Climate change: a message of unity and commitment from Coimbra Group Universities
31 March 2025
Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Durham University
Durham University was proud to host the Coimbra Group’s inaugural Climate and Sustainability Symposium and to act as the convenor for the Coimbra Group’s Durham Declaration on Climate and Sustainability, which affirms our shared commitment to tackling climate change and placing sustainability at the heart of what we do as universities.
Dr Tony Juniper, the Chair of Natural England and a longstanding environmental campaigner, opened the symposium, noting that climate change is not a ‘future’ threat but is upon us now with real world consequences and that we need ambitious goals and targets to do something about it. The science underpinning climate change is overwhelming (a point emphasised too by keynote speaker Professor Mike Bentley, Durham University) – the challenge is for a shift in culture using a cross-disciplinary approach that emphasises the importance of deploying the social sciences and humanities. Tony Juniper urged the Coimbra Group, as research intensive and comprehensive universities, to recognise that they are in a very powerful position to do something about this. He also emphasised the aesthetic appeal of the natural world and the arts in reaching out to a wider public and motivating action to preserve and restore our planet.
The Climate Symposium showcased a range of exciting projects already underway within the membership that demonstrated the importance of building meaningful long-term civic and academic partnerships, influencing policy, and ensuring that universities play a leading role in shaping a greener, more resilient future. Professor Chris Smith (representing Science Europe and UKRI) provided the important message that research funders are also moving in this direction and want to work with universities to support this transition, including efforts to shape the broader research funding and policy discourse on climate and sustainability within Europe.
Student involvement before and during the symposium, including a keynote speech by Lana Par of the European Student Union, demonstrated the creativity, passion and commitment of young people. We were delighted that in advance of the symposium, many Coimbra Group universities participated in ‘Eyes on the Future’, a serious game about sustainability developed by Utrecht University. The winners of the student competition, travelled from Norway and Romania using an Interrail pass and participated fully in the symposium.
Sam Barratt, Chief, Youth, Education & Advocacy at UNEP, joined us and led discussions on the role UNEP could play in helping to accelerating progress on the actions outlined in the Declaration. He asked us to reflect on best practice for student participation, developing the green skills component and integrating their agency into the process. He also commented that the impact of our excellent existing initiatives could be expanded by working closely with other networks to provide outreach beyond Europe and to inject pace into activities. ‘Are we being radical enough’ was a key challenge posed by Sam. It was a challenge reflected too in relation to the unequal exposure to climate change experienced by nations around the world during an outstanding after-dinner speech by H.E. Mr Francois Jackman, Ambassador of Barbados and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
While Coimbra Group universities have already created important and positive outcomes as innovators, educators, partners and investors, the symposium demonstrated that that there is so much more can be done by working together and sharing good practice on climate change and sustainability.
The symposium emphasised that we are faced with the triple planetary crisis of climate, pollution and biodiversity, all of which impact on the health of our human and natural environments. Working together across the Coimbra Group, we seek to engage with our student and staff groups of 1.5 million people to influence policy and research funders, advance education on climate and tackle global-scale research problems through strong research partnerships. In striving to do so, we place ourselves as central actors in the challenge of addressing the needs of the ‘life support system’ that is our planet and all those for whom it is home, and to do so in a way that protects against exacerbating global inequalities in wealth, health and education.
As Vice Chancellor of the host institution, I warmly thank all my fellow Rectors and Vice Chancellors for signing the declaration so quickly. Your enthusiasm and commitment send a very powerful public message that the Coimbra Group Universities are united in their commitment to sustainability and climate action. The adoption of the Durham Declaration marks a defining moment for the Coimbra Group and its member universities and underscores the Coimbra Group’s role as a global leader in higher education.
In signing the Declaration our member universities unite behind a shared set of principles that commit us to work to address climate change through research, education and policy engagement. The Declaration will help to guide the Group’s activities moving forward, including efforts to shape the broader policy discourse on climate and sustainability within Europe, to help shape public opinion, and to work together to turn ambition into meaningful impact.