Climate Breakdown Podcast

Curious to learn about the backbone of our future low-carbon economy? Worried about potential challenges and dependencies linked to the increased production and consumption of critical raw materials? Hungry for solutions? We got you covered!

Mathieu is joined by two colleagues ⁠Lingli Zhou⁠, Assistant Professor at the Geology and Geochemistry cluster of the ⁠Earth Science Department⁠⁠ (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), and Jan Brusselaers⁠, Assistant Professor at the Environmental Economics Department of the ⁠IVM Institute for Environmental Studies (VU Amsterdam)⁠.

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On 12 November, we woke up to news of the Dutch Court of Appeal overruling District Court ruling in Shell v. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Milieudefensie⁠⁠⁠⁠ case. A real legal earthquake its caused in climate advocacy circles...  The judge decided that no specific legal obligations for emission reductions can be imposed on Shell. At the same time, some have argued that this is only a Pyrrhic victory for Shell. But what does that mean? And, most importantly, what are the implications for climate activists and the fossil fuel industry, as more and more case are brought before courts around the world...

Mathieu is joined by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tim Bleeker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Assistant Professor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Faculty of Law⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Corporate Law⁠ ⁠⁠(⁠Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam⁠)⁠, and member of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amsterdam Centre for Climate Change and the Law⁠⁠⁠⁠ to explore these questions. Join them as they take a deep dive into the fascinating world of fossil fuel litigation!

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The EU is stepping up its efforts to ensure companies green their operations and meet ambitious climate goals. With policies like the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the EU is not just regulating but actively encouraging large corporations to scale up and speed up their climate engagement. But how effective are these measures? And what do they mean for businesses navigating the transition to sustainability?

In this episode, following part I on the Shell v Milieudefensie case, Mathieu continues the conversation with ⁠Tim Bleeker⁠, Assistant Professor, ⁠Faculty of Law⁠, ⁠Corporate Law⁠ (⁠Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam⁠) and member of the ⁠Amsterdam Centre for Climate Change and the Law⁠. Join them as they dive into the EU’s green policy packages and their implications for the future of corporate climate action!

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2023 was the hottest year on record. The extreme weather events that we have witnessed will become more common and more severe as the Earth further warms. What is ‘the state of the climate’ as we enter a new year? What can we expect in the (near) future and what can be done about it?

In this episode, Mathieu is joined by professor of climate change and adaptation Bart van den Hurk , a world-leading climate scientist. Professor van den Hurk acts as Co-Chair of Working Group II for the IPCC’s seventh assessment cycle. He navigates us through the scientific knowledge on the climate crisis and the fascinating world of the IPCC.

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There’s a new tool in the toolbox of climate activists: litigation. Increasingly, fossil fuel companies and governments are being sued for their lack of climate action. It makes one wonder, what are the advantages and disadvantages of taking these companies and governments to court?

In this episode, Mathieu is joined by two guests. VU assistant professor Clemens Kaupa is an expert in climate law. Together with students, he has launched a successful complaint with the Dutch Advertising Code Committee against Shell’s misleading advertising practices. Our second guest, Sjoukje van Oosterhout, is Lead Researcher in Milieudefensie’s ongoing landmark case against Shell.

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It is clear that we are not only in the midst of a climate crisis. Last year, environmental scientists warned that the earth is now ‘well outside the safe operating space for humanity’ since multiple ‘planetary boundaries’ have been broken.

This episode is a double whammy, talking about issues beyond the climate crisis: food and biodiversity.

In part I, Mathieu talks to Kristiaan Kok, assistant professor at the Athena Institute of VU Amsterdam and an expert in food systems governance. Together, they discuss the environmental impacts of the global food system and how to establish sustainable transformations.

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Ina Lehmann and Marije Schaafsma join Mathieu in part II. Both work at the Institute for Environmental Studies. Ina is an assistant professor in governance of global biodiversity, Marije Schaafsma is an associate professor in environmental economics. Together they discuss the global biodiversity crisis, its links to the climate crisis and how we can try to solve both.

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Another two-parter! This is an episode on a hot topic. Can scientists and universities be activists, or must they remain neutral? What does ‘neutrality’ mean in the face of an ever-growing climate crisis, with facts and evidence about causes and consequences so abundantly clear? Does this ‘neutrality’ argument still hold up? Or, in the words of Albert Einstein, does the privilege to know, entail a duty to act?

In part I, Mathieu is joined by professor Davide Iannuzzi, Chief Impact Officer at VU Amsterdam. He’s been leading the VU’s efforts to rethink its relations with the fossil fuel industry. These efforts resulted in a landmark decision in 2023 to break research ties with the industry.

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In part II, Mathieu talks to Marthe Wens. As a member of Scientists Rebellion and an assistant professor in water security at the Institute for Environmental Studies of VU Amsterdam, she finds that her research and activism are inextricably linked.

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At COP28 in December 2023, negotiators officially agreed for the first time that there is a need to ‘transition away from fossil fuels.’ Mentioning fossil fuels was deemed historic and it supposedly signalled the ‘end of the fossil fuel era’. But how historic is this decision really? And why did it take so long to politically acknowledge the role of fossil fuels in the climate crisis?

In our final episode, VU professor Philipp Pattberg of the Institute for Environmental Studies joins Mathieu to talk about global climate politics. We try to grasp what makes climate negotiations and finding agreement at the global level so difficult. After all, aren’t we all in the same boat?

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