Climate Action

There is no doubt that the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are changing our living environment. Climate change is in our hands. We need to both work on limiting it as much as we can (mitigation), but we will also have to learn to adapt to new circumstances. TU Delft will harness its innovative powers to support the world-wide transition to non-fossil resources, and adaptation of the living environment to the consequences of global warming.

The problem is complex and urgent – but we have no other choice than to be optimistic and use all of our capacity to face the challenge, through our education programs and our research.

For more information, see:

In the Climate Action research programme, we start from four themes we consider to be paramount for future Climate Action:

The TU Delft vision on Climate Action is deeply founded in preceding decades of university wide climate action research. The goal of the Climate action research programme is to build on current strengths and identify the areas where there is a need to strengthen our capacities to keep up our (inter)national reputation as climate action university.

Climate Action News

16 May 2022

Researching climate change in the Spanish heat

Researching climate change in the Spanish heat

Extreme heat in Canada, flooding in the Netherlands and forest fires everywhere. The climate is changing and the dangers of droughts and floods are lurking. MSc student Gijs Vis didn’t hesitate when he got the opportunity to work on a unique international climate research project in Spain where scientists from multiple European countries joined forces during an intensive fieldwork campaign.

26 April 2022

Kornelis Blok bij Nu.nl over wat er moet gebeuren om klimaatverandering te beheersen

Kornelis Blok bij Nu.nl over wat er moet gebeuren om klimaatverandering te beheersen

Als we de gevolgen van klimaatverandering beheersbaar willen houden, moet in een mensenleven veel anders. Professor Kornelis Blok zet een aantal belangrijke punten op een rijtje.

19 April 2022

TU Delft intensifies research into floating wind turbines

TU Delft intensifies research into floating wind turbines

If it is up to the European Commission, all the energy used will come from renewable sources by 2050. Achieving this goal will require the large-scale use of floating wind turbines, says Axelle Viré, wind expert at TU Delft. ‘Although the technology is still in its infancy, it has enormous potential,’ she explains. ‘To capitalise on this potential, TU Delft is launching the Floating Renewables Lab: a lab facility that will tie together all the elements of the development chain for floating wind turbines and other offshore renewables with the help of numerical models and AI.’

14 April 2022

The battle of the Amsterdam quayside bulge

The battle of the Amsterdam quayside bulge

The canals and quaysides in historic cities such as Amsterdam, Delft and Utrecht make a pretty picture. In order for these often busy cities to remain safe, the quay walls, some over 300 years old and built on wooden piles, need to be well maintained.

08 April 2022

TU Delft and TNO prepare industry for scale-up phase of clean factory

TU Delft and TNO prepare industry for scale-up phase of clean factory

Oil and gas shortages are not only pushing up the prices of gas and petrol, but also plastics, medicines and cosmetics. To make our society less dependent on fossil fuels and combat climate change, the chemical industry needs to change radically. In recent years, TU Delft and TNO have laid the foundation for cleaner production processes in the chemical industry. The new e-Chem partnership is now taking this a step further by actually constructing a clean factory of the future.


Climate Action News

02 December 2019

Water lust and nuisance

Water lust and nuisance

Reliable tap water, proper waste water treatment, and dry feet. That’s what people in the Netherlands expect and are accustomed to. However, flooded homes, sewer overflows and impassable roads occur with increasing frequency. The Randstad conurbation has suffered from severe water issues in recent months for instance. The KNMI [Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute] has predicted that the number of extreme showers will further increase in the 21st century due to global warming. The water infrastructure in our urban areas isn’t built to accommodate this, warns Professor Jules van Lier. He argues in favour of smarter solutions and a new paradigm for our Urban Water Infrastructure.

30 November 2019

Sinking sea water and rising sea level

Sinking sea water and rising sea level

In 2014 Caroline Katsman was awarded a Vidi grant to conduct research into the influence of ocean whirls on surface water sinking. How is she getting on two (and a bit) years later? ‘2017 is going to be a bumper year, with a number of new papers in the pipeline,’ Katsman says.

27 November 2019

Measuring air pollution street by street

Measuring air pollution street by street

"My research focuses on the use of remote sensing data to improve the modelling of air quality in polluted areas such as the Rijnmond near Rotterdam that is known to have the highest level of air pollution in the Netherlands. Everything is jammed together there: traffic, power stations, shipping and industry. The area is the most relevant one in the country for research into determining air pollution. Incidentally, we also focus on other countries: we want to implement our approach in New Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities.

25 November 2019

BRIGAID: Solutions for extreme climate events

BRIGAID: Solutions for extreme climate events

Climate scientists are predicting an increase in droughts, floods and other extreme weather events as a result of continuing global warming. BRIGAID (Bridging the gap for Innovations in Disaster Resilience), an ambitious programme initiated by a partnership of European universities, research institutes and businesses in May of this year, is aimed at finding innovative ways of coping with the increased likelihood of natural disasters of this kind. Bas Jonkman (39), Professor of Integral Hydraulic Engineering at TU Delft’s faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences will be heading this multifaceted programme for the next four years.

12 November 2019

Clouds and climate

Clouds and climate

Herman Russchenberg is engaged in intensive and extensive research into the causes of climate change. His own research involves investigating the role played by clouds and dust particles in the atmosphere, but he is also head of the TU Delft Climate Institute, established in March 2012 to bring together TU Delft researchers working on all aspects of climate and climate change. Russchenberg started out in the faculty of Electrical Engineering, conducting research into the influence of the atmosphere (rain, clouds) on satellite signals. After obtaining his PhD in 1992, he shifted his attention to the physics of water vapour, water droplets, dust particles, sunlight, radiation and emissions in the atmosphere. He is now based in the faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences.