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Towards a fossil-free university? 28 November 2024 19:30 - 21:30

Should universities stop research funded by the fossil industry? Spurred on by climate activists, more and more academic institutions are considering that question. What does ‘breaking ties with the fossil industry’ mean in practice for universities?

In April 2023, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam announced it was the first university in the Netherlands to stop entering into new research collaborations with fossil energy companies that do not commit to the Paris Climate Agreement. Other universities announced similar steps after this. But how do you do that, break ties with fossil companies? What are the consequences? And is this the most efficient way to accelerate the energy transition? Last year, VU Amsterdam organised several closed sessions in which discussions took place with universities, civil society organisations and the fossil industry itself. This closing session is aimed at VU students and staff.

Location: De Balie
Date: 28 November 2024
Time: 19:30-21:30
Tickets: Order your ticket(s) via De Balie (€ 9.50 for students, including consumption)

Programme

19.30 Opening moderator (Kees Foekema) plus brief discussion with VU
On the reason for this series

19.40 Panel discussion 1: Mathieu Blondeel (VU), Judith van Erp (UU), Richard van de Sanden (TUe). 

How do universities relate to the fossil industry and what dilemmas do they face? What position should universities take to accelerate the energy transition?

20.10 Panel discussion 2: Niels Debonne (Senior policy officer, milieudefensie), Pension Fund (ntb), Arnaud Cohen Stuart (head of policy ethics ING). 

What should (civil society) organisations do to accelerate the energy transition?

20.40 Reaction panel 1

20.50 Questions from the audience

21.00 End

About Towards a fossil-free university?

Starting date

  • 28 November 2024

Time

  • 19:30 - 21:30

Language

  • Dutch

Speakers

Speakers

Richard van de Sanden is scientific director of the Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES) and professor at the Department of Applied Physics at Eindhoven University of Technology (TUe). He is head of research at the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), where he was director from 2011 to 2020.

Niels Debonne is senior policy analyst Food and Agriculture at Milieudefensie. Previously, he was associate professor of environmental geography at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and active at Scientist Rebellion.

Arnaud Cohen Stuart is Head of Business Ethics at ING where he has worked since 2009.

Judith van Erp holds the chair ‘Regulatory Governance’ at Utrecht University, within the Department of Management and Organisation Science. Her research focuses on the supervision of companies and organisations, and the interaction between public and private regulatory and supervisory arrangements. She was head of the committee that advised Utrecht University on their policy on research funding from the fossil industry.

Mathieu Blondeel is a University Lecturer in the Environmental Policy Analysis (EPA) department of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at VU Amsterdam. His work is at the intersection of global energy and climate politics. Within VU Amsterdam, Mathieu Blondeel has worked on policy around research funding from the fossil industry.

Philipp Pattberg is director of the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and professor of transnational environmental governance and policy. Within VU Amsterdam, Philipp Pattberg has worked on policy around research funding from the fossil industry.

Kees Foekema ( moderator) is a programme maker and moderator at De Balie. He specialises in programmes on sustainability, agriculture and nature.

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