijpen en het waterniveau veelvuldig en op vele plaatsen te kunnen meten. Dr. Jian Guo en zijn team van TU Delft, samen met industriële partners COMET Ingeniería en ISISPACE, hebben daarom een nieuw concept genaamd Alticube+ bedacht. Dit voorstel is recent uit meer dan 70 voorstellen door ESA geselecteerd om samen met een team van ESA experts verder te gaan ontwikkelen.


Climate Action News

12 January 2023

Can nature-based climate change adaptation measures benefit the Dutch housing market?

Can nature-based climate change adaptation measures benefit the Dutch housing market?

The Netherlands needs to account for climate-driven flood risks when planning new housing advises the Deltaprogramma: where and how we build houses and what governments and homeowners can do to adapt to the increasing flood risks.

19 December 2022

Rose Sharifian is speeding up!

Rose Sharifian is speeding up!

PhD defensed her thesis: "Electrochemical oceanic carbon capture using bipolar membrane electrodialysis" and begins her start-up company op CO2 removal

19 December 2022

Emergent behaviour in the energy transition

Emergent behaviour in the energy transition

A research agenda including a concrete action plan for the following research challenges: behavioural theory and modelling of the energy transition, 2) anticipating emergent behaviour to scale up the energy transition, 3) developing transition narratives, and 4) embracing key/change agents and emergent leadership. The action items vary between quick wins and fundamental research ideas that may, together, help us to better shape the energy transition.

14 December 2022

NWO Perspectief grant for flood protection research

NWO Perspectief grant for flood protection research

Large areas of the Netherlands are at risk of being flooded. It was only last year, 2021, that rivers in the province of Limburg overflowed. A rise in sea levels and weather extremes, caused by climate change, calls for new technical and nature-based solutions for flood risk management and climate adaptation. The Future Flood Risk Management Technologies (Future FRM Tech) programme, led by TU Delft's Bas Jonkman, will receive an NWO Perspectief grant to work on flood-resilient and climate-adaptive coasts and rivers.

01 December 2022

Most nitrogen deposition from aviation comes from high altitude

Most nitrogen deposition from aviation comes from high altitude

Aircraft emit nitrogen oxides and other emissions during both the LTO-phase (taxiing, take-off and landing) and when flying at high altitudes. These emissions return to the ground, resulting in nitrogen deposited over land and water bodies. Using an atmospheric model, researchers at TU Delft have quantified - for the first time - that in 2019 aviation was responsible for just under 1.2% of total global nitrogen deposition from all sources.