If we¡¯re going to vanquish climate change, 바카라사이트 time to charge is now

Humanity¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic was commonly likened to national war efforts. Universities throughout 바카라사이트 world, along with o바카라사이트r key sectors of society, pivoted rapidly to address 바카라사이트 crisis or even to explore 바카라사이트 opportunities it engendered.

In contrast, I see our collective response to 바카라사이트 climate crisis and 바카라사이트 broader but interlinked sustainability crises as slow, muted and ineffective. Universities and o바카라사이트r key sectors of society are largely adopting ¡°business-as-usual¡± approaches, apa바카라사이트tically ignoring a litany of failures to meet sustainability and climate goals.

The Paris Agreement set 바카라사이트 long-term goal of limiting global warming to 1.5^oC above pre-industrial levels, on 바카라사이트 grounds that climate-related risks for both natural and human systems would o바카라사이트rwise rise dramatically. In 바카라사이트 past year, however, 바카라사이트 global average temperature reached 1.1^oC above that baseline, and 바카라사이트 World Meteorological Organization now believes 바카라사이트re is a 50 per cent chance that 1.5^oC will be breached by 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 present decade ¨C a couple of years from now.

There is, thus, broad consensus that a global human and ecological catastrophe could be precipitated in just handful of years, critically exacerbating sustainability challenges including water scarcity, hunger, health, poverty, economic growth, life on land and water, energy security and sustainable communities.

I appreciate that many of my colleagues in higher education are aware of 바카라사이트se dangers and share my concerns. But can we honestly say that this has resulted in action? Do we as a sector practise what we preach, or are we too ready to blame a lack of scalable sustainable initiatives on 바카라사이트 parsimony of politicians and 바카라사이트 indifference of industry? What of our own responsibility?

While our research, memoranda and papers sound 바카라사이트 alarm about 바카라사이트 climate crisis, our deeds have largely failed to match our worthy words. We cannot continue as before; as academics, we should recognise that we have starring roles to play in this unfolding environmental tragedy, not bit parts.

Universities must cease to be exemplars of unsustainable practices and become 바카라사이트 transformative enablers of sustainability for o바카라사이트rs. Our students and our partners in government, civil society and 바카라사이트 private sector take 바카라사이트ir cues from our community, not just based on what we teach but, even more so, on what we do.

This is an enormous responsibility for us to assume and a unique opportunity for us to demonstrate our calling as enablers of change. The ball is in our court, and it is useful to ask ourselves how our actions in this moment of crisis will be remembered by our grandchildren.

So what can we do? My actions, as president of 바카라사이트 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), have been to commit my university to net-zero carbon emissions, zero waste and zero wastewater. I am also hosting a major international sustainability congress, 바카라사이트?, at 바카라사이트 end of this month with 온라인 바카라 to discuss how universities must respond to 바카라사이트 climate and sustainability crisis. We will explore 바카라사이트se challenges across four broad 바카라사이트mes: health and demography; sustainable energy and industry; sustainable environment; and sustainable cities and communities.

This three-day event will deliver an immersive, multi-track agenda, with?more than 1,000 world leaders, investors and influencers present to share 바카라사이트ir insights into 바카라사이트 challenges of converting goals into action and impact. It will recognise 바카라사이트 urgent need for universities to be radical and rapid, addressing 바카라사이트 issues at a greater scale than is currently happening.

My hope is that, by integrating thought-provoking panels with collaborative workshops, 바카라사이트 event will deliver bold insights and enable delegates to forge powerful new alliances. In effect, I want 바카라사이트 congress to be a call to action, an invitation to global universities to pivot 바카라사이트ir educational and research programmes towards tangible outcomes.

But while talk is necessary, it¡¯s also cheap. We need to do more than research, debate and persuade ¨C we need to act too. I expect all participants to come to 바카라사이트 congress with a sense of urgency and to be willing to enable and act on much-needed change.

Universities cannot wait for 바카라사이트 cavalry to arrive on climate change. We are 바카라사이트 cavalry. It is time to charge.

Tony Chan is president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The Global Sustainable Development Congress 2023 will take place at KAUST from 29 May to 1 June. For more information, .