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

03 February 2023

Hydrogen leads the way to a climate neutral Europe without energy poverty

Hydrogen leads the way to a climate neutral Europe without energy poverty

Energy is a driver of economic activity, personal development, and social participation in civic life. That is why, for professor of Smart Energy Systems Zofia Lukszo, the energy transition is about much more than reducing CO2 emissions. ‘Our future energy system should not only be sustainable, but also inclusive – dependable, available and affordable for everyone.’

31 January 2023

Extra Earth observation studies to better understand effects of climate change

Extra Earth observation studies to better understand effects of climate change

The NWO honoured eight TU Delft research projects for Earth observation and planetary research. Several studies will start within the CEG faculty that will help us better understand the Earth's climate system.

26 January 2023

Cold ice shelves Antarctica more vulnerable than previously thought

Cold ice shelves Antarctica more vulnerable than previously thought

Some cold ice shelves in Antarctica, which researchers initially thought would remain stable over the coming centuries, turn out to be vulnerable in the event of further global warming. This conclusion results from a study led by Utrecht University and on which Stef Lhermitte and Bert Wouters from Delft University of Technology contributed.

19 January 2023

Green Dragons’ Den TU Delft

Green Dragons’ Den TU Delft

Thursday, 19th of January 2023, TU Delft organised the Green Dragons' Den, based on the television programme, but focussed on sustainable innovations. During the Green Dragons' Den, companies were given the opportunity to pitch their idea to a jury.

13 January 2023

A plant-powered camera and better AI to detect atmospheric threats

A plant-powered camera and better AI to detect atmospheric threats

At the very end of last year, NWO Open Technology Programme (OTP) announced two new grants in the fields of environmental monitoring and atmospheric threat detection. Both projects are part the department of Microelectronics, and both will help scientists and society better understand our environment – to limit or otherwise mitigate the consequences of climate change.


Climate Action News

10 May 2023

Seed funding awarded for serious game to engage urban residents in climate action

Seed funding awarded for serious game to engage urban residents in climate action

Lisa Scholten receives Seed funding from the TU Delft Climate Action Programme for the project: ‘Evaluating an educational serious game to engage urban residents in behaviour change for large scale climate action’.

01 May 2023

Delft Subsurface Urban Energy Lab strengthened with geothermal source on campus

Delft Subsurface Urban Energy Lab strengthened with geothermal source on campus

What was born almost 20 years ago as an enthusiastic plan by some Applied Earth Sciences students is now becoming reality: the construction of the wells will start this summer, and in a few years' time TU Delft's campus will be heated by a geothermal source. Earlier this week, the consortium behind Geothermie Delft decided to make the necessary follow-on investment to realise the planned geothermal wells and start the research programme.

01 May 2023

Royal Honours for Herman Russchenberg

Royal Honours for Herman Russchenberg

Herman Russchenberg, Professor of Geoscience and Remote Sensing at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG) and TU Delft Pro Vice Rector for Climate Action, was made an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau in Leiden.

06 April 2023

Coastal changes not only caused by wind and waves, but also by people

Coastal changes not only caused by wind and waves, but also by people

Our coast protects us from the water; it is necessary understand its dynamic processes and to retain the sand at the coast. Natural influences such as wind and waves are constantly changing the coastline. Another important process affecting the coastline is often overlooked: human activity. To investigate this, Roderik Lindenbergh of TU Delft receives a grant from the NWO's Open Technology Programme for the AdaptCoast project.

27 March 2023

Making the energy transition happen for aviation

Making the energy transition happen for aviation

In his inaugural speech as a Full Professor of Sustainable Aircraft Propulsion Arvind Gangoli Rao will defend the right for people to move up the transportation ladder and explain how he intends to reduce the climate impact this causes: by making the energy transition happen in aviation. Gangoli Rao’s inaugural speech will take place in Delft at 15.00 on 31 March. It will also be available online live and on-demand.