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The climate promises of oil and gas companies are an 'empty box'. That is according to research conducted by scientist Mathieu Blondeel (Institute for Environmental Issues, VU Amsterdam) together with Gregory Trencher (Kyoto University, Japan) and Jusen Asuka (Tohoku University, Japan) on the fossil industry's climate strategy.

According to research by Lisanne Hendriks, an ecologist at Radboud University, azolla and duckweed are the best floating aquatic plants for purifying wastewater. The plants absorb nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater and so render it much cleaner. The phosphorus and other pollutants in the water can then be recovered and reused.

Amphipods have a much smaller safety margin to cope with warmer water in rivers than has been recognised previously. They also need to get used to warmer water gradually. This is shown by the research of, among other ecologists, Wilco Verberk of Radboud University. The study presents a new method for measuring the heat tolerance of animals, which makes it easier to link the lab with fieldwork.

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded eight TU Delft researchers from the Science (ENW) and Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES) domains, a Vidi grant of up to 800,000 euro. This will enable the laureates to develop an innovative line of research over the next five years and further expand their own research group.

We launched the Sustainability Dialogues with the UT community in February with great drive and determination. It suits the diversity and urgency of the climate change issue, and also the value the UT community gives to contributing to solutions.

Recognising the urgent need to respond to rapid societal and environmental change, resilience is one of the University of Twente's spearheads. As an academic institution, we have a role to play in strengthening the resilience of the social, technological and environmental systems that support us. In this weekly series, UT researchers share their personal reflections on current events and trends that impact our daily lives, exploring their implications for resilience.

Without further implementation net-zero targets will not deliver their intended climate mitigation. Many net-zero targets are not legally binding, nor are they accompanied by either a long-term plan or effective short-term policies, a new study finds. For the Paris climate goals to come within reach this would need to happen.

Anthropogenic increased nitrogen deposition is a well-known environmental stressor, resulting in impoverishment of soil quality in naturally nutrient-poor ecosystems. As a result, habitat conditions for plant and animal species are also changing. Such changes are sometimes clearly visible in the field.

New report highlights the importance of fluid dynamics research at TU/e and other universities for Dutch industry Dutch industry employs more than 19,000 people who are working on fluid flows in their many different forms. The export of products and services in the field of flow dynamics provides great added value for the economy and society.

A model study reveals that the seeds of plants in small, fragmented habitats can abruptly evolve in such a way that they can no longer travel long distances. As a consequence, plants are less successful in reaching other habitats. This insight shows that fragmented natural areas may need to be better connected than previously assumed.

Scientists of the department of Natural Resources (ITC Faculty - University of Twente) recently published an article in the scientific journal Nature Communications . In their research, associate professor from the NRS Department Dr Tiejun Wang (corresponding author) and his master's student Ms.

Adaptation measures, like building dikes at coastal cities, can reduce internal migration due to sea level rise by 30 to 90 percent in 2100. This is concluded in a study by climate scientist Lena Reimann of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This is concluded in a recently published study - Exploring spatial feedbacks between adaptation policies and internal migration patterns due to sea-level rise - in Nature Communications, led by Lena Reimann, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Monday, 22 May 2023, during Biodiversity Day, TU Delft is launching a collaboration with Waarneming.nl to make the TU Delft Campus more green and vibrant. René Hoonhout and Tim Tabak from EcoCampus gave tours to students and staff to discover and capture plants, animals and organisms on campus.

Four Utrecht researchers, each with slightly different areas of expertise and at different stages in their careers. But with one urgent shared concern: climate is changing, ice sheets are melting and sea levels are rising. This concern is crystal clear. But the complex research behind it is far from simple for most people.

VU Amsterdam climate scientist Sem Vijverberg developed new methods to make long-term weather predictions with the help of data-driven techniques. Suchlike predictions can be extremely useful to the agricultural industry. For example, a grower could choose to purchase more drought-resistant plants when a long dry summer is forecast.

A major challenge in the energy transition is the efficient and flexible storage and transportation of renewable energy. Batteries will play an important role in this. However, much research and innovation are still required. In order to encourage this, on Thursday 11 May 2023 TU Delft will be launching e4BatteryDelft: a brand-new platform that will focus on electrochemical storage of renewable energy - with respect for the world around us, in a way that is affordable and also totally European.

Solar energy is the cheapest and most accessible form of energy. Now, it will be more efficient than ever. Scientists from a Chinese solar technology company have developed a new type of solar cell that could be a game-changer in the world's transition towards renewable energy. Advanced modelling, performed by researchers at TU Delft, played a pivotal role deep understanding and engineering of the innovation.

Higher levels of nitrogen in the environment (coming from fertilisers and livestock, for example) not only affect plants but also soil invertebrates and insects. The diversity of roundworms declines in areas with high input of nitrogen, and numbers of some arthropods drop. However, other species of arthropods benefit from the extra nitrogen.

At Utrecht University, interdisciplinary research into a sustainable future comes together in Pathways to Sustainability. To do justice to the natural sciences in this strategic theme, Professor René van Roij  together with several colleagues from the Faculties of Science and Geosciences initiated the community Science for Sustainability  a year ago.

Can a rapid warming of Earth trigger tipping points in our climate? For decades scientists have debated if today's warming can strongly amplify itself by triggering a catastrophic release of greenhouse gases. New research, published in Science Advances , now presents evidence that such tipping points did occur in Earth's history.