The Graduate School of Diponegoro University (UNDIP) held a Guest Lecture on the theme “Environmental Sustainability, Climate Change, and Net Zero Emission” on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, in the Seminar Room, 2nd Floor, Building B, Graduate School, UNDIP Pleburan Campus. The event was attended by the UNDIP Rector, the Dean of the Graduate School along with their staff, and the new students of the Graduate School for the 2024/2025 Academic Year. The event also featured a special guest speaker, the Special Staff of the President of Indonesia, Diaz Hendropriyono, B.Sc., M.P.A., M.B.A., MA., Ph.D.
This Guest Lecture is part of the orientation program for new Graduate School students for the Academic Year 2024/2025.
In his opening remarks, UNDIP Rector Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., appreciated the Guest Lecture organized by the Graduate School. According to Prof. Suharnomo, the theme of the Guest Lecture is very fitting and relevant to discuss. “In some issues, we encounter cognitive dissonance, so we need to align certain things to solve these problems,” said Prof. Suharnomo.
“UNDIP is committed to continuously innovating to benefit society and the surrounding environment and to be part of the solutions needed in these communities. For example, some time ago, UNDIP at the Teluk Awur Jepara Campus inaugurated seawater desalination technology. Furthermore, UNDIP plans to embrace a village in Sayung Subdistrict, Demak, to implement technology that can convert seawater into potable water,” he continued.
The Dean of the Graduate School, Prof. Ir. Mochammad Agung Wibowo, M.M., M.Sc., Ph.D., in his remarks, encouraged the new graduate students to learn and gain knowledge from this Guest Lecture. He also highlighted that the topic is highly relevant to the challenges Indonesia will face. “Indonesia is one of the countries that signed the treaty on Net Zero Emission (NZE),” explained Prof. Agung.
The event, moderated by Dr.Eng. Maryono, S.T., M.T., was very engaging and informative, generating enthusiasm among the new students during the discussion and Q&A session. In the Guest Lecture, Diaz Hendropriyono delivered a presentation titled “Dangerous Humans, Towards Zero Emissions?”. According to him, humanity is currently at a critical crossroads in determining the direction of the future.
“Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, global warming, and climate disasters have reached a worrying point that could lead us to destruction. Uncontrolled increases in GHG emissions, coupled with irresponsible human behavior, threaten our survival. However, on the other hand, we also have the potential to change everything through ecological missions,” said Diaz.
Diaz further explained that humanity still has great potential to overcome environmental challenges through innovation and collaboration. “Many interesting initiatives have emerged worldwide to address environmental issues,” he added.
