Climate bench

Sparking meaningful conversations about climate action

In November 2025, a unique bench arrived on our BUas campus. This four-meter-long Climate Bench is made from recycled garden chairs and was made especially for BUas by a local, circular business called Plastiek Breda. The seat has a striking color gradient from blue to red – a powerful symbol of global warming.

On the one hand, this bench is a stark reminder of the direction we are currently heading in.  On the other hand, it tells us a hopeful story of circularity and re-use of materials. Climate change can be overwhelming, but this bench encourages us to sit down, reflect and talk about it, together. How will BUas act? What will your contribution be? And what can we do together?

At BUas, we're joining the cause by becoming a 'climate-positive' organisation. This ambition goes beyond carbon neutrality or minimising harm. At BUas, this means actively contributing to the health of the planet through our campus operations, creating a vibrant, healthy, and inspiring environment where all life can thrive. At the same time, we want to inspire others to do the same. By visibly demonstrating what's possible, how things can be done differently, and the positive impact that collective efforts can have.

We will continuously evaluate the progress of our process and revise our goals. This is our ultimate ambition and our direction.

Climate stripes?

The colours on the bench show the global temperature increase between 1850 and 2024. This visualisation is based on the Show Your Stripes dataset, developed by Professor Ed Hawkins of the University of Reading.

Each stripe on the bench represents a period from these 175 years. The left stripe begins in 1850, the right stripe ends in 2024. Because the bench has 74 stripes and the period covers 175 years, each stripe represents the average of approximately two to three consecutive years.

What do the colors mean?

Show Your Stripes uses the temperature average from 1901 to 2000 as a reference. Each stripe is colored based on the difference between the temperature of that period and this long-term average:

  • Blue = colder than average
  • Red= warmer than average

The result? A visual story that shows at a glance how our planet is warming up.