Uni Bern Magazin: Thema Sustainability

Climate, Biodiversity, Land use

Sustainability

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals specify which societal challenges are to be solved by 2030. With research on climate change, adaptation to extreme events such as floods, biodiversity and sustainable land use, the University of Bern supports the search for concrete solutions in both the global North and the South.

Current

Climate Roadmap 2030

Climate protection with Emmental biogas

The Uni Bern is working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. A contribution is being made to climate protection for emissions that are difficult to avoid. One example of this is the biogas plant on the Schürch family farm in Kirchberg.

Mystery of records solved

Why the oceans suddenly warmed

Two years ago, global ocean temperatures rose sharply, significantly exceeding previous records. A study by the University of Bern shows the role of climate change and clarifies whether models can reproduce such events.

Climate science

Jet stream responsible for extreme weather

Extreme weather events such as droughts and floods in Europe can be linked to shifts in the jet stream over the Atlantic. This is demonstrated by a reconstruction of the jet stream for the last 600 years by researchers at the University of Bern.

Media release

Wyss Academy for Nature funding continues

In its first five years, the Wyss Academy for Nature has successfully implemented projects worldwide - such as a local cooperative that plants tree seedlings in northern Kenya. The Wyss Foundation, the Canton of Bern, and the University of Bern have jointly decided to continue to fund the Wyss Academy until 2030.

Biodiversity

Two new fish species discovered in Swiss waters

The public can take part in a survey to decide on the names of two fish species discovered by Bárbara Calegari and her colleagues. In this interview, the biologist explains where they live and how to make the diversity of our waters visible.

A historic milestone for climate science

To the media release

An international team of scientists with participation of the University of Bern successfully drilled a 2,800-meter-long and over 1.2 million years old ice core, reaching the bedrock beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.

People

People

Research at the end of the world

Barbara Seth found the oldest ice on Earth as part of a research team and is helping to learn more about climate history.

Scientist portrait

“Our neighborhood network is our greatest help”

Olivia Romppainen-Martius studies the effects of climate change on extreme weather events. In the video, she explains what helps her to spend time with her daughters despite the demands of her job.

Scientist portrait

“As a young foreign woman, I wasn't taken seriously”

Ana Maria Vicedo Cabrera investigates the impact of climate change on health. In the video, she speaks about the challenges that she has faced in her career.

Nils Tinner

The mind behind the warning system for tropical nights

The "Bernometer" weather app helps the people of Bern to cope with heatwaves. The initiator of the project is Nils Tinner, a Master's student at the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research.

Teaching scientific thinking

Stefan Brönnimann: How political would you like it to be?

How do professors manage to keep the discourse in their courses open and unbiased? And what experiences do they have outside the lecture halls with attempts at political appropriation? A climatologist expresses his own opinion.

Thomas Stocker is given emeritus status

“Climate research in Bern is a brand”

Thomas Stocker is one of the figureheads of the University of Bern and a climate researcher of international renown. Among other things, he had a leading position on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Now, he is being given emeritus status. In this interview, he takes a look back at his career, tells us about an offer he once received from Cambridge and talks about orchids and racing bikes.

Promoting innovation

Higher crop yields thanks to data science

Climate change and a growing world population are putting increasing pressure on grain production. With his work, Fabian Guignard aims to help make wheat cultivation more efficient by recommending personalised varieties.