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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.

Specialized microorganisms that are found in only one type of environment turn out to occur there in relatively low but stable numbers. Microorganisms that live in many different types of environments, on the other hand, are able to rapidly increase in numbers when conditions are favourable. Researchers from Utrecht University and the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena conclude this based on a new method to distinguish generalist and specialist microbes, which they applied to a large, global dataset.

The IPCC released the final part of its Sixth Assessment Report on March 20, urging that only swift and drastic action against climate change can avert irreversible damage to the world. A new study published in Nature Climate Change has found that limiting climate change is also more beneficial for the economy.

After the North Sea Flood of 1953, it took nearly 45 years to finalise the Delta Works. If we want to protect The Netherlands against sea-level rise, we should take measures in time. But how much time do we have left? An international team of researchers from Utrecht University, Deltares, and NIOZ, among others, devised a new method to calculate when we can expect a certain increase in flood probability in a specific area.

Can a scientist, a farmer and a nature organisation ensure that nature can better withstand periods of extreme drought or massive flooding? Can a 'regular civilian' help to counteract drought and improve biodiversity in our country in the near future by sowing certain species of grass and herbs? If it were up to Dr. Edwin Pos , yes.

Geologists from Utrecht, London and Granada have found the first direct proof of the largest known mega-flood that ever occurred on earth. This mega-flood ended what is known as the ' Messinian Salinity Crisis' , a period around six million years ago when the water level in the Mediterranean Sea sank by around 1.5 km, causing an extreme environmental crisis in the region.

Under the coordination of Utrecht University, seventeen organizations will be working together over the next four years to improve detection and measurement of all major greenhouse gases in eight European countries. The new insights are vital to improve strategies for greenhouse gas mitigation, and improve the countries' emission reports requested annually by the United Nations.