Sustainability Week 2026

Join us from October 5 to 9 for Sustainability Week at the University of Groningen! View climate change and extreme weather through fresh eyes, find inspiration in our local (edible) nature and experience the overwhelming power of water in the documentary Aquarela. Or test your sustainability knowledge in the always-fun Great Green Pub Quiz.

This year’s Sustainability Week keynote lecture will be given by biologist and meteorologist Margot Ribberink:

From wildfires to floods: can extreme weather spur us to climate action?

It became painfully clear again this summer that climate change is real and is already affecting us. The consequences are visible all around us: forest and heath fires, historically low water levels in rivers like the Rhine and the Meuse, trees shedding their leaves early, and desiccation and heat stress in cities. But what exactly causes this? What are the mechanisms behind our changing climate and increasingly extreme weather?

And just because we know our climate is changing, does that mean we know exactly what lies ahead, or is there still a great deal of uncertainty? Our planet is warming, yet this can have seemingly contradictory local effects. For instance, the slowing or stalling of the AMOC (a crucial system of ocean currents in the Atlantic) could actually mean that the Netherlands becomes colder and wetter in the long run.

Margot Ribberink, biologist, meteorologist, and climate communication expert, takes us on a journey to explain and better understand the complex mechanisms driving our climate and its transformation. But more importantly: what can we do to combat climate change? What courses of action are available to us, and what is holding us back?

The lecture will take place on 6 October in the Auditorium of the Academy Building, from 20:00-21:30. The lecture will be conducted in Dutch. You will be able to register for the lecture soon!

Margot Ribberink (1965) studied biology in Nijmegen. She began her career as a meteorologist in 1990 at Meteo Consult, the Netherlands' first commercial weather service. She made history by becoming the first female weather presenter on Dutch television. Driven by a passion for extreme weather, Ribberink also regularly traveled to the United States during tornado season to track tornadoes. In January 2019, she left television to focus entirely on climate communication and sustainability. Her mission is to raise awareness about sustainable living and to translate complex climate issues into practical, concrete advice.

Below, you will find information about the other activities of Sustainability Week 2026.

Walk | Foraging on 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.

Tuesday 7 October, 12:00-13:30 (limited amount of tickets available!)
Location t.b.a. Language: English.

Film | Aquarela

Experience the force of water through the documentary Aquarela. The viewing will be at the Forum and will be preceded by an introduction of water management expert Margo van den Brink (RUG).

More information and tickets will follow soon!

Event | Green Labs Community meeting

More information will be added in September!

Event | Great Green Pub Quiz

Prepare for the Great Green Pub Quiz! Can you separate eco-facts from eco-fiction? Do you know everything about solar panels, biodiversity or climate change? Then make sure you are there and beat your colleagues, friends or fellow students!

The quiz consists of three exciting trivia rounds: general knowledge, local sustainability knowledge and music questions. Don't miss this opportunity for a fun outing and to learn more about this crucial topic.

You can sign up as an individual (and join a group on the spot) or as a team. You can indicate this on the registration form! A team consists of 4-5 people.

Thursday 8 October, 20:00-22:00
Location: Café De Toeter. The quiz will be held in English.