Game-Changing Birmingham

A Message for City-University Partnership

Common Wealth Games is the global multi-sport event of 72 nations. The nations, many of which larger in area, wealth and population were once ruled by one empire, are now liberated from the clutches of that kingdom and coming together to compete in sports events in the same kingdom. A unique twist to history indeed!

The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham will have one more first: it may turn into a unique partnership in which the university in the host city can leverage its expertise to collaborate as an official partner with the city to attempt to make it 'Carbon Neutral', the need of the next few decades.

The University of Birmingham, reputed as the educational hub of excellence, is an official partner for games being held in Birmingham during 28 July – 8 August. The partnership at present is mainly in logistical issues like student volunteers, providing sports venues and housing for athletes.

But recognising the initiative of the University of Birmingham in making its carbon emissions net zero, the long-term collaboration beyond the games could turn out to be a game-changer, particularly in making the city of Birmingham carbon-neutral. An enormous amount of carbon goes into sports events like in Birmingham in the construction of buildings, lighting, pumps, air conditioning, a huge amount of food and drinks, transport and even travels of athletes, coaches and spectators.

The quadrennial games in 2022 are taking place almost exactly a year after a major United Nations report warned of the need for deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions - and just over a week after UN secretary general António Guterres told governments the world is facing "collective suicide" in the face of deadly heat extremes.

The UK, the host country of the CW Games have seen the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the country above 40 deg C in some places.

The partnership between local universities and the cities can achieve more in tackling issues like climate change because what city administration cannot do universities can. For example, universities can demonstrate in terms of research, piloting, testing and data analysis which city planners and administration cannot. Cities are needed now to adopt new technology and combat climate change, and universities have the information and expertise to deploy the knowledge to assist with such new initiatives.

Engaging with city communities gives students the opportunity to learn outside the four-walled classrooms and see how their skills can make a direct impact, Cities collaborating with academia, can find innovative solutions to their most pressing issues.

Having come from the world-class university of IIT Bombay and worked in the private sector like Tatas and then United Nations, I am convinced that a partnership that deploys the expertise of universities and the cities is not just a win-win but won-won! It is not like, 'just do it' but it guarantees that 'just did it'!

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year is estimated to produce around 3.6m tonnes of carbon dioxide, which would be more than some countries' annual emissions. The city of Qatar is joining hands with the university and Gulf Organisation of Research and Development (GORD) to make FIFA World Cup Carbon Neutral.

Whether it is a sports event, expo, mega-festival, multinational political or business event, or UN conference, the partnership between the city and the university would be the collective solution to the collective suicide. Smart Campus Cloud Network strives to prevent collective suicide.

 Dr Rajendra Shende, 

Chairman - TERRE Policy Centre,

Former Director UNEP, IIT Alumni,

Prime Mover Smart Campus Cloud Network 

Coordinating lead author of IPCC.