The ULB will actively participate in the Climate March in Brussels on Sunday, October 11, 2026. This event aims to underscore the critical importance of mobilization at all levels to combat climate change, encompassing political decisions, institutional commitments, scientific research, education, and the university's own carbon footprint reduction.
ULB's participation echoes the in-depth research and teaching conducted within the institution, as well as the internal operational transformations already underway. Amidst the intensifying effects of climate change, the persistent gap between available scientific knowledge and the pace of response remains a major concern for the academic world.
Pierre Coheur, Vice-Rector for Sustainable Development at ULB, stated: "We currently possess solid knowledge about the ongoing upheavals. Our responsibility is to continue producing and transmitting this knowledge, and to translate it into our practices. What drives us in universities is to initiate the necessary transition now, with and for the younger generations."
In this vein, the reACT network (Academic Network for Ecological and Social Transformations), established in 2024, brings together over a hundred members from all faculties and schools within the university. Its objective is to break down disciplinary silos and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to address the challenges of ecological and social transformations.
The ULB Climate Plan, adopted in 2019, sets a trajectory for reducing its carbon footprint. Between 2018 and 2024, the university's greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 7%, despite growth in its academic community. ULB's climate action focuses on emission reduction and preparing campuses for the impacts of climate change, including building renovation, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, and biodiversity preservation.
The university emphasizes that its actions are only part of the required response, calling for collective choices at all levels. ULB has set a meeting point at 1:30 PM under the covered area of Place Rogier for the Climate March.
