Amsterdam Sustainability Institute - VU Amsterdam

📌New episode out now! ⚡How can we, as citizens, contribute to the co-production of #energy futures? How can we create spaces for alternative narratives that focus on inclusion of more vulnerable citizens and aim for a more just energy transition? Can we bring the energy transition and energy production closer to the people? 🌐Energy cooperatives are a form of decentralized, non-governmental initiatives of local communities and citizens to promote the production and consumption of renewable energy. Learn from our speaker what role energy cooperatives can play in an energy transition, both in the Dutch context and beyond. Tune in to tackle these critical questions and more. 🎙In this episode, Mathieu Blondeel is joined by two speakers practically engaged in energy cooperatives - Siward Zomer, the chair of Energie Samen, an umbrella organization and advocacy organization representing all energy cooperatives and collective energy initiatives in the Netherlands, and Eduardo Urias, Assistant Professor at the Athena - Research and Education Institute of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) exploring how the integration of action-oriented, agency-driven participatory and transdisciplinary approaches may contribute to more just and inclusive sustainability transitions. Listen to the episode here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d7rPrCRT 🔗 Subscribe, listen, and engage with 'Climate Breakdown’ on Spotify (shorturl.at/gAG12) and Apple Podcasts (shorturl.at/fwFH3)! Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Spraakmaker Media | Podcast Agency #ClimateBreakdown | #Podcast | #ClimateExpertiseCentre | #EnergyCooperatives | #EnergyTransition | #ClimateSolutions | IVM Institute for Environmental Studies

🌐The World Drought Atlas has been presented at the ongoing #COP16 of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2-13 December). The Atlas, launched by the UNCCD and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), is the most comprehensive global publication on #drought risks and solutions. 🚀This publication features 5 researchers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), including ASI Member and the new Cluster Coordinator for the ASI Water Security & Justice Cluster - Marthe Wens (IVM Institute for Environmental Studies)! The World Drought Atlas shows how human activities can cause or worsen drought. Various sectors are highlighted and cross-dimensional interactions are documented. For instance, the Atlas demonstrates that low water levels lead to hydroelectric power stations shut downs, which causes energy prices to rise. Linkages with nature, agriculture, and food security are also discussed. The UNCCD summit will conclude on 13 December. Follow the developments here: https://lnkd.in/eg3ZmjAR Read the World Drought Atlas here ➡https://lnkd.in/eqKVY8mA

🔴New podcast episode out now! Delve into the topic of urban agriculture (UA)! 🌾What do we understand by the term 'urban agriculture'? Who can 'do' urban agriculture? To what extent can we call it a 'radical' activity? Learn about the diversity of initiatives that can be grouped under this term and about the transformation they can bring to the way we farm, plant, and connect with others in the society. Get inspired and start the change one garden tile at a time. 🎙️Our host Paulina Raniecka is joined by two speakers - VU scholar Lia van Wesenbeeck (VU School of Business and Economics) alongside Edu Hernandez Nualart, farmer and activist from PLUK! Groenten van West (a project of Cityplot Berlin - Amsterdam - Barcelona). Listen to the episode here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d-jWmneX 🔗 Subscribe, listen, and engage with 'Climate Breakdown’ on Spotify (shorturl.at/gAG12) and Apple Podcasts (shorturl.at/fwFH3)! Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Spraakmaker Media | Podcast Agency #ClimateBreakdown | #Podcast | #ClimateExpertiseCentre | #UrbanAgriculture | #UrbanGardens | #ClimateSolutions | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) | IVM Institute for Environmental Studies

⁉️Are you ready for more Climate Breakdown episodes? 🌱This week, we will be delving into the topic of urban agriculture. Our host Paulina Raniecka will be interviewing two great speakers - VU scholar Lia van Wesenbeeck (VU School of Business and Economics) alongside Edu Hernandez Nualart, farmer and activist from PLUK! Groenten van West (Cityplot Berlin - Amsterdam - Barcelona). Make sure to stay tuned - the episode will be out later this week! Get ready for episode 4 by re-visiting our previous episodes: ➡ The Green Energy Paradox: On Critical Raw Materials, Dependencies, and Circularity | https://lnkd.in/dXzSR-U6 ➡ Part I: What can EU do to go green? The Shell vs Milieudefensie case [BONUS] | https://lnkd.in/dc_XJxtU ➡ Part II: What can EU do to go green? Scaling up corporate climate action | https://lnkd.in/dSfPXvu6 🔗 Subscribe, listen, and engage with 'Climate Breakdown’ on Spotify (shorturl.at/gAG12) and Apple Podcasts (shorturl.at/fwFH3)! Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Spraakmaker Media | Podcast Agency #ClimateBreakdown | #Podcast | #ClimateExpertiseCentre | #UrbanAgriculture | #UrbanGardens | #ClimateSolutions | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) | IVM Institute for Environmental Studies

🚨Happening today! "SDG Academy by ASI: #COP29 expert debrief" ⏰15:00-16:30 CET 📍Green Office VU & Online Learn what happened during the recently concluded COP29 and take a critical reflection on the Baku Climate Summit and beyond, with the help of our expert speakers: David Rossati • Heidi D. Mendoza • Oscar Widerberg This SDG Academy will be taking place in a hybrid set-up. For those based in Amsterdam, join us at the Green Office VU from 15:00 onwards and make sure to stay for a drink and additional chats afterwards. Joining online? Register for this session through this page: https://lnkd.in/dXq-3XcF Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) | IVM Institute for Environmental Studies | Amsterdam Centre for Climate Change and the Law

💡Join us for an expert COP29 debrief tomorrow! COP29 Azerbaijan recently concluded in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a focus on climate finance and setting new financial targets. Dubbed the 'finance COP,' the summit brought world leaders together to advance the #ParisAgreement goals. While progress was made, questions persist about the effectiveness of these meetings in driving meaningful global climate action. Through expert contributions from our guest speakers - David Rossati, ⁠Heidi D. Mendoza, and Oscar Widerberg - this SDG Academy delves into the developments of COP29, climate change adaptation, #LossAndDamage mechanisms, and the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance.    📌This SDG Academy will be taking place in a hybrid set-up and the session will conclude with an interactive Q&A with the audience. For those based in Amsterdam, join us at the Green Office VU at 15:00 and make sure to stay for a drink and additional chats afterwards!    Joining online? Register here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dGcUywj3  

🎙️Ready for the weekend? Kick it off with this newest episode of Climate Breakdown - "Part II: What can EU do to go green? Scaling up corporate climate action" featuring Tim Bleeker 🟥 🇪🇺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 European Union 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? 🔊Our host Mathieu Blondeel is once again joined by Tim Bleeker to continue the discussion on greening corporations! Listen to the episode here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dweuhVUm Make sure to check out part I if you haven't yet: "Part I: What can EU do to go green? The Shell vs Milieudefensie case [BONUS]": https://lnkd.in/dSYx7Hdj 🔗 Subscribe, listen, and engage with 'Climate Breakdown’ on Spotify (shorturl.at/gAG12) and Apple Podcasts (shorturl.at/fwFH3)! Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Spraakmaker Media | Podcast Agency #ClimateBreakdown | #Podcast | #ClimateExpertiseCentre | #EUpolicy | #ClimateLaw | #CSDDD | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) | Amsterdam Centre for Climate Change and the Law | IVM Institute for Environmental Studies

📣Happening tonight (28 November • De Balie, Amsterdam • 19:30-21:30) 🏭The conversation continues! Should universities stop research funded by the fossil industry? In April 2023, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) became the first university in the Netherlands, and second in the world, to stop entering new research collaborations with fossil energy companies that do not commit to the Paris Climate Agreement. Since then, more and more academic institutions announced similar steps. But what does ‘breaking ties with the fossil industry’ mean in practice for universities? Join tonight’s discussion featuring experts - Richard van de Sanden (EIRES – Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems ), Arnaud Cohen Stuart (Business ethics at ING), Judith Van Erp (Utrecht University), and scholars involved in VU’s fossil free journey - Marthe Wens and Mathieu Blondeel. Moderated by Kees Foekema🌱; program by Merlijn Geurts 🎟️Tickets still available! Order your ticket(s) via De Balie (€ 9.50 for students, including consumption) See more through the link below👇 IVM Institute for Environmental Studies | #FossilFree | #FossilFuel | #Divestment

👂If you're looking for an English podcast that offers an in-depth discussion of the Court of Appeal's ruling in Milieudefensie v. Shell, look no further 👇 Thanks Amsterdam Sustainability Institute - VU Amsterdam and Mathieu Blondeel for an engaging exchange.

🎙️New Climate Breakdown episode- What can EU do to go green? (part 1 - BONUS) On November 12, the Dutch Court of Appeal made headlines by overturning the District Court’s decision in the Shell v. ⁠Milieudefensie⁠ case. The court decided that no specific legal obligations for emission reductions can be imposed on Shell and that Shell's climate policies actually align with global objectives. But do they really?     🎧 Mathieu Blondeel (Assistant Professor at IVM Institute for Environmental Studies) is joined by ⁠Tim Bleeker 🟥⁠, Assistant Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) and a member of the ⁠Amsterdam Centre for Climate Change and the Law⁠.     In this first part of a double episode on the EU’s role in corporate accountability & sustainability, Mathieu and Tim unpack the complexities of this case, its implications for the industry and the future of fossil fuel litigation.    Listen to the episode here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gNrNnPXB     🔗 Subscribe, listen, and engage with 'Climate Breakdown’ on Spotify (shorturl.at/gAG12) and Apple Podcasts (shorturl.at/fwFH3)!    #ClimateBreakdown | #Podcast | #ClimateExpertiseCentre | #ClimateActivism | #ClimateLitigation | #ClimateLaw    Photo credits: Patrick Perkins ©  Podcast production: Spraakmaker Media | Podcast Agency