Dear friends of the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute,
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) takes its role in the sustainability transition seriously and cuts the ties with the fossil fuel industry. By establishing very strict requirements for future research projects, VU Amsterdam commits to collaborate only with companies of the fossil fuel industry that demonstrably commit, in the short term, to the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement. The guidelines for future collaboration are currently being developed. Additionally, VU Amsterdam sets up a platform to discuss with important stakeholders, including the fossil fuel industry, how the energy transition can be accelerated. The first session is planned for May.
This decision follows an extensive consultation process which involved the entire VU community and considered the latest research findings. ASI informed the process by organising an expert session and welcomes the decision.
If you want to know more, this is a selection of relevant resources:
- Statement by VU Amsterdam: VU Amsterdam sets new course on behalf of energy transition
- Summary of expert briefing organised by ASI
- Opinion piece by VU colleagues Niels Debonne and Edina Doci: ‘De eisen die de VU stelt aan fossiele bedrijven zijn nobel, maar naïef’ (in Dutch)
Best wishes,
Neele van den Bongardt & Martha Bailon
Amsterdam Sustainability Institute
SDG Academy
Invitation to SDG Academy Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships Governing the SDGs: Vehicles for Transformative Change?
As part of launching a technical report on newly collected data on partnerships, the research project Transformative Partnerships 2030 will be presenting findings on the transformative potential of multi-stakeholder partnerships. Join ASI Director Philipp Pattberg, Karin Bäckstrand (Stockholm University), 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.
Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships Governing the SDGs
11 May 2023 16:00 - 17:00
Hybrid: Green Office VU and online Zoom
Register here.
DISC
Recap Working Session 26 April
The DiSC – Digital Sustainability Center invited VU researchers to a working session to plan for collaboration around the notion of Digital Sustainability. The DiSC proposes as an overarching theme the role of a cloud-based digital transformation of modern society and its socio-technical, environmental, and economic sustainability. Topics that were presented included a project on urban agriculture with the aim to support and strengthen vulnerable communities in various European cities. By adding a digital component to the project, a dashboard can facilitate learning and adoption of good practices within and across cities. Other topics included digital solutions for healthcare at home, using VR technology for climate education, the socio-economic impact of data centres, and a new lab on digital sufficiency promoting degrowth as novel socio-technical and economic models.
If you are interested in joining any of the topics mentioned, or are interested in the DiSC in general, please contact Patricia Lago (p.lago@vu.nl). The topics will appear in more detail on the DiSC website shortly. The DiSC will inform the newly founded ASI research cluster Digital Society.
From our network
Invitation: Behavioural Transformations 2023 (15-16 May 2023)
Behavioural Transformations in the 21st Century is an annual workshop in behavioural science and public policy. It aims to bring together academics and practitioners working in the field of behavioural public policy. The theme for Behavioural Transformations 2023 is “What’s next for Behavioural Public Policy?”. The opening address on “Behavioural Science and Security” will be given by Prof. Brooke Rogers, OBE and a closing address on “Happiness and Public Policy” by Prof. Ruut Veenhoven. More information and registration here.
Call for Innovation Award 2023 submissions
Do you have an innovative idea that could positively impact tomorrow’s world? The Amsterdam Science & Innovation Awards (AmSIA) is calling for ideas from all research disciplines from teams of researchers, staff and students in all disciplines from all participating Amsterdam universities, universities of applied sciences, academic medical centres and public research centres. Submit your idea and compete to win € 10,000. The application deadline is Sunday, 7 May 2023. More information can be found here.
Sustainable Career Event 2023
The Green Offices in Amsterdam (of VU, UvA, HvA, AUC and ROC) are organising a sustainable career event on 9 May in Pakhuis de Zwijger. All students and (soon-to-be) graduates are welcome, entrance is free but registration required. More information and tickets here. Please inform your students about this opportunity.
Green Office is looking for new members
The Green Office, VU Amsterdam’s student-led sustainability platform, is looking for new members to join the team for the next academic year. Bachelor and (Pre-)Master students at VU can apply now for the different paid positions. Please inform your students about this opportunity. More details about the vacancies here.
Upcoming events
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.
Behavioural Transformations 2023
May 15, 2023 from 12.00 - May 16, 19.00 at VU Amsterdam. More information and registration here.
Outro
What psychological barriers stop people from fighting climate change? What do trust, cynicism, norms, cooperation and conflict, among others, have to do with it? These questions and more were discussed by ASI cluster lead Paul van Lange with Stanford University Eric Neumann in his podcast Stanford Psychology Podcast. Listen to the podacast here and read Paul's paper on climate change here.