TU Delft officially launched its new Climate Safety & Security Centre (CaSS) at Campus The Hague in the recently opened campus on Spui. The CaSS is an interdisciplinary research centre focusing on one of the greatest challenges of our time – ensuring our safety in a changing climate. With this initiative, the university underlines its vision that climate change is not only an ecological and economic issue, but also a major security issue, which touches on the very foundations of a safe, stable and just society.
“Climate change is not a future threat, but a daily reality: a security risk that is already at our doorstep and entering our homes.” This was stated by Scientific Director and Professor Behnam Taebi in his opening speech. Across Europe and beyond, the effects of climate change are already disrupting lives and critical infrastructure on a daily basis. “The question is no longer whether the climate is changing, but how well prepared we are to remain safe, stable and resilient in a changing climate.”
Climate change as a security risk
Climate change, Taebi continued, has become a security issue. “It threatens the security of supply of water, food and energy, as well as our infrastructure and raw materials — in the Netherlands, Europe and worldwide.” When these systems come under pressure, for example due to drought or flooding, the consequences are far-reaching. Moreover, climate stress and geopolitical tensions reinforce one another. Climate impacts increase vulnerability and instability, whilst conflicts and geopolitical pressure actually reduce our ability to adapt. Together, they form a dangerous cocktail for our security. “That is why it is important to understand climate change as a development that directly affects our security, resilience and autonomy in the Netherlands and Europe."
The importance of transdisciplinarity
TU Delft, and in particular the Climate Safety & Security Centre, focuses on understanding these complex issues and helping to develop solutions for a climate-resilient and just future. The research centre links engineering, design and governance and works proactively with policymakers, advisory bodies and international organisations. “It is precisely the combination of technological expertise and in-depth knowledge of the social and ethical impact of technology that makes us ideally suited to this role,” explains Taebi.
About the Climate Safety & Security Centre
The Climate Safety & Security Centre focuses on equitable access to basic needs such as water, food and energy. Together with crucial enabling factors such as infrastructure and materials, these form the strategic pillars of the institute. In a world where climate change is exacerbating existing inequalities and putting systems under pressure, the centre aims to contribute to solutions that are both technically robust and socially just.
The institute brings together expertise from engineering, design and governance, thereby bridging the gap between technology and policy. By combining technical and social innovations, the centre develops new strategies that contribute to a climate-resilient and inclusive future. In doing so, it places particular emphasis on the role of policy-making and the practical applicability of knowledge.
This article was first published on 17 April by TU Delft.
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