UM & sustainability
'A caring and sustainable university’ is the subtitle of our Strategic Programme 2022-2026. Sustainability has long been a core value of Maastricht University, and it will be increasingly important in the near future. UM wants to integrate sustainability in the DNA of the entire organisation and make a substantial contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The programme Sustainable UM2030 facilitates the integration of sustainability into UM.
On this page you can read news, stories, press releases, videos and background information on 'UM & Sustainability'. And here is more background to sustainability at UM.
Read more: Stories & interviews
Know more: News & press releases
See more: Videos
More UM: A sustainable university
UM Theme pages assemble relevant content on one important or topical theme within UM, from stories to news and from videos to background information.


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In response to the societal challenges surrounding climate change, Maastricht University is sharpening its partner agreements. Read the full statement here.
Moving forward in circles
Society is stuck on a one-way superhighway of value destruction, if you ask Nancy Bocken. Here, the professor of Sustainable Business & Circular Economy proposes how we might exit the highway of linear consumption—and why what we do matters.

The UM Green Office: Global Pioneer & Evolving UM Sustainability Catalyst
The Maastricht University Green Office was the first one in the world and the movement spread out with now 101 Green Offices world wide. In this article, the UM Green Office reflects on how far it has come since its founding in 2010 and what it strives to accomplish in the future. With the recent launch of the UM Green Network framework, students and staff now have more opportunities than ever before to engage with impactful sustainability initiatives.

Climate change imposes a different way of doing scientific research
Wim Vriezen seeks science that has a significant impact on society. Because, despite climate change, the rising global population must continue to eat. Vriezen was recently appointed as professor of Plant Functional Genomics at Maastricht University's Faculty of Science and Engineering.

2024
Can You Sue Away Climate Change?
Kilograms of waste
Kilograms of waste: Myrthe Eussen about sustainability in the operating room
Sustainable Futures in the Making
Moving forward in circles
Climate Adaptation, Location Choice, and Regulation
When Transitions Hit Home: Exploring the decarbonisation divide in domestic heating and cooling
How the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) influences the relationship between chocolate manufacturers and smallholder cocoa farmers
Enhancing marine protection: The role of Prevention in addressing pollution from land-based sources starting from the European regional experience
Tools for experimentation - Helping businesses become sustainable
Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Data-Driven Agriculture Through Blockchain Technology
Transformations: A complex and crucial topic for research and politics
Reflections from the World Cocoa Conference 2024 in Brussels: A Call for Change
Can Accountants Save the World?
Maastricht Workshop on Applied Economics of the Environment (MAEE)
The Regional Transition Platform
Sustainable steaks and healthy hearts – synthetic meat and regenerative medicine
The UM Green Office: Global Pioneer & Evolving UM Sustainability Catalyst
Climate change imposes a different way of doing scientific research
What is there to gain from energy efficiency improvements?
Sustainable work in times of change: a Positive Health approach
2023
Maastricht Sustainability Institute Hosts Presentation and Network Day to close of Integrated Sustainability Projects
Sustainability: priced or prized?
"With our scale, we can really make a difference
Climate Fresk at UM: join the conversation about climate change
“Feeling” Global Sustainability Issues: Use AR and VR to dive into World-wide Value Networks in Agriculture
Decoding the entanglement: what supply chain managers think about resilience and sustainability?
Reflecting on Earth Day: Exploring Sustainability, Circular Economies, and Climate Change Solutions
What are the green claims of companies based on?
Breaking Down the Bias: Unpacking the Complexity of Sustainable Choices in Packaging
Maastricht University joins The Erasmus+ ECOffee Project On Sustainable Coffee Consumption
Sustainable Value Addition in the Global South – A Comparative Case Study of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
2022
Sponsorship of iGEM MSP-Maastricht
Sustainable and Resilient Energy
Citizens can do more for a better climate than they think
Return on home insulation is so high that subsidies are largely unnecessary
Maastricht University starts new research line on cellular agriculture
Solving world issues through food
Smallholders at the End of the Supply Chain: Fair Carbon Payments for Carbon Farmers in the Global South
"Sustainability reporting: panacea or pacifier?"
Companies do often not live up to their sustainable hallmark
Sustainability courses are booming
MSI looks back at another year of successful student sustainability projects with regional clients
UM is taking steps to integrate sustainability into core course curricula
Large-scale study of sustainable employability of firefighters
The new old plastic will soon come from Geleen
MSI: frontrunner in sustainability
Sustainability goes beyond “the green stuff”
Turning down the thermostat a few degrees: good for the climate, your body and your wallet
2021
A more sustainable economy? Make way for challengers!
A new life for eggshells
Willem Overbosch and the ‘sweet jar’ called Australia
Mark Post's mission: cultured meat
“How sustainable is it? That is the question”
2020
Working together to build new circular value chains
Sustainability goes beyond “the green stuff”
Science and the oil industry: an intimate relationship
Small change, big impact
Maastricht University invests in solar park. "We want to be a sustainable employer".
Digital and sustainable supply chain innovation
2019
Precious Plastic Maastricht – the potential of waste
Saxifragelisticexpialidocious! Of gardens green and grey
GECCO – not preaching but doing sustainability
International research collaboration for a greener planet
As countries seek cleaner energy solutions, green hydrogen has emerged as a key factor in the transition to a sustainable future. Recognising the need for effective policies to support this shift, Maastricht University has taken a leading role in a collaborative research project funded by the Worldwide Universities Network. The project, led by Dr Rasmus Lema from UNU-MERIT, brings together perspectives from four continents on policies that will guide the development towards the green hydrogen economy.

Maastricht University Opens Nick Bos Greenhouse in Venlo
On 8 October 2024, Maastricht University officially opened its new sustainable research greenhouse on the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo. The opening marks a significant step in research into sustainable food production. The university has named the greenhouse after Nick Bos, the former Vice Chair of its Executive Board who stepped down earlier this year.

Rob Bauer wins prize with outstanding research on sustainable finance
Rob Bauer, Professor of Finance at the Maastricht School of Business and Economics and holder of the Peter Elverding Chair, is the winner of the Greening Finance Prize 2024. This prestigious prize is awarded by the University of Oxford.

2024
The Green Office Catalyses Circularity Projects’ Autonomy
Student team wins gold for second time in prestigious iGEM competition
Valentina Mazzucato awarded NWA-ORC grant
International research collaboration for a greener planet
Maastricht University keeps leading position in 2024 Better World MBA ranking
Maastricht University Opens Nick Bos Greenhouse in Venlo
Rob Bauer wins prize with outstanding research on sustainable finance
Maastricht University opens high-tech greenhouse in Venlo
Maastricht University, BDO and AFAS will conduct research into sustainability at family businesses
High-tech greenhouse for scientific research and development
New research launched to make plastics circular
Maastricht University School of Business and Economics rises in the Positive Impact Rating 2024 Maastricht Workshop on Applied Economics of the Environment (MAEE)
The Regional Transition Platform
Elverding Conference 2023: Enhancing sustainable business and corporate regulation in the EU
Environmental Law Lecture series
Christian Ernsten and Claartje Rasterhoff receive funding from CLICK NL for their REACCT research project on regenerative building practices
In-line monitoring for better quality of recycled plastics
Recap: First 3 Sustainability Days with UM Green Teams
Three new SBE projects on Sustainable Urban Transformations
Research suggests: air pollution affects voting patterns
Radboud University and Maastricht University fund research into crop biotechnology and engineering
Tackling Fixophobia - NWO-KIC grant
Energy Evolution: The Sustainable Steps of Maastricht University
A beacon for Rural Innovation Ecosystems begins its journey - InnovationGUIDE
Navigating Climate Mitigation in Cocoa Supply Chains for Farmers' Empowerment
2023
SBE students at the second European Conference on the Economics of Transition and Resilience
2022
9.6 million Euros boost to transition to a circular economy
Sustainability Week
2021
Pension fund more green thanks to participants
Stock exchange companies must take more responsibility
Plasmalab takes step towards sustainable chemistry with EZK subsidy
Urban Sustainability Transitions: Energy, Climate, & Circularity
ABP pension fund stops investing in 'fossil' – an encouraging move
2020
Mask certification via new lab at UM institute AMIBM
MaastrichtMBA among the world’s best sustainable MBAs
The creation of a new innovation hub for supply chain in Venlo
UM cooperates in development of sustainable heating network
2019
Design renovations Tapijn scores excellent sustainability certificate
More information?
A sustainable university
Maastricht University believes a sustainable world can be achieved by using research to accelerate innovation, by focusing on education to share knowledge and change mindsets, and especially by leading by example. Read more about sustainable research and education at UM below.
In addition, discover UM's Strategic Programme 2022-2026 for more information on sustainability and UM's ambitions and overarching vision for the coming five years. Read, among other things, which Sustainable Development Goals have our special attention, and how sustainability is reflected in our mission and policies.

Sustainable education
The project Sustainable Education aims to involve the entire academic community in the process of becoming a truly sustainable university by 2030. Therefore, UM offers among others several courses and fulltime programmes on sustainable development and various project activities to further raise the profile of sustainability in education.

Sustainable research
At UM, researchers not only focus on conducting research in a sustainable way, they also focus on sustainable themes as defined by the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The project Sustainable UM2030 stimulates UM’s capacity to build a transition towards a more sustainable future. The knowledge that was gained can in turn be used for education and operations at UM.

Other theme pages
We also highlight other themes. Below you will find an overview.