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How to go fossil free? The journey of VU Amsterdam 17 September 2024 16:00 - 17:00

Learn more about VU Amsterdam's landmark decision to stop research collaboration with the fossil fuel industry and how it got there.

In April this year, VU Amsterdam hosted the final Fossil-Free Dialogue and celebrated the signing of the new fossil-free research framework. This session was the culmination of a comprehensive process that began with the landmark decision to no longer enter research partnerships with companies in the fossil fuel industry not complying with the Paris Agreement, after an extensive consultation process with the VU community. VU became the second university in the world to stop research collaborations with companies of the fossil fuel industry, unless certain criteria are met.

Cutting ties with the fossil fuel sector is a multifaceted and complex process. VU Amsterdam made the first transformative step in this journey by focusing on its research domain. This SDG Academy delves into the topic of fossil fuel severance as a university, following the journey of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and will open with a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of Dutch universities, delivered by Dr.–Ing. Aaron Pereira, co-founder at Solid Sustainability Research. Afterwards, the fossil free journey of VU Amsterdam will be discussed, with insights from key contributors to the process:  

  • Dr. Mathieu Blondeel, Assistant Professor at IVM and Climate Expertise Centre expert 
  • Prof. Marjan Hofkes, Professor at the School of Business and Economics of VU Amsterdam and chair of the Central Committee for Fossil-Free Research 
  • Prof. Philipp Pattberg, Director of the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute (ASI) and Professor of transnational environmental governance and policy at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of VU Amsterdam 

The session will close with an interactive Q&A segment, with input from the audience.

This event is open for anyone interested in the process of cutting ties with the fossil fuel sector, with a particular relevance for university staff, and sustainability officers.

Programme

16:00 Welcome by Prof. Philipp Pattberg

16:05 University landscape in the Netherlands by Dr.–Ing. Aaron Pereira

16:15 The journey of VU since the divestment decision by Dr. Mathieu Blondeel

16:25 The development of the VU Framework on Fossil Free Research by Prof. Marjan Hofkes

16:35 Q&A with inputs from the audience moderated by Paulina Raniecka, ASI Communications Coordinator

17:00 Closing remarks by Prof. Pattberg

About How to go fossil free? The journey of VU Amsterdam

Starting date

  • 17 September 2024

Time

  • 16:00 - 17:00

Organised by

  • Amsterdam Sustainability Institute

Language

  • English

About the speakers:

Dr. –Ing. Aaron Pereira is the co-founder at Solid Sustainability Research. He has a background in mechanical engineering, did a PhD in industrial robotics and also has experience in software development, artificial intelligence and aerospace robotics. Aaron is passionate about using data to highlight different aspects of the climate crisis and counter greenwashing, and is particularly interested in the intersection of climate change and migration.

Dr. Mathieu Blondeel is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Policy Analysis (EPA) department of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of VU Amsterdam. His work is situated at the intersection of global energy and climate politics. Currently he is working on a variety of issues, with a primary focus on the geopolitics of energy system transformation and the political economy of the global oil industry. 

Prof. Marjan Hofkes is a Full Professor of Environmental Economics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics and Institute for Environmental Studies. She has extensive research and research management experience across a number of fields, including economic modelling, economic growth, labour market economics and income policy, ranging from pure academic to policy supporting research. Marjan is the current chair of the Central Committee for Fossil-Free Research at VU.

Prof. Philipp Pattberg serves as Director of the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute (ASI), a platform for interdisciplinary research collaboration among all faculties at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. As full professor of transnational environmental governance and policy, he specialises in the study of global environmental politics, with a focus on climate change , biodiversity, forest and oceans. His current research analyses options for institutional innovation to help accelerate the sustainability transition in times of increased institutional complexity, functional overlaps and fragmentation across environmental domains.

Would you like to know more?

Get in touch with ASI

info.asi@vu.nl

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