08 Looking ahead to a new sustainable year

The D&I Office has received EU Erasmus+ funding for a new Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access (IDEA) network of Eastern European universities. The aim is to exchange experiences and expertise in the field of diversity and inclusion, to learn, grow and build on each other's experiences. As of 1 January 2023, Diversity & Inclusion is no longer a temporary program at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The D&I Office will have a new name to match its structural character: IDEA Center

Starting 16 January, a pilot with reusable cups launches on campus. The pilot, which will last three months, is an initiative of Erasmus University Rotterdam in cooperation with Packback, a Startup from Rotterdam. The aim is to investigate how to reduce the amount of waste from the EUR.

This pilot is an important step by the Real Estate & Facilities department to explore how EUR can apply sustainable reusable packaging campus-wide. By doing so, we can reduce our CO₂ footprint and produce much less waste. This pilot alone is expected to save about 100,000 disposable cups! 

EUR declares a climate and ecological emergency. By doing so, the university acknowledges that urgent and coordinated action is needed to counter the effects of climate change and the destruction of ecosystems. With the declaration, we sharpen our own sustainable ambitions.

In 2023, we will map out what is needed, additionally to the sustainability measures already taken. The result will be a transition plan, in which greenhouse gas emissions, ecological impact and how biodiversity can be restored will be examined. In addition, a number of measures are being taken immediately in education, research and operations.

The first version of the Sustainability Monitor is launched in March. The monitor provides information about our carbon footprint, and how our research and education are related to the SDGs. The monitor is under constant development, but already helps the university to move in the right direction. The information in the dashboard is updated at least once a year, in the case of SDG mapper more often. In summer 2023, an official launch with additional features and improvements can be expected. 

Food is responsible for a significant proportion of our environmental impact. It is therefore one of EUR’s ambitions to switch completely to plant-based food by 2030. The Executive Board and the deans jointly decided to start changing our orders, and starting in April it will no longer be possible to order beef, pork or milk products for internal meals or drinks.

Things won’t stop there, because a new step will follow in the second quarter of 2023. At that this point, we will switch to exclusively vegetarian offerings. More information will naturally be provided in due course.

This year, the theme for the Erasmus Sustainability Days will be 'Collaboration'. The event aims to bring together stakeholders from different areas to learn, debate, and build partnerships to work towards sustainable development goals. The program includes discussions on topics such as inclusivity, diversity, mental health, green financing, supply chains, and sustainable consumption.

The Erasmus Sustainability Days provide valuable networking opportunities and aims to inspire individuals to take action in their own sustainability journeys. All students and staff of the Erasmus University are invited to attend.

The Sustainability Dialogues – a series of debates within and across schools – will open up the academic discourse at EUR and promote broad engagement with sustainability transitions in a proactive and participative way.

During these conversations, we will confront and challenge the contributions each school, department and academic make to current unsustainabilities and injustices. We will further stimulate reflections: what could we contribute and how do we need to work to do so?

As of the summer, it will only be possible to place a vegetarian catering order in our ordering systems.

As follow-up of the EUR Climate Emergency Statement our Sustainability Programme will be updated, with a more ambitious and faster timeline

During the Opening of the Academic Year in September, the Sustainability Award 2023 will be awarded to a sustainable initiative. Last year, the award went to the Eurekaweek Board.

EUR wants their employees to commute more sustainably. The updates sustainable commuting policy will contain more and better incentives for bicycle and public transport use.

Our new travel agent will incentivize sustainable business travel for EUR employees.

With more green and water retention EUR will create a healthy, and biodiverse study and working environment .