Dear friends of the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute,
As “a survival guide for humanity” UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the latest IPCC report which concludes the sixth cycle of assessment reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and which was published on March 20, 2023. He painted a grim picture of a “time bomb” that is ticking as CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere continue to rise and stressed that “we have never been better equipped to solve the climate challenge” but that immediate action is needed. The transcript of his video message during the press conference reads like a checklist for this, you can find it here. If you want to dive deeper into the IPCC reports, you can rewatch our SDG Academies with IPCC lead authors here and here.
In this light, we are happy Mariam Sugijanto has joined our team to support us in our communication activities and to make sure that sustainability science at VU gets the visibility it deserves. We are currently working on new initiatives and plans to better highlight our research and to make it easier for stakeholders outside academia to find it. We will also turn this newsletter into a monthly one to allow for more frequent updates and to make it more useful for you, our lively community. If you have something to share with the ASI community, we welcome your input to the newsletter until the 23rd of every month.
With best wishes for the spring,
Philipp Pattberg, Neele van den Bongardt and the ASI team
Updates
ASI is building Innovation Ecosystem Amsterdam Climate Neutral
As part of the Innovation Exchange Amsterdam (IXA Amsterdam), Amsterdam knowledge institutions are joining forces to make the city climate neutral by 2030. Developing a knowledge ecosystem with a wide variety of stakeholders has been chosen as a suitable method to support the municipality of Amsterdam in its aims. Through collaboration between knowledge institutions as well as public, private, and societal partners such a knowledge ecosystem provides synergy to existing expertise and actions, allows for a better translation of research findings into daily practice and enables us to approach practice as a source of inspiration for new insights that are transferable and applicable elsewhere. ASI has joined the team of the ecosystem and is working out the programme alongside project lead Ted Veldkamp.
ASI Expert Briefing on Fossil Fuels Industry
At VU Amsterdam, the university’s ties with the fossil fuel industry are currently under scrutiny. Therefore, the VU board of directors has set up a consultation process to inform its decision about the university’s future relationship with the sector. To inform this process, the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute (ASI) invited everyone at VU to an expert meeting. Researchers presented the latest information on the fossil fuel industry and its role in the decarbonization transition. Insights from the climate science, policy, law and ethics fields of research were shared and discussed with the audience. The session was led by Edina Doci, associate professor at the School of Business and Economics. You can read the full review here. The Board of Directors will announce their decision on April 20, 2023.
Using Minecraft to teach IPCC report findings
The EduGIS Foundation, the Geofort science centre and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have received an NWA grant from NWO to introduce school children to the latest academic research from the IPCC report in an engaging and accessible way. Using both a GIS platform and a replica of the Netherlands in Minecraft, the often abstract findings will be translated into engaging, interactive lesson modules that help children see the challenges of climate change.
To inform the project team about the content of the IPCC report and what should be featured in the educational modules, ASI organised an expert session with ASI researchers. All participants put a lot of enthusiasm into the session and we covered a broad range of topics. Takeaways include the importance of system thinking and that the teachers also have to be trained for climate education to be effective.
The project team is now working out the results of the first session and will determine the next steps. If you want to know more, please contact Jaap Boter (jaap.boter@vu.nl).
Sapiens collaboration stopped
The ‘Sapiens’ partnership, in which Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam partnered up with Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, has been stopped. The partners have determined that a viable business case cannot be realised. Under the VU profile theme “Science for Sustainability”, Sapiens was set up as a space where students and researchers work together on the big challenges posed by the Anthropocene. ASI was developing the educational and research programme for Sapiens. Director Amsterdam Sustainability Institute, Philipp Pattberg: "The ecological crisis continues; current policies to halt climate change and biodiversity loss are insufficient. ‘Sapiens’ was an attempt to create a movement to address this fundamental crisis based on scientific excellence, combined with societal creativity and the boundless energy of young people. I still believe this is a formula for success. Ending ‘Sapiens’ is a huge setback, but not the end of our story." You can read the official press release here.
SDG Academy
Review SDG Academy CBD COP15 – Towards a nature-positive world?
On 19 January 2023, we organised another debrief for the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) COP15 to discuss what the new Global Biodiversity Framework entails and which steps have to be taken now. Our speakers offered their insights on the relevance and key outcomes of the new framework, finance and resource mobilisation, the role of young scientists in ecosystem policies and Target 3 on increasing protected areas. Watch the recording here.
Review SDG Academy World Water Day – UN 2023 Water Conference debrief
On March 30 2023, we organised another SDG Academy for the World Water Day – UN 2023 Water Conference debrief. The World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance day held on 22 March in line with SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. This year, the UN 2023 Water Conference takes place nearly 50 years since it was last held, where the ‘Water Action Agenda’ is expected to be finalized. Our speakers Dr Jampel Dell’Angelo, Dona Geagea and Paulina Raniecka offered their insights on the significance of the conference, key outcomes of the Water Action Agenda and the role of stakeholders to meet SDG6 by 2030. Watch the recording here.
Invitation to SDG Academy Multi-stakeholder Partnerships Governing the SDGs: Vehicles for Transformative Change?
As the midpoint of the SDGs’ implementation timeline is reached and signs are showing of stalled progress in several issue areas, there is a need to accelerate action and pinpoint how the potential of partnerships could be realized. Which partnerships address multiple SDGs and their interconnections? What characterizes these MSPs? What functions do these MSPs have? This SDG Academy sheds light on multi-stakeholder partnerships’ potential to facilitate SDG implementation. Join ASI Director Philipp Pattberg, Karin Bäckstrand (Stockholm University) and Oscar Widerberg (VU Amsterdam) and Sander Chan (Radboud University) for this hybrid event on May 11, 2023 from 16.00 to 17.00, followed by drinks. More information and registration here.
DISC
Review launch VU Digital Sustainability Center
In January, the VU Digital Sustainability Center was launched with the aim to strengthen the ties between industry, different faculties and organizations committed to make the digitalization of today’s world more sustainable. Keynote speaker Rick Kazman (University of Hawaii and Software Engineering Institute at CMU) succeeded in leading the diverse audience through the sustainability and general challenges of digitalisation, such as outdated IT systems and code architecture. He also pointed out opportunities like smart energy use. You can read the full review here.
Invitation: Join the DISC and propose your research topic
The DiSC – Digital Sustainability Center invites you to a working session to plan for collaboration around the notion of Digital Sustainability. In particular, we propose as an overarching theme the role of a cloud-based digital transformation of modern society and its socio-technical, environmental, and economic sustainability. We are, however, open to ideas and topics that interest the partners and could lead to concrete collaborations and consortia.
Are you working in a related field? And interested to join forces? Then we are looking forward to meeting you April 26, 15.00-17.00. Please register here.
Clusters
Water Security and Justice
Members of the Water Security and Justice cluster who are part of the NEWAVE research network presented their work at the UN Water Summit in March. Among them was ASI cluster coordinator Jampel dell’Angelo who described the conference as a “historic moment”, considering that the last one took place in 1977. He and his colleagues gave an overview of the results achieved during the ASI SDG Academy on March 30, 2023 (see above and here).
In an interview, Jampel says: "We cannot fight the climate crisis without talking about water. The water problem is a global problem and we need scientists to point the way forward in the global debate about water governance." In response to that need, NEWAVE hired 15 PhD students to investigate 15 different areas of human-water crises. Read the full interview here.
Website Water Security and Justice cluster
Biodiversity and Natural Resources
What is nature? For whom is it? You may think of trees, birds, water and sky. Aren’t we nature ourselves? How do we appropriate nature? What does nature mean for whom? On March 16, the Biodiversity and Natural Resources research cluster organised a screening of three movies that explore the topic of nature. The short movie What is Nature to you? has been directed by Sander van Iersel and Tim Visser of Jester&Wylde.
As part of the TerraNova project, the online course "Integrated Landscape Analysis (ILA): Addressing Biodiversity and Climate Crises" will be launched on April 10. Through this course, you gain a deeper understanding of the significance of landscapes throughout history and explore the impact of human activity as well as measures to protect biodiversity. For more information and registration click here.
From our network
Sustainability office founded
Since February, VU Amsterdam has a Sustainability Office which is tasked with the implementation of the VU Sustainability Strategy. This way, sustainability is anchored within the organization as a permanent unit. ASI forms part of the office which will be launched officially in October this year. For remarks, questions or if you want to contribute to a sustainable VU, you can contact sustainability@vu.nl
Invitation to IVM anniversary - Half a century of sustainability science
IVM, the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam celebrates 50+ years of sustainability science with a conference (April 14, 12.00-17.30, VU NU Building) to which you are warmly invited. During this event, we want to look back at more than half a century of innovative and impactful IVM research while also casting a perspective on the future of sustainability science. Please RSVP using this link, at latest, by end of day April 5th.
100 million for climate transition, VU researches 'hopeful cooperation'
The National Growth Fund is allocating 100 million euros to the project 'Future-proof Living Environment: Transition to Emission-Free, Circular and Climate-Proof Building and Infrastructure'. The Faculty of Religion and Theology of VU Amsterdam, together with the University of Twente, provides underlying research into cultural change and new forms of cooperation in climate transition based on hope. Pessimism, polarization and paralysis lurk, according to Hasselaar. "Business as usual is not enough. That is why we investigate from theology, psychology and economics the question of whether and how the good life can support and deepen cultural change and cooperation in the infrastructure sector on the basis of hope. Hope emerges in various (religious) wisdom traditions as an alternative to pessimism to relate to radical uncertainty." More information here.
Upcoming events
Month of Sacred Nature
Broze Aarde: Een Mis voor het Universum (Fragile Earth: A Mass for the Universe)
Public event / performance; April 15, 17:30-21:15; language: Dutch; location: Apostologisch Genootschap, Amsterdam Slotervaart, Louis Bouwmeesterstraat 214
SDG Academy Multi-stakeholder Partnerships Governing the SDGs: Vehicles for Transformative Change?
May 11, 2023 from 16.00 to 17.00, followed by drinks. More information and registration here.
DiSC – Digital Sustainability Center working session
26 April 15.00-17.00
Please register here.
IVM anniversary
April 14, 12.00-17.30, VU NU Building
RSVP here
Outro
VU planting action
The pouring rain and freezing cold could not hold back VU alumni and employees to plant 725 trees that were given to the graduates of medicine and law as a gift and symbol for their growth. Blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, pedunculate oak and buckthorn will contribute to the rejuvenation and revitalisation of the existing forest in Het Goois Natuurreservaat. You can read more about this intiiative of the Sustainability Office here.