Dear TU/e Community, 

For the benefit of your own future, be open to radical societal change, and actively participate in catalysing it. To show you what I mean, let’s have a look at noteworthy elements of our society in a nutshell.  

Please reflect upon the following. Many of us Westerners lead a comfortable life, right? Of course there are many very important exceptions, but generally speaking, we can count ourselves very fortunate that in the past 60 years we have witnessed success through unprecedented societal advancements, stability and economic prosperity. But can we sustain our ways of living and continue blurring the line between societal needs and individual ‘wants’? And can we grow ever more while other parts of the globe also see increasing living standards and growing populations? The answer is ‘no’, because all these developments have come at the dire costs of sidelining the intrinsic value of nature for economic gain, and causing resource depletion, environmental degradation, and rapid atmospheric changes.  

You knew that already, hopefully. 

To slow the damage or cure some parts, progress is made in climate policies and actions, especially regarding renewable energy and other forms of innovation. Popular theories of ‘decoupling’ and ‘green growth’ suggest economic prosperity and environmental sustainability can coexist through improving the status quo; this sounds nice… But really, we should not rely on this belief to save the day, because it is simply too large of a gamble! 

See, total emission reductions have been episodic, tied often to economic downturns and Covid-19 rather than indicative of a sustained decoupling of economic activity from environmental impact. The promises of 100% clean and renewable energy systems, mobility, industries and products are still far away with current efforts. Even ‘green’/electric innovations still entail much pollution – often indirectly – or even increase consumption. And society? Well, we still are reluctant to embrace comprehensive changes.  

In principle, such issues would not be very bad if we had enough decades to fix them incrementally. But the thing is, current efforts and incremental steps where we do stuff ‘less bad’ don’t ensure equitable change everywhere. And more importantly, they just won't address the global crises’ depth and prevent a steep temperature rise in time. This is especially true if self-perpetuating positive feedback systems spiral beyond our control. And that is just one of our planetary problems… If we don’t change now, we will increasingly face life-redefining impacts of widespread land- and city-loss, drought, floods, famine, massive migration and insane societal instability. All that is at our doorstep! The society you and I live in is ill-prepared for this. 

So, we face a choice between two options which cannot be pushed further into the future; a fact that has to be accepted. Option 1: continue with business-as-usual under a guise of ‘sustainability’. Option 2 makes more sense: urgently collaborate towards radical innovation, a mindset emphasizing commitment, and a new socioeconomic system only supporting sectors benefiting true well-being ánd planetary health, taking externalities into account, prioritizing the collective well-being. I hope you see where I am going. It also includes understanding the need for and allowing immediate action from those in power to enforce drastic measures, promote greener practices, and make tough decisions that may not benefit everyone immediately. 

The real deal, however, is that long-term sustainability must transcend top-down demands and requires mass engagement and lifestyle transformations, also from you! This is more complex because of the lack of public engagement and misunderstanding of sustainability.  

Causes for the lack of public engagement may be the overwhelming, complex or abstract information and fake news, too little correct and simple education, ánd ignorance. Many of us are accustomed to and strive for personal luxury and narrow definitions of success. Too many people wish to easily earn money while doing little, and too many take for granted long stable societal periods for which predecessors worked hard. And unfortunately, too many face more pressing issues (think of a housing crisis), overshadowing long-term societal challenges. Lastly and overarching, sustainability is prone to polarization or neglect. People alienate each other, which happens for example when we have different views on other issues, for example on immigration, or when someone dares to speak up but does not belong to your ‘type’ of people and therefore loses your attention. 

Such situations often cause citizens to not feel the responsibility to proactively engage with societal challenges and accept change for the better. This is a situation which cannot exist when we strive for long-term sustainability.  

As a student at TU/e, I've witnessed the power of education and dialogue in supporting radical innovation and societal change. Therefore I state that we need a major political and societal movement that is all about educating, training and transforming both young generations, influential individuals and groups, and educators themselves. They must all be conscious about what the future and society needs to sustain itself within planetary boundaries, and feel responsible for contributing to the bigger picture. Also, they have to lead others in society in stepping away from short-term interests, persistent misunderstandings, habits, and aversion to change, and push for policies that protect humanity from its own actions.  

For universities like TU/e this means fostering a greater determination and excitement in students to primarily pursue studies not merely to get a degree and better job prospects, but learn how to make the world a better place a.s.a.p. Current academic and professional efforts must provide students with the capacity to make this difference and make sustainability a way of life by stopping mentioning vague sustainable practices or only including it as an additional complicating requirement. Instead, sustainability knowledge gaps must be filled and sustainability mindsets from specialized programs (e.g., Sustainable Innovation) must be integrated in the basis of all studies. And dear people, we must be proactive, for example in guiding the TU/e’s direction, because it is all about our own future! 

GO Green Office supports this change through TU/e. We lead self-sustaining initiatives in e.g. operations (which should simply be expected within every organisation), and now evolve towards changing mindsets, policies, and education. Our Chair-of-the-Future Tour – which you will see around on campus – invites you to give your input on these topics, which will be discussed with departmental boards and student representatives to lead us towards a collective shift!  

So grab the opportunity! 

Whether you’re a student, educator, policymaker, or just someone who cares about the world we live in: take care and go green, for real. 

Elano Franken 

Elano Franken just finished his Bachelor Sustainable Innovation at TU/e. Following Solar Team Eindhoven’s event in Brussels – where alongside three colleagues, Franken addressed an audience with a critical message and a call to action – he shares that day’s story with you in this column.