November 2020 – As of November 1st, 2020, SPA Sustainability has started a new strategic cooperation with the Eindhoven-based consultancy Duneworks. The goals of DuneWorks fit very well with those of SPA Sustainability, as the company is specialised in the societal aspects of the transition towards an inclusive and sustainable climate. The cooperation will entail European as well as Dutch national and local projects. See for more information the website of Duneworks here.
November 2020 – The election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the new presidential team of the United States holds promises for a more sustainable global and American development. An improvement of the environmental policies compared to the Donald Trump era is certain, but the real impact remains to be seen. The announced policies and further shift towards sustainability that are required, might be difficult to realise in the current controversial political context.
September 2020 – For the scientific council of the Dutch political party GroenLinks (WBGL), SPA Sustainability started editing a book with scenarios and articles giving an impression of how a circular society in 2050 could look like. The book discusses not only possible technological innovations upto 2050, but also the social innovations that would have to with them. Risks and benefits of the transition towards a circular society are discussed.
November 2020 – As a response to ever increasing citizens’ engagement in sustainability issues, for instance through renewable energy or ecological farming initiatives, SPA Sustainability has led for the Open University of the Netherlands the design of a new course for policy makers and citizens interested in theory and practice of this topic. Some of the featured questions are: What kinds of citizen initiatives exist? How can they flourish and expand? What is their contribution to global sustainability transitions? What are potentials and limitations of these initiatives? and what are success factors for policy makers and citizens engaged in, or cooperating with such initiatives? More information and subscription options to the course as of September 2021 can be found here.
September 2020 – The final reports of the ClairCity project are now available. The reports outline the innovative ClairCity method to design and implement together with citizens ambitious air quality and carbon policies in cities. The method offers a unique combination of modelling, citizen engagement and policy co-creation that was successfully tested in six European cities and regions.
August 2020 – The VU-IVM Summer Course ‘Global Energy Transition in a Fossil World’ was held from 6 to 17 July 2020. 25 students from all over the world discussed with a variety of speakers from Dutch government, NGOs, academia and business to learn about social, political, economic and technological aspects of the global energy transition. A new edition will follow in July 2021.
April 2020 – Are you interested in the social and political side of energy transition? Join the online Summer Course “Energy Transition in a Fossil World” at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam from 6 to 17 July 2020. With virtual excursions to Shell, Milieudefensie, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate and the citizens’ energy cooperation “Zuiderlicht”. Read more >>
April 2020 – Long-term effects on global sustainability of the corona crisis have to be sought in a fundamental and lasting mentality shift in the minds of people because of the crisis. The main change is likely to be the increased perception of vulnerability and dependence on nature by people in industrialised countries. Read more >>
Stephan Slingerland Green versus Red: Is Biden’s victory really a green victory?, Clingendael Spectator, November 2020
Stephan Slingerland, Irati Artola et al. ClairCity CrossCity Policy Package Report, May 2020
Stephan Slingerland, Irati Artola et al. ClairCity City Policy Package Reports Amsterdam, Bristol, Aveiro/CIRA, Genoa/Liguria, Ljubljana, Sosnowiec, April 2020
Stephan Slingerland & Harro van Asselt Laten we stoppen met het subsidieren van kleine gasvelden (Stop subsidising the Dutch North Sea gasfields), Trouw, 21 February 2020
February 2020 – Dutch Government and some researchers think that subsidising new investments in Dutch gas fields in the North Sea is beneficial for the climate and for reducing dependency on Russian gas. Stephan Slingerland and Harro van Asselt argue in an opinion article published in the Dutch newspaper Trouw on 21 February 2020 that this is not a good idea for long-term international climate policy.