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UvA signs sustainability manifesto by The Young Academy and Green Young Academy

2 December 2025

The UvA has signed the manifesto ‘Sustainable Thinking, Sustainable Action’ by The Young Academy and the Green Young Academy. This manifesto sets out concrete and ambitious sustainability goals in education, research, operations and governance. It reinforces the actions the UvA is already taking in the field of sustainability, within our theme ‘Sustainable Prosperity’ and our climate research centre SEVEN, and supports our ongoing journey towards becoming a climate-neutral university.

The report Thirteen Shades of Green

In their report Thirteen Shades of Green, The Young Academy and Green Young Academy present recommendations for improvement and call on academic institutions to show greater ambition in the field of sustainability. From terminology and transparency in reporting to independent audits – every element is equally essential to accelerating the climate transition and embedding change in a sustainable way. They propose the following concrete actions:

  • Education – Embed sustainability in the curriculum
    • Prepare young people for their role in promoting sustainability.
  • Research – Encourage socially relevant science
    • Reduce internal competition, phase out collaborations with polluting industries, and support more critical research.
  • Operations – Towards climate-neutral academic institutions
    • Less offsetting, rapid CO₂ reduction, and transparent, concrete reporting.
  • Governance – Embed sustainability in decision-making
    • Include it in staff evaluations and reward systems, and ensure a stable position for sustainability coordinators.

By signing the manifesto, academic institutions confirm that they will adopt more ambitious targets and grant The Young Academy permission to participate in a new form of reporting, which will monitor the progress of universities and university medical centres (UMCs).

Signing and clarifications

UvA Vice-President Richard Goldstein stated: ‘As the UvA, we are already doing a great deal, and we also have ambitious plans for sustainability in the areas of research, education and operations. These plans are set out in the Sustainability White Paper. Signing this manifesto underlines the importance of our commitment. It aligns with a broader development in which academic institutions increasingly operate and report on sustainability in a joint and consistent manner, while still allowing for individual interpretation.’

This individual interpretation means that the UvA and other institutions may deviate on certain points. Following consultations with the organisers, the points on which the UvA wishes to diverge were found to be acceptable. For example, while the UvA’s climate targets are formulated differently from those in the manifesto, the university is working towards the same goal.

Read the report and manifesto