Sustainability researcher Karin Rebel

How does your work help to shape the world of tomorrow?

As a university lecturer at Utrecht University’s Copernicus Instituut of Sustainable Development, I teach and conduct research into sustainability. When I teach, I try to help my students to analyse, quantify and seek solutions to the major challenges of this era. Amongst other methods, I do this by having them examine sustainability issues from a mathematical perspective. I am also closely involved in our English bachelor Global Sustainability Science, which began in September 2016.

I conduct research into sustainability and climate change, focusing on areas such as the interaction between water, the climate and ecosystems. To do this, I use models with which you can calculate the balance for natural ecosystems regarding the emission and absorption of CO₂ into the atmosphere. This is immensely important to everybody’s future.

What does your work contribute to society? How does it impact me?

Thanks to the education provided by myself and my colleagues, more and more former students are currently active within companies, government agencies and research institutes, where they use an interdisciplinary approach to analyse – and where possible solve – sustainability problems in the Netherlands and the rest of the world. They integrate the interdisciplinary approach we teach them into their work. There is huge demand for people who approach future social challenges from various disciplines, with sustainability as the common thread.

My research focuses on climate change. The burning of fossil fuels is causing an increase in the levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere. More than a quarter of these CO₂emissions are absorbed by plants. Nitrogen, which is released into the atmosphere by industry and traffic, stimulates plant growth, but not all plant species respond to nitrogen in the same way. In addition, the quantity of water is important to plant growth. In my research, I examine how the future availability of nitrogen and water will influence the absorption of CO₂ by plants. If the growth increases, then this can help reduce climate change, which will make a major contribution to global climate objectives.

What is your dream? What do you want to achieve in the next 5–10 years?

The word ‘sustainability’ is now seen as a buzzword. To me, it simply describes future-proof interaction between people and nature. My dream is for people to no longer see sustainability as a temporary fad and for sustainable living to become a natural part of our everyday lives, both at home and at work.

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