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

17 May 2021

TU Delft develops helpful cost guidelines for carbon capture

TU Delft develops helpful cost guidelines for carbon capture

Het afvangen en opslaan van CO2 is een van de vele technologieën die nodig zijn om klimaatverandering tegen te gaan. De technologie is beschikbaar en wordt al in diverse projecten toegepast, maar nog niet op wereldwijde schaal toegepast. Het gebrek aan kennis over de kosten van CO2-afvang en -opslag (CCS) kan ertoe leiden dat investeerders zich terugtrekken. Een wereldwijd consortium van twaalf onderzoekers op het gebied van CCS, onder leiding van Andrea Ramirez van de TU Delft, heeft samengewerkt aan een uitgebreide whitepaper. Het whitepaper helpt te begrijpen hoe de kosten van projecten voor CO2-afvang en -opslag correct kunnen worden geraamd.

29 April 2021

1,000 rivers emit nearly 80% of global ocean plastic pollution

1,000 rivers emit nearly 80% of global ocean plastic pollution

A publication in Science Advances sheds new light on where and how much plastic flows into the oceans via rivers.

14 April 2021

TU Delft research partner at solar parking lot in Dronten

TU Delft research partner at solar parking lot in Dronten

A parking lot with solar panels where renewable energy generation, electric charging and energy storage are cleverly integrated. In the Municipality of Dronten, the official opening of a parking lot with 1,100 solar panels is taking place today, which, in combination with a large battery, will make the town hall energy-neutral.

13 April 2021

TU Delft launches large-scale Climate Action Programme

TU Delft launches large-scale Climate Action Programme

For the next ten years TU Delft will allocate 22 million euro to set up and shape an extensive Climate Action Programme, focusing not only on additional investments in research and education but also on improving the sustainability of TU Delft campus.

22 March 2021

Will we soon be able to fly sustainably?

Will we soon be able to fly sustainably?

Last month, a passenger plane flew from Amsterdam to Madrid for the first time, with a mix of ordinary and 500 litres of sustainable synthetic kerosine in the tank. Possibly the first step towards sustainable flying. How is it made from CO2, water and green electricity?


Climate Action News

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.

07 November 2019

The evolution of the Greenland ice sheet

The evolution of the Greenland ice sheet

Miren Vizcaino has received an ERC Starting Grant. With this ERC Grant, she will investigate the evolution of the Greenland ice sheet throughout the centuries, in response to anthropogenic climate change. She will compare this with past deglaciations during the last interglacial and the Holocene, in order to improve climate models.

05 September 2019

Rapid snow retreat amplifies North Greenland mass loss

Rapid snow retreat amplifies North Greenland mass loss

Researchers show a large regional difference between melt in North and South Greenland.

27 May 2019

Arno Smets appointed Mission Innovation Champion

Arno Smets appointed Mission Innovation Champion

Professor Arno Smets has been named one of the first Mission Innovation Champions, a new initiative to honour pioneers in the field of clean energy.

10 April 2019

TU Delft publishes vision on Climate Action

TU Delft publishes vision on Climate Action

The climate is changing and this is something we shall have to deal with. What TU wants to contribute is written down in a vision paper published today.