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A Compromise for Nuclear Energy in the Netherlands

March 2022 – A new public debate on the role of nuclear energy in the Netherlands is coming up now that that the new Dutch government has announced to investigate options for two new nuclear power plants in the Netherlands. The war in the Ukraine contributes to the urgency of that debate. Therefore, SPA Sustainability proposes a compromise for nuclear energy in the Netherlands.

Clingendael Spectator (2018) Recycling the Dutch nuclear energy debate

ViWTa (2008) – Zoeken, vinden en winnen. Een analyse van de drijvende krachten achter de beschikbaarheid van energiedragers olie, gas, kolen en uranium. Download the report here.

Clingendael International Energy Programme (2006) – Uraniumwinning: voorzieningszekerheid, milieu- en gezondheidseffecten en relevantie voor Nederland

Rathenau Instituut (2004) – Het nucleaire landschap. Een verkenning van feiten en meningen over kernenergie

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Resistance to Sustainability Transitions

January 2022 – For the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water, SPA Sustainability carried out a preliminary review of resistance to sustainability transitions and the role of public participation as an instrument for preventing or mitigating such resistance. The project is based on a scan of academic and non-academic literature and on interviews with key stakeholders in the Netherlands. Aim is to inform the Ministry’s Knowledge Transfer hub ‘Kennisknooppunt Transitie’ about available evidence, knowledge gaps and needs for further research. Results will be published soon.

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Engaging Energy Communities in Europe

October 2021 – SPA Sustainability contributed to the ‘Sustainable Places Conference’ in Rome (28 September – 1 October 2021) as author and co-author of two conference papers. The papers discuss how to set up and monitor a ‘just’ engagement of energy communities in five European countries. The lessons learned are based on the Horizon2020 Project Lightness.

Energy Communities for Just Energy Transitions on a Local Scale: Initial Lessons from the Lightness Project

A Social Engagement Fast Track on Energy Communities-Key Lesson Learned from H2020 EU Projects

‘People like me’ in air pollution

May 2021 – As one of the outcomes of the ‘ClairCity’ project, SPA Sustainability contributed to a scientific article of the University of West England (UWE). The article discussed how you can visualise the impacts of everyday behaviours on air pollution in cities. Have a look at the full abstract in ResearchGate here.

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Book launch and symposium ‘A Circular Society in 2050’

January 2021 – On 8 January 2021, the Dutch political party ‘GroenLinks’ successfully launched the publication ‘A Circular Society in 2050’ (‘Circulair samenleven in 2050’) with an online symposium visited by some 80 participants. The book, edited by SPA Sustainability, links for the first time the concepts of circular economy and a broad welfare by asking the question ‘what is required for living happily and comfortably together in a society that is circular in the Netherlands, Europe and globally?’. Ordering the book and more information about the symposium are available here.

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Citizen Communities and Demand-Side Management in Europe

December 2020 – In recent years, citizen energy communities that jointly produce renewable energy and sell it to the grid are starting to become integrated into the electricity grids in many EU countries. Cooperating as a community on joint energy saving is an even more recent development. In the European Horizon2020 project LIGHTNESS, five pilots on joint energy saving through an advanced network interface are tested in practice. The cases involve Zero Energy Houses in the Netherlands, social housing in Poland, a city as independent energy cooperative in Spain, a housing block in Italy and a business park in France. For Duneworks B.V., SPA Sustainability coordinates the work programme on citizen engagement.

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How to phase down fossils in an ordered way

November 2020 – Phasing down production of fossils in a fast but ordered way is one of the key challenges in the energy transition. SPA Sustainability chaired a workshop hosted by Wageningen University on ‘The Economics and Politics of Phasing Down Fossils’. In the workshop, practitioners from various academic disciplines as well as key stakeholders were brought together to discuss the issue. The workshop was held on November 3, 2020.