The programme

Content

Energy use accounts for nearly 75% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, with energy use in industry, transportation, and use in buildings as some of the largest sectors requiring innovations for the energy transition. The Energy Innovation and Transitions session will highlight on-going work and explore what steps are still critically needed. In the morning, we will have an overview of UT's involvement in key technology areas (renewable energy, storage, energy use) followed by two industry talks showcasing their sustainability roadmaps: Tata Steel and Nobian. 

Moderators

Content

The sessions will provide an overview of the challenges associated with weather extremes, especially periods of drought, heat and extreme rainfall in eastern Netherlands and the bordering region of Germany. How are the organisations on the front line, the water companies, water boards, municipalities, nature organisations, farmers and industry dealing with weather extremes? The opportunities to boost resilience to weather extremes will also be explored. Effective policies and planning are crucial, with transformative and adaptive governance playing a key role. 

Introduction to the theme  

Joanne Vinke-de Kruijf, Civil Engineering & Management and Drought Resilience Programme, University of Twente

Opening Words  

Maarten van Aalst, Director General, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and Guest Professor, ITC-Applied Earth Sciences, University of Twente     

Session 1

Heavy rains, drought, heat: Addressing the challenges of weather extremes in Twente - a perspective from the Twentse Golf and Twents Waternet  

Two regional coalitions of stakeholders and innovators describe their priorities in addressing weather extremes and what they need most from the research community and other stakeholders in the co-development of solutions for the region.

Stefan Nijwening, Innovation Manager, Vechtstromen Water Authority  
Rogier van der Velde, Hydrologist, Vitens NV  
Rik Meijer, Senior Policy Advisor, City of Enschede   

Session 2

Governing for weather extremes: Policy and planning needs 

Water governance for adaptive, resilient urban and rural landscapes 
Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Professor, Resources Management, Institute of Geography and Institute for Environmental Systems Research, Osnabrück University 

Climate-robust water management in the transboundary Vechte Basin  
Roberto Goncalves, Head of Environment Department, Grafschaft Bentheim  

Discussants: 
John Morris, Professor, Political Science, Auburn University, US & Franziska Baack, Researcher, Governance and Technology for Sustainability (CSTM), University of Twente

Moderator

Content

To safeguard the health of both people and the planet, we need to recognize the interconnectedness of ecological, social, and economic systems and taking collective action to ensure a healthier and more sustainable world for generations to come. The Climate Event, which will take place in Twente on the 5th of November 2024, covers the rapid advancements in technology for a healthy future. While healthcare endeavours to improve people's health, it also accounts for 7% of CO2 emissions, 4% of waste, and 13% of resource consumption in the Netherlands. Additionally, climate change has significant implications for our well-being, including heat related illnesses, vector borne diseases, and social and economic consequences.

By promoting sustainable practices, and adopting environmentally friendly technologies, the MedTech sector can contribute to mitigating climate change. With technological advancements, medical technologies have the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery. As these advancements occur at lightning speed, many opportunities arise within the healthcare sector. However, the challenge lies in considering sustainability alongside efficiency, affordability, accessibility, and patient-centricity.

Morning session

Greening Healthcare: Reducing the Environmental Footprint

Join us to explore how the healthcare sector can reduce its environmental impact. This session will discuss the importance of sustainability within healthcare and highlight strategies for minimizing the sector's ecological footprint. We will examine approaches to improve efficiency and promote eco-friendly practices. Let's discuss the path toward a greener healthcare system.

Speakers

This session consists of four presentations of speakers who will share their findings from different institutions:

Moderators

Content

In a policy and science funding landscape where polluting industries have a large say, transition agendas run the risk of being biased towards the (fossil fuel) status quo. In the morning session of the climate solutions track, we will explore which solutions managed to gain traction over the past three decades – and which were left out. And we zoom in on potentially overlooked and underfunded degrowth solutions in agriculture and the build environment. Together with the audience, we will explore experiences and ideas about bias and balance in the research on, and political uptake of, climate solutions.

Speakers

• Dr. Rosalie Arendt (UT)
• Dr. Guus Dix (UT)
• Dr. Steven McGreevy (UT)
• Dr. Aaron Pereira (Solid Sustainability)

Moderators

Contents

As cities continue to face the challenges of rising temperatures due to climate change, urban heat island (UHI) adaptation is becoming increasingly critical. This session will explore how Urban Digital Twins (DT) can be leveraged to mitigate UHI effects. Through a series of focused presentations, we will dive into the latest approaches, with a special emphasis on UHI modelling and case studies. The session concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of these digital tools for urban planning and sustainability.

• 10:45 – 10:50 Urban Digital Twins for Urban Heat Island Adaptation – Introduction - by Mila Koeva (UT) (5 min)
• 10:50 – 11:05 Digital Twin-based Framework for Heat Stress Calculation: Case Study of Enschede, The Netherlands - by
  Ivan Cardenas (UT), Rodrigoandrés Morales (UT) (15 min)
• 11:05 – 11:20 Planning Support System Development for Analyzing Environmental Performance of Form-based Design Decisions: Case Study of Enschede, The Netherlands - by Aradhana Tripathy (UT) (15 min)
• 11:20 – 11:35 Digital Twin-Based Planning Support System for Urban Heat Island Mitigation - by Amir Afzalinezhad (UT) (15 min)
• 11:35 – 11:50 3D City Digital Twin Simulation to Mitigate Heat Risk of Urban Heat Islands: Case Study of Padua, Italy - by Aulia Sukma  (UT)(15 min)
• 11:50 – 12:05 Investigating the Effect of Sustainable Roofs on Urban Heat Islands Mitigation - by Majedeh Fallahianbizhan (UT) (15 min)
• 12:05 – 12:15 Discussion (10 min)

 Moderators

Content

Following the exciting morning talks which will highlight work that is underway, the afternoon session on Energy Innovation and Transitions will focus on what we can do next together. We'll kickoff with a talk about how the UT can "get off gas" and be a smart energy hub, followed by a panel on Netzero Pathways. Panelists will represent a range of stakeholders, with involvement from local municipalities, industry, and academic groups. The panel discussion will touch on:

• Biggest challenges for the grid, industry, and average citizens in the energy/sustainable transition
• Most likely technologies for decarbonizing the largest emissions sectors in transportation, industrial processes, commercial and residential sectors
• Equitable pathways, fair and just transition considerations

Moderators

Content

The context provided in the morning sessions on challenges and governance of resilience to weather extremes paves the way for some of the innovative measures and techniques being co-developed by the University of Twente and other research institutes with stakeholders. In these sessions we present landscape approaches for managing water, valuing water as a means of protecting it, and enhancing the recycling and reuse of water resources. The sessions will draw on the knowledge being generated in current UT projects.

Session 3

Managing ground and surface water levels: a landscape, nature-based approach 

Improving sponge functioning at the landscape scale  
Ellis Penning, Nature-based Solutions and Aquatic Ecology, Deltares    

Discussant:
Max de Vries, Doctoral candidate, Civil Engineering & Management, UT   

Session 4

Solutions for industrial and urban water use 

Valuing water to protect water sources and reduce consumption 
Rick Hogeboom, Lecturer, Multidisciplinary Water Management, UT and Executive Director, Water Footprint Network   

Developments in recycling waste, grey and storm water and its implementation 
Wiebe de Vos, Professor, Membrane Science & Technology, UT   

Summary & Closing Words  

Caroline van Bers, Strategic Business Development, UT

Gerard van der Steenhoven, Honorary Professor, ITC- Applied Earth Sciences and  
Dutch Climate Research Initiative (KIN)  

Moderator

Content

To safeguard the health of both people and the planet, we need to recognize the interconnectedness of ecological, social, and economic systems and taking collective action to ensure a healthier and more sustainable world for generations to come. The Climate Event, which will take place in Twente on the 5th of November 2024, covers the rapid advancements in technology for a healthy future. While healthcare endeavours to improve people's health, it also accounts for 7% of CO2 emissions, 4% of waste, and 13% of resource consumption in the Netherlands. Additionally, climate change has significant implications for our well-being, including heat related illnesses, vector borne diseases, and social and economic consequences.

By promoting sustainable practices, and adopting environmentally friendly technologies, the MedTech sector can contribute to mitigating climate change. With technological advancements, medical technologies have the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery. As these advancements occur at lightning speed, many opportunities arise within the healthcare sector. However, the challenge lies in considering sustainability alongside efficiency, affordability, accessibility, and patient-centricity.

Afternoon session

Climate and Health: Adapting to a Changing World

Join us in this engaging session to uncover the critical links between climate change and human health. We will delve into the physical and mental health risks brought about by environmental changes, such as heat stress and exposure to pollutants. And explore the benefits of blue and green spaces for adapting to extreme weather events, promoting mental health and encouraging health lifestyles. Additionally, we will explore how equity considerations, shared decision-making, and stakeholder involvement can be integrated in approaches for addressing climate-related health challenges. Engage in discussions on adapting to a changing world and share strategies and solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change on human health. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation and drive positive change.

Moderators

Content

To address climate change, in addition to global adaptation, a systemic transition and significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, we urgently need to develop technologies for large-scale greenhouse gas removal. This session will provide an overview of various options for this, along with a discussion of life cycle assessment considerations. Finally, a panel discussion will explore the geo-techno-socio implications of these approaches.

Programme

• 15.00 Introduction - Albert van den Berg (UT)
• 15.05 Overview of carbon capture technologies - Brigitte Jakobs (TNO)
• 15.25 Potential of olivine and other minerals for capture of green house gases - Mathieu Odijk (UT)
• 15.45 Life Cycle Assessment of Negative Emissions Technologies – The Environmental Price of Carbon Neutrality - Markus Berger (UT)
• 16.05 Panel discussion - moderated by Albert van den Berg

Moderators

Contents

Urban Digital Twins are transforming the way cities manage vital infrastructure and resources. This session will cover a wide range of applications, from traffic flow optimization to disaster preparedness, using DT technologies. Presenters will discuss innovative solutions in water management, traffic control, and urban resilience, highlighting real-world implementations. The session will conclude with a discussion on the challenges and opportunities for scaling these digital solutions to improve urban sustainability and governance.

• 15:00 – 15:05 Urban Digital Twins for Water, Traffic, Waste, and Disaster Management – Introduction - by Mila Koeva (UT) (5 min)
• 15:05 – 15:20 Leveraging LiDAR Data and Local Digital Twins Framework for Data-Driven Traffic Simulation - by Maulana Ikram Wibisana (UT) (15 min)
• 15:20 – 15:35 Digital Twin for Ground Water Table Monitoring: Case Study of Enschede, The Netherlands - by Rodrigoandrés Morales (UT) (15 min)
• 15:35 – 15:50 Development of Digital Twin Framework for Decision Support in Flood Risk Management - by Sruthie Rajendran (UT) (15 min)
• 15:50 – 16:05 A Planning Support System for Spatial Planning of Biogas Digester Plants - by Johannes Flacke (15 min)
• 16:05 – 16:20 Water Monitoring: Vitens Case Study, The Netherlands (Demonstration) - by Ivan Cardenas (15 min)
• 16:20 – 16:30 Discussion (10 min)

Moderators

Engage with various interactive technologies related to sustainable water provision, energy transition, urban heat and more at the DISC!

TBA