Sustainability Week 2023

From 9 to 13 October 2023 it is Sustainability Week at the UG. This year, the Green Office has once again put together a stimulating program, together with various partners from the UG and beyond.

Test your knowledge during the Great Green pub quiz, think about the role of communication in relation to sustainability, join one of our guided tours, discuss climate anxiety, or join us on a field trip to De Blije Bodem. We open the week on Monday evening with the Sustainability Week Lecture, which this year will be given by Marianne Thieme.

New this year is the Sustainability Reimagined day programme on Wednesday, about the role of (visual) language and communication in relation to sustainability. The programme is aimed at anyone interested in how language and communication shape our understanding of the world, our attitudes, and even our actions. The lectures and workshops from the programme can also be attended separately.

Below on this page you will find an overview of all activities. You can register via the button under each activity. We hope to see you from October 9 to 13!

Event | Green the University Kick-Off Event: Ambassadors & Sustainability Sounding Board

Do you want to actively contribute to making the University more sustainable? Register for this kick-off event!

During the event you will receive information about how you, as a student or employee, can be involved in making the University more sustainable and you will find out what is already happening within the UG in this area. Afterwards there is the opportunity to meet each other over drinks.

The event is for employees who may be interested in joining the Sustainability Souding Board. Students can become a Green Ambassador and organize projects within their faculty.

Date | Monday 9 October
Time | 16:00 - 17:15 + drinks
Location | House of Connections
Language | English

Keynote | A better world starts with…?

Sustainability Week Lecture, by Marianne Thieme

We are proud to announce that this year's Sustainability Week 2023 keynote lecture will be provided by sustainability stratigist, publicist and former politician Marianne Thieme. On Monday, October 9, she will come to Groningen for a stimulating lecture on climate activism and impact.

At a time when the consequences of climate change are becoming so visible that we can experience and feel them ourselves, climate activism is becoming more important than ever. These times call for people who, with idealism, innovative ideas and unconventional means, become a 'force for good' in society. But what does that look like? Based on her own experiences, Marianne Thieme shows you how you can exert influence. Is climate activism mainly blocking the A12, or can you also be an activist in your ordinary day-to-day life: as a citizen, student, employee or employer? Where does a better world begin?

Curious? Then come to the Energy Academy on Monday, October 9 at 7:00 PM. The lecture starts at 7:15 PM. Due to limited capacity, please register in advance! This can be done via the button below. Will we see you there?

Date | Monday 9 October
Time | 19.15 - 20:30 (walk-in from 19:00)
Location | Energy Academy, 5159.0029
Language | Dutch (with live English subtitles)

Workshop | Sustainable Student Workshop

Are you looking to make a meaningful impact but need help figuring out where to start? Or are you just looking to have fun while making a real difference? Join us at the interactive Sustainable Student Workshop, where you'll unlock the secrets to living a greener, more responsible lifestyle — without breaking the bank or your busy schedule.

Get ready for interactive activities that will test your wit and creativity, all while teaching you about sustainable living. Did we mention there will be lots of chocolate (or candy) prizes to sweeten the deal? And if you're competitive, you'll love the friendly rivalry as we go head-to-head in challenges that promise to be as entertaining as they are eye-opening.

Perfect for first-year students or anyone new to the Green Office and sustainability, this is your chance to start your journey toward a greener future while having fun with fellow students and enjoying sweet food and activities. Sign up now, and let's make sustainability the new norm, one student at a time!

Date | Tuesday 10 October
Time | 12:00 - 13:00
Location | Oude Boteringestraat 18, Röling Building, Singer-Dekkerzaal (1217.0071)
Language | English

Exhibition + event | Hidden Waste of Research

Preaching water while drinking wine. Universities have been leading climate science for decades, yet often without taking drastic climate action in their own operations. In the last two years, at the Faculty of Science and Engineering a group of scientists and support staff have started the working group Green Labs FSE to reduce waste in laboratories. By introducing the LEAF-programme, serious steps are being taken in raising awareness and reducing our waste.

In the event Hidden Waste of Research, there are multiple talks on “hidden” waste in wet labs, dry labs and on travel behaviour. There will also be an award ceremony for labs that have achieved a LEAF accreditation in the past year. Lastly there will be art installations made from waste from a chemistry lab. The aim of this event is to deepen the insight into our waste and to exchange ideas and best practices on how to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.

This event is open to everyone interested, and not only limited to people who work in labs! There will be drinks afterwards.

Date | Tuesday 10 October
Time | 14:30 - 16:30
Location | Energy Academy, 5159.0029
Language | English

Lecture + debate | DEALING WITH CLIMATE ANXIETY

Turn apathy into action?

“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator”, stated United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres at the COP27 climate change summit. That sounds terrifying, doesn’t it? The effects of climate change are becoming tangible for a growing number of people. There also appears to be a corresponding rise in the number of people experiencing climate change-related psychological distress. ‘Eco-anxiety’ or ‘climate anxiety’ includes feelings of worry, guilt, shame, hopelessness and despair. Is climate anxiety common or not? Is there an optimal level of anxiety that motivates people to engage in environment-friendly behaviour? And what if it becomes all-consuming?

During this evening, we will hear different perspectives on climate anxiety, with environmental researcher turned activist Ernst-Jan Kuiper, professor in Developmental Psychology Peter de Jonge (RUG) and environmental psychologist Valentina Lozano Nasi (RUG). After short introductions by each speaker they will participate in a debate about the matters at hand. There is also room for the audience to take part in the discussion.

Find more information and sign up via the button below!

Date | Tuesday 10 October
Time | 20:00 - 21:30
Location | Academy buidling, Aula
Language | English
Organized with Studium Generale

Guided tour | Biodiversity in the Noorderplantsoen and City Centre

The decline in biodiversity in our country is alarming. The good news is that we can all do something about it! Trees can play a role in this. Walking from tree to tree in the Noorderplantsoen, Peter Kruijt will talk about trees as lifesavers.

Join the Green Office on a guided tour and learn all about the biodiversity and ecology of the Noorderplantsoen and the City Centre.

>>> This event is full!

Guided tour | Foraging at the Zernike Campus

When Sanne Scheltena (cultural anthropologist and forager) looks around, she sees edible plants everywhere. For most people, this is forgotten knowledge. We often have no idea what grows around us and what is edible. During this guided tour she is happy to share the forgotten knowledge about edible wild plants.

>>> This event is full!

Documentary viewing | Duty of Care: The Climate Trials

‘Duty of Care’ tells the exclusive inside story of Roger Cox, the Dutch lawyer who initiated the groundbreaking climate trials against the government and the oil and gas giant Shell. These two landmark rulings led to an international wave of successful climate cases. The aim of the documentary is to spread the benign virus of climate justice through the courts.

The event starts with a short introduction. Then we watch the documentary together. Afterwards you can talk to each other in the Social Hub while enjoying a drink!

Date | Wednesday 11 October
Time | 19:30 - 21:00
Location | The Social Hub, Boterdiep 9, Classroom 2
Language | English

Day programme | Sustainability Reimagined: The role of (visual) language in solving humanity's problems

With RESPONSUS and the Rudolf Agricola School

The debate about the transition to a sustainable future is often dominated by technological innovation and supranational policy making. But as the heated debate on the European Commission’s Green New Deal shows, these alone are unlikely to garner the public engagement necessary to truly transition to a more equitable and greener future. What is needed is language that can help foster support and inspire action.

Part of the sustainability week, Sustainability Reimagined is a day-long event that focuses on the pivotal role of (visual) language and communication. Featuring a wide variety of hands-on workshops, informative lectures, thought-provoking discussions and an exhibition, the event is aimed at anyone who is interested in how language and communication shape our understanding of the world, our attitudes, and even our actions.

The full day-programme includes lunch and refreshments, and offers the opportunity to network with the invited guest speakers and the RESPONSUS network.

Lectures and workshops form the programme can also be attended separately. Sign up forms for each lecture / workshop can be found below each event description.

Date | Wednesday 11 October
Time | 9:30 - 17:30 (walk-in and registration 9:00)
Location | House of Connections, first floor
Language | English

Lecture + exhibition | Cartooning for a sustainable future: How humour and visual communication help us survive in difficult times

This lecture by Dutch cartoonist Tjeerd Royaards will be a show-and-tell of his own work and international political cartoons on the environment. Why are political cartoons important and what makes them tick? What role do they play in the debate about the environment, sustainability and the evermore present consequences of climate change? Cartoonists have a number of tools in their toolbox to create a visual that will shock you, anger you, make you laugh or make you cry (or all at the same time). Join Royaards as he explains and shows the ways in which cartoonists accomplish this feat!

Introduction by Dr. Janina Wildfeuer & Dr. Massih Zekavat

>>> This event is full!

Date | Wednesday 11 October
Time | 9:30 - 11:00
Location | House of Connections
Language | English

Quick-fire talks | Discourses for democracy: (un)veiling threats

Quick-fire talks | Discourses for democracy: (un)veiling threats

Join us for an hour of quick-fire talks and discussion led by Lotte van Poppel and Dimitris Serafis, on topics related to sustainable democracy and the potential hurdles it faces, while exploring the power of public communication, framing and metaphors in polarised contexts.

Argumentation scholar Dr. Lotte van Poppel will discuss the dangers of metaphorical discourse. Every communication professional is taught to use metaphors to frame an issue, but are there ways in which citizens can unveil and resist them?

Philosopher prof. Leah Henderson, Special Professor in Societal Trust, will give a talk on framing the climate crisis. We need to talk about climate change in effective ways that inspire action. But our discourse is full of negative and unhelpful framings. How do we recognise and avoid these, and how do we do better?

Dr. Léonie de Jonge specializes in European politics, in particular the rhetoric of far right parties. She will dive into the intriguing world of conspiracy theories involving sustainability and eating insects...

Dr. Dimitris Serafis is a critical discourse analyst with a particular focus on (inter)national political- and (social) media- and crisis communication. He will delve into the argumentative dynamics of media discourse and the ways these end up justifying authoritarian practices in crisis-hit contexts.

Date | Wednesday 11 October
Time | 11:30 - 12:30
Location | House of Connections
Language | English

Keynote | Multimodal ecolinguistics and the search for new stories to live by

Lecture by prof. Arran Stibbe, Chair of the Ecolinguistics association, University of Gloucestershire

This presentation will describe the vital role that visual and linguistic analysis can play in challenging the stories that underpin unjust and unsustainable industrial civilisations – stories of consumerism, of economic growth as the goal of society, of nature as a resource and of human nature as fundamentally selfish.

Once we realise that the stories we tell ourselves about the place of humans in the world are leading us on a path towards ecological destruction then the urgent need to seek new stories to live by becomes apparent. These stories, and inspirational visual and linguistic devices which convey them, are to be found in traditional and indigenous cultures across the world, and new social movements that work towards equality, sustainability and the flourishing of life. The presentation explores texts from a great variety of sources and investigates whether they can provide stories to build a new ecological civilisation on.

Introduction by Dr. Femke Kramer

>>> This event is full!

Date | Wednesday 11 October
Time | 13:30 - 14:30
Location | House of Connections
Language | English

Workshop | Talking and Reading Sustainability: Unlock the Power of Language and Visual Communication

Would you like to discover how language and visual communication can shape our thinking about sustainable futures? Curious about the concept of landscape writing? Wondering if humor can aid in our sustainability efforts? Join us for an engaging and interactive experience with the RESPONSUS group in a series of short, hands-on workshops.

Explore a diverse range of themes, from visualizing sustainability, landscape writing and the power of rhetoric, to sustainable research practices and Corporate Social Bullsh*t (CSR). In these workshops, you will work with, and apply concepts and tools to explore the role of language and visual communication. You will gain valuable research insights, learn innovative analytical methods, and have a chance discover connections across disciplines.

Fun and dynamic atmosphere guaranteed by the members of the RESPONSUS group (led by Dr. Erika Darics).

>>> This event is full!

Date | Wednesday 11 October
Time | 14:45 - 16:00 (two rounds and a small break)
Location | House of Connections
Language | English

Keynote | Stuff and nonsense: Rethinking the “crisis of waste” through sociolinguistics

Lecture by prof. Crispin Thurlow, University of Bern

Whether we call it trash, garbage, junk, refuse, detritus, or just rubbish, waste is central to contemporary discourses of sustainability. This, for example, is how the United Nations has framed the situation: “With approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste generated each year … urgent action is needed to head off the threat to the environment and human health posed by this global waste crisis.” But to what extent is this way of thinking about waste helpful or productive? As a sociolinguist, I think not. In fact, and as I will explain, it seems like too much stuff and too much nonsense.

Introduction by Dr. Jelte Olthof

Date | Wednesday 11 October
Time | 16:30 - 17:30
Location | House of Connections
Language | English

City Walk | UniverCity walking tours

The city of Groningen is full of sustainable initiatives, shops and spots, but there are always some that might escape your attention.

Do you know how to save 7000 liters of water in an instant? Where to shop for groceries plastic-free? Or perhaps you want to know more of what the municipality is doing to make the city center greener?

On Thursday 12 October, the Green Office is organizing two tours in the city center to show various green spots! Join us to explore the city from a green point of view. The tour includes a small dish for free!

Date | Thursday 12 October
Time | 12:00 (full) and 13:30
Meeting point | Visserstraat 49
Language | English

Event | Great Green Pub Quiz

Get ready for the Great Green Pub Quiz! Can you separate eco-fact from eco-fiction? Who's up for a challenge in climate-consciousness? Ready to groove with green tunes?

Join us for an enjoyable experience that combines three exciting trivia rounds: general knowledge, local sustainability knowledge, and music questions. Don't miss this opportunity to have fun while learning about this crucial topic.

Date | Thursday 12 October
Time | 20:00 - 22:00
Location | Baxbier, Friesestraatweg 201/2a
Language | English

Field Trip | Regenerative Agriculture

Field trip to De Blije Bodem, a regenerative self-harvest garden in Groningen

De Blije Bodem is a regenerative self-harvest garden. This is a food garden with unsprayed fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers. Bas Welvering, the market gardener at Blije Bodem, will give an interactive tour and talk about the concept, vegetable cultivation and the restoration of ecological systems.

>>> This event is full!

Date | Friday 13 October
Time | 13:00 (full) and 15:00
Location | De Blije Bodem, Tarralaan 3, Groningen
Language | English

This event has a limited amount of spots available, so make sure to sign up quickly!