The University of Barcelona joins the climate emergency declaration
The University of Barcelona, through the rector, Joan Elias, joins, through the manifest shown below, the climate emergency declaration. The UB joins the positioning of the other neighbour institutions and the international ones as well. The UB manifesto highlights the last report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2018), which states that “by 2050, we would have to reach a zero-emission scenario, if we want the temperature to be no higher than 1.5 ºC above the pre-industrial levels”. With this report, the University of Barcelona reaffirms its commitment to the fight against climate change: “The University of Barcelona, as one of the voices of the university scientific community, takes the responsibility to ring the alarm regarding the evolution of the planetʼs climate”.
The University of Barcelona, through the rector, Joan Elias, joins, through the manifest shown below, the climate emergency declaration. The UB joins the positioning of the other neighbour institutions and the international ones as well. The UB manifesto highlights the last report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2018), which states that “by 2050, we would have to reach a zero-emission scenario, if we want the temperature to be no higher than 1.5 ºC above the pre-industrial levels”. With this report, the University of Barcelona reaffirms its commitment to the fight against climate change: “The University of Barcelona, as one of the voices of the university scientific community, takes the responsibility to ring the alarm regarding the evolution of the planetʼs climate”.
Between 2010 and 2018, the University of Barcelona reduced its use of electricity by a 21.9 %; gas by 30.2 & and water by 46.2 %. Last year, the institution jointed the Program for volunteer agreements for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GEH) of Generalitat de Catalunya. The emissions of the UB in 2017 were about 21,576.6 tons of CO2, and thanks to the implanted measures, such as hiring 100 % of electricity from renewable sources, the emissions were reduced to 4,974.6 tons of CO2 (provisional data) in 2018.
The statement of the University of Barcelona regarding the declaration of climate emergency state aims to raise awareness among the politicians and legislators on the need to take this issue on the sustainability of the planet as a priority. The text lies in accordance with the international movement Fridays for Future.
Complete manifesto
The University of Barcelona guarantees, in its Statute, the orientation of teaching and research towards the culture of peace and social and human progress, to be based on human rights and respect for the environment as well as its sustainable development. Also, one of the main aims of our University is the transmission and publication of knowledge to society.
As a result, the University of Barcelona, as one of the representatives of the scientific community for society, regarding the studentsʼ and university membersʼ worry, takes the responsibility of ringing the alarm regarding the evolution of the planetʼs climate.
The recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC; 2018) states that, by 2050, we would have to reach a zero-emission if we want the global temperature not to get higher than 1.5 ºC above pre-industrial levels. If this critical situation occurs, we would face an increase of the amount of extreme meteorological situations with their consequences for the whole planet. Heatwaves, frequent droughts, massive extinction of species and entire human communities having to move would be some of the consequences of this environmental imbalance.
Regarding this situation, the University of Barcelona joins the call for climate emergency declaration, like other international and surrounding institutions have done already, while it also reaffirms its commitment to fight against the climate change, regarded as a full priority.