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

09 January 2024

Old times revived for climate adaptation

Old times revived for climate adaptation

Extreme rainfall events are becoming more extreme and periods of drought are becoming more frequent. To keep the Dutch delta liveable, adaptations will be needed, such as extra water buffers. The Netherlands has a long history of struggle against water, but also makes eager use of it. What can we learn from our heritage? Erik Mostert, lecturer and researcher Water Management at TU Delft, developed several strategies for the province of South Holland to be more resilient to climate change. Inspiration for this came from Dutch heritage: tow barge canals.

09 January 2024

Student 'Quick Reaction' Team erected for field measurements in extreme weather events

Student 'Quick Reaction' Team erected for field measurements in extreme weather events

06 December 2023

Pivotal moment for humanity as tipping points in Earth systems and society accelerate

Pivotal moment for humanity as tipping points in Earth systems and society accelerate

The report says current global governance is inadequate for the scale of the challenge of accelerating tipping points and makes six key recommendations to change course fast, including coordinated action to trigger positive tipping points.

30 November 2023

The new food waste monitor 'Orbisk' provides insight into food waste at TU Delft

The new food waste monitor 'Orbisk' provides insight into food waste at TU Delft

Since the start of the academic year 2023/2024, the new food waste monitor 'Orbisk' has been integrated in the Aula, within the Foodsquare restaurant. This innovative system monitors the food that is been thrown away. A third of global emissions are attributed to food waste, so reducing food waste has a positive impact on the climate.

30 November 2023

Researchers call for Dutch leading role in global methane monitoring

Researchers call for Dutch leading role in global methane monitoring

At COP28 in Dubai, countries want to reach new agreements to reduce emissions. This requires the identification of emission sources. The Netherlands has extensive experience with satellites that monitor methane emissions. Researchers from SRON, KNMI, TNO and TU Delft see huge methane plumes over landfills and fossil fuel extraction with their current space instrument TROPOMI.


Climate Action News

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.

14 June 2024

Fading boundary between farmers and tigers

Fading boundary between farmers and tigers

The geothermal energy well at TU Delft campus will soon start heating various buildings on campus and in the city of Delft. But it provides insufficient heat in winter, and excessive heat in summer. Adding underground seasonal storage allows surplus summer heat to be put to good use in winter. Martin Bloemendal and his team develop the means to make integration of such an underground seasonal buffer possible at a large scale.

06 June 2024

Understanding Extreme Weather Phenomena: PHARA's 3D Radar Project's first official Summit

Understanding Extreme Weather Phenomena: PHARA's 3D Radar Project's first official Summit

Under the name PHARA, a collaborative team of scientists and engineers aim to develop a pioneering phased array weather radar – first of its kind in Europe and one of the first worldwide. This joint effort TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, TNO, Robin Radar, Astron, KNMI, and the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, officially kicked off with a summit held on May 30.

14 May 2024

Untapping the hidden resources

13 May 2024

Revolutionising deconstruction: A robot for sustainable material recovery

Revolutionising deconstruction: A robot for sustainable material recovery

In response to the need for sustainable construction practices, an international group of researchers has secured a HORIZON Europe grant. They will develop a groundbreaking digitalized, autonomous, and intelligent identification system, including a robot. This innovative technology aims to revolutionize the construction industry by efficiently identifying and extracting reusable materials, products and building components in end-of-life buildings.