President of the CRUCH Research Commission on World Environment Day: "It is a complex challenge, one that we urgently need to address as humanity."«

05/06/2024
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  • President of the CRUCH Research Commission on World Environment Day: "It is a complex challenge, one that we urgently need to address as humanity."«
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The president of the CRUCH Research Commission and Vice-Rector of Research at UC, Pedro Bouchon, stated that “from a research point of view it is crucial to address a crisis of this magnitude with an inter and transdisciplinary approach, which in our country I would say we can find preferentially in universities and in their collaborative work.”.

In addition to environmental research, CRUCH universities contribute with training programs; seminars and debates; active participation in bills and promotion of ad hoc public policies (...); and several academic institutions are committed to achieving carbon neutrality in the medium term.

Under the slogan “Our lands. Our future. We are the #GenerationRestoration”, this Wednesday, June 5, World Environment Day 2024 is celebrated and, in this context, the Research Commission of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) addressed the main challenges and lines of action that are being promoted.

“It is a complex challenge, one that is urgent for us as humanity, and that involves various aspects. From a research perspective, it is crucial to address a crisis of this magnitude with an inter- and transdisciplinary approach, which in our country I would say we can find primarily in universities and their collaborative work,” said Pedro Bouchon, president of the CRUCH Research Commission and Vice-Rector of Research at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

For Bouchon, collaboration is fundamental to tackling complex problems, such as the current environmental crisis, which includes climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. 

CRUCH Universities in Action

Universities are fundamental to the generation of knowledge and have assumed the responsibility of addressing globally relevant issues, such as the environment. In this sense, research is an important area of action for the universities of the CRUCH (Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities).

“There are many and varied examples we could give. Thanks to funding from the National Research and Development Agency (ANID), we have several centers dedicated to the environment from different perspectives,” Bouchon noted.

Some of the centers and institutes in which CRUCH universities from different regions of the country participate are: Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES); Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB); Millennium Institute in Coastal Socio-ecology (SECOS); Oceanographic Research in the Eastern South Pacific (COPAS); Millennium Institute in Oceanography (IMO); Center for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones (CEAZA); Center for Ecosystem Research in Patagonia (CIEP); Cape Horn International Centre (CHIC); Millennium Institute for Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE); Millennium Institute on Green Ammonia as an Energy Vector (MIGA); and the Interdisciplinary Center for Productivity and Sustainable Construction (CIPYCS).

In addition to research, CRUCH universities contribute with training programs, offering a wide variety of programs related to the study and promotion of the environment, as well as seminars and debates involving academia, industry, the State and civil society.

“It is also important to highlight the active participation in draft legislation and the promotion of ad hoc public policies (…) However, universities must have a deeper commitment to society. For example, several institutions are dedicated to achieving carbon neutrality in the medium term,” the vice-rector stated.

52 years of World Environment Day

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Environment Day was first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972.

While the celebration encompasses the various facets of environmental issues and has become one of the world's most far-reaching platforms in support of environmental causes, this year's call is focused on restoring lands, halting desertification, and strengthening resilience.

According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 401 TP3T of the planet's land areas are degraded; the number and duration of drought periods have increased by 291 TP3T since 2000 and could affect more than three-quarters of the world's population by 2050.

To learn more, we invite you to visit the United Nations website: https://www.un.org/es/observances/environment-day