On December 9, the Zhejiang Association for Science and Technology convened a Science Café on agricultural sustainability under climate change, featuring experts from Germany’s Heidelberg Institute for Environmental Economic Analysis and Zhejiang University. Over 100 participants, including Hangzhou Entel teachers and students, explored strategies to balance food security with ecological preservation.

Michael Seyboth (Deputy Director, Heidelberg Institute) emphasized global scientific collaboration as pivotal for climate resilience, while Xia Xia (Institute Director) decoded the water cycle-greenhouse effect nexus and its multidimensional climate impacts. Gong Binlei (Zhejiang University Professor) proposed green agricultural transformation through tech-driven productivity gains and eco-governance frameworks.

During Q&As, Entel students raised sharp inquiries on vegetarianism’s role in food security and youth engagement in agriculture, with Heidelberg expert Kevin Fleckenstein advocating for consumer education over dietary mandates.

The event highlighted cross-border academic synergy as a cornerstone for achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals amid escalating climate pressures.

Contributed by: Xu Sai

Edited by: Wang Sibo, Zhao Yefeng

First Review: Gong Yaodong

Final Review: Ren Jianhua