Climate Breakdown

The Climate Breakdown Podcast is back! We have a special episode for you which marks a very special moment. On 12 December 2015, the world came together to adopt a landmark climate accord — the Paris Agreement — aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to keep it under 1.5°C. Ten years later, where do we stand?In this special episode, two leading experts from the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) reflect on the journey since the Paris Agreement’s adoption. Our Climate Breakdown host, Paulina Raniecka, is joined by Dr. Mathieu Blondeel (Assistant Professor Energy & Climate Politics, IVM, VU Amsterdam) and Dr. Oscar Widerberg (Associate Professor Environmental Politics & Policy, IVM, VU Amsterdam). They discuss the evolution of global environmental governance over the past decade, examine how the shifting political landscape has influenced climate action, and offer candid insights into the successes, shortcomings, and lessons learned from the Agreement.This episode is a teaser for Season 3 of the Climate Breakdown podcast, launching in early 2026. To celebrate the kick-off, we surprise our guest speakers with questions submitted by colleagues from the Institute for Environmental Studies and students of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This episode was originally recorded in a video format. We kindly invite you to check it out on our YouTube channel. Questions or want to know more? Visit our  website or e-mail us at [email protected] credits: Patrick Perkins ©Podcast produced by the The Audiovisual Centre (AVC) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Edits by Ben Wolters.

What is saline agriculture and why has it been recently gaining attention? Is it a new phenomenon or something we have lived with for centuries? Should we see it as a challenge or an opportunity? These are some of the questions at the basis of this episode. To grasp saline agriculture to the fullest, we have welcomed two experts: Dr. Katarzyna (Kate) Negacz from IVM Institute for Environmental Studies at VU Amsterdam and Dr. Bastiaan Bruning from the Salt Doctors. Our guest speakers clarify the world of saline agriculture through their extensive expertise and share their experience working with salinity in a diversity of contexts. Get inspired by their stories and the ongoing saline-related projects Kate and Bas mention. Tune in!View the Saline AgriMapLearn about the SALAD Research ProjectInterested in saline agriculture? Why not join SUSTAIN Network, open to anyone!Read the FAO guidelines co-authored by Dr. Bruning: "Farmers' guidelines on soil and water management in salt-affected areas".Questions or want to know more? Visit our  website or e-mail us at [email protected] credits: Patrick Perkins ©Podcast production: Daniël van de Poppe / Spraakmaker MediaWe would like to share our thanks to our colleagues at the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute: Milica Mijailović, Neele van den Bongardt, and Philipp Pattberg.

In April 2023, our very own VU Amsterdam became the second university in the world to ⁠cut research ties⁠ with the fossil fuel industry⁠⁠. The decision, and the launch of its ⁠⁠⁠Fossil Free Campaign, caused quite a stir among Dutch universities and in (inter)national media. But how did this decision come about? And, perhaps more importantly, what happens after such a groundbreaking decision is made? Because, let's be honest, that's when the hard work starts... Mathieu is joined by friend of the pod Professor Philipp Pattberg⁠ and ⁠Dr. Petra Verdonk⁠. Petra is Associate Professor at Amsterdam UMC, climate activist, and has been of trailblazers in the early days of the campaign. Together, they also reflect more broadly on the role of universities in tackling the climate crisis.

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 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 Muniz Pereira Urias, Assistant Professor at the Athena Institute of VU Amsterdam exploring how the integration of action-oriented, agency-driven participatory and transdisciplinary approaches may contribute to more just and inclusive sustainability transitions. Questions or want to know more? Visit our  website or e-mail us at [email protected] Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Daniël van de Poppe / Spraakmaker Media We would like to share our thanks to our colleagues at the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute: Milica Mijailović, Neele van den Bongardt, and Philipp Pattberg.

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. In this episode, our host Paulina is joined by two speakers - a VU scholar, VU scholar Lia van Wesenbeeck (School of Business and Economics | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) alongside Edu Hernandez Nualart, farmer and activist from PLUK! Groenten van West (a project of Cityplot). Learn more about Lia's ongoing project she mentions in the episode - Feed4Food. Visit the interactive UA maps of Amsterdam: Stadslandbouw by the Municipality of Amsterdam and maps developed by Gabi Murillo & Toby Jones Questions or want to know more? Visit our  website or e-mail us at [email protected] Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Daniël van de Poppe / Spraakmaker Media We would like to share our thanks to our colleagues at the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute: Milica Mijailović, Neele van den Bongardt, and Philipp Pattberg.

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 EU 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? In this episode, following part I on the Shell v Milieudefensie case, Mathieu continues the conversation with Tim Bleeker, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Corporate Law (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and member of the Amsterdam Centre for Climate Change and the Law. Join them as they dive into the EU’s green policy packages and their implications for the future of corporate climate action! Make sure to check out part I of this episode: "Part I: What can EU do to go green? The Shell v Milieudefensie case" Questions or want to know more? Visit our  website or e-mail us at [email protected] Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Daniël van de Poppe / Spraakmaker Media We would like to share our thanks to our colleagues at the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute: Milica Mijailović, Neele van den Bongardt, and Philipp Pattberg.

On 12 November, we woke up to news of the Dutch Court of Appeal overruling District Court ruling in Shell v. ⁠Milieudefensie⁠ case. A real legal earthquake its caused in climate advocacy circles...  The judge decided that no specific legal obligations for emission reductions can be imposed on Shell. At the same time, some have argued that this is only a Pyrrhic victory for Shell. But what does that mean? And, most importantly, what are the implications for climate activists and the fossil fuel industry, as more and more case are brought before courts around the world... Mathieu is joined by ⁠Tim Bleeker⁠⁠⁠⁠, Assistant Professor, ⁠Faculty of Law⁠, ⁠Corporate Law ⁠⁠(Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)⁠, and member of the ⁠Amsterdam Centre for Climate Change and the Law⁠ to explore these questions. Join them as they take a deep dive into the fascinating world of fossil fuel litigation! Questions or want to know more? Visit our  website or e-mail us at [email protected] Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Daniël van de Poppe / ⁠Spraakmaker Media⁠ We would like to share our thanks to our colleagues at the ⁠Amsterdam Sustainability Institute⁠: Milica Mijailović, Neele van den Bongardt, and Philipp Pattberg.

Curious to learn about the backbone of our future low-carbon economy? Worried about potential challenges and dependencies linked to the increased production and consumption of critical raw materials? Hungry for solutions? We got you covered! Mathieu is joined by two colleagues Lingli Zhou, Assistant Professor at the Geology and Geochemistry cluster of the Earth Science Department (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), and Jan Brusselaers, Assistant Professor at the Environmental Economics Department of the IVM Institute for Environmental Studies (VU Amsterdam). Questions or want to know more? Visit our  website or e-mail us at [email protected] Photo credits: Patrick Perkins © Podcast production: Daniël van de Poppe / Spraakmaker Media We would like to share our thanks to our colleagues at the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute: Neele van den Bongardt and Philipp Pattberg.

Are you ready for Season 2 of our Climate Breakdown podcast? Our hosts Mathieu Blondeel and Paulina Raniecka are joined by diverse VU experts and practitioners, working on solutions to the ongoing climate crisis. Tune in to see what to expect!

Is there a better way to wrap up our first series than delving into the wonderful world of global climate politics and diplomacy?! At COP28 in December 2023, negotiators officially agreed for the first time ever the need to ‘transition away from fossil fuels.’ This was deemed historic and it supposedly signalled the ‘end of the fossil fuel era’. But how historic is this decision really? And why did it take so long to politically acknowledge the role of fossil fuels in the climate crisis? Mathieu is joined by IVM Professor Philipp Pattberg to answer these questions, and many more. They try to grasp what makes climate negotiations and finding agreement at the global level so difficult. After all, aren’t we all in the same boat? Questions or want to know more? Visit our Climate Expertise Centre website or e-mail us at [email protected].

We're back with Part II of our double whammy on Science & Activism! Today, Mathieu is joined by Dr. Marthe Wens, Assistant Professor of Water Security at the Institute for Environmental Studies of VU Amsterdam. She's an academic and a very active member of Scientist Rebellion in the Netherlands. She's taken part in a lot of civil disobedience actions of SR and shares her ideas on reconciling her roles as scientist, concerned citizen and activist. Questions or want to learn more? Visit the Climate Expertise Centre website or e-mail us directly at [email protected].

We're back with a double episode on a very hot topic! Can scientists and universities be activists or must they remain neutral? But what does ‘neutrality’ mean in the face of an ever growing climate crisis, with facts and evidence about causes and consequences so abundantly clear? Does this neutrality argument still hold up then? Or, in the words of Albert Einstein, does the privilege to know, entail a duty to act? In Part I, Mathieu is joined by Professor Davide Iannuzzi, Chief Impact Officer at VU Amsterdam. He played a crucial part in the VU's decision last year to break research ties with the fossil fuel industry. They talk about the different societal roles that universities can(not) play in addressing the climate crisis. As always, questions or want to learn more? Visit the Climate Expertise Centre website or e-mail us at [email protected]

Welcome to round two in our double episode 'Beyond the Climate Crisis'! In today's episode, we talk about biodiversity! How biodiversity is 'governed' globally, nationally and locally, the extent of the biodiversity crisis that we're in, but also -importantly- what we can do to get us out of the crisis we find ourselves in. Guests today are Marije Schaafsma, Associate Professor of Environmental Economics and Ina Lehmann, Assistant Professor of Global Governance of Biodiversity. Both work at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of VU Amsterdam. As always, if you have questions or want to know more, visit our Climate Expertise Centre website or e-mail Mathieu directly at: [email protected]

Today and next week we have a two-parter in store for our listeners! It is clear that we are not just in the midst of a climate crisis. A lot more is at stake. Last year, environmental scientists warned that the earth is now ‘well outside the safe operating space for humanity’ because multiple ‘planetary boundaries’ have been broken. In the first part of our double 'Beyond the Climate Crisis' episode, Mathieu is joined by Kristiaan Kok, Assistant Professor at the Athena Institute of VU Amsterdam. They discuss the environmental, social and economic impacts of the global food system, as well its relation to the climate crisis. Kris also talks about how we can truly transform the system to make it more fair and sustainable. If you have questions or want to learn more, visit the website of the Climate Expertise Centre or e-mail us at [email protected]

There’s a new tool in the toolbox of climate activists: litigation. Increasingly, fossil fuel companies and governments are being sued for their lack of climate action. It makes one wonder, what are the advantages and disadvantages of taking these companies and governments to court? In this episode, Mathieu is joined by two guests. VU Assistant Professor Clemens Kaupa is an expert in climate law. Together with students, he has launched a successful complaint with the Dutch Advertising Code Committee against Shell’s misleading advertising practices. Our second guest, Sjoukje van Oosterhout, is Lead Researcher in Milieudefensie’s ongoing landmark case against Shell. If you have questions or want to learn more, visit the website of our Climate Expertise Centre or e-mail us at [email protected]

2023 was the hottest year on record. The extreme weather we have witnessed will become more common and more severe as the Earth further warms. What is ‘the state of the climate’ as we enter a new year? What can we expect in the (near) future and what can be done about it? In this first episode, Mathieu is joined by VU professor of climate change and adaptation, Bart van den Hurk, a world-leading climate scientist. Professor van den Hurk is also Co-Chair of Working Group II for the IPCC’s seventh assessment cycle. He navigates us through the scientific knowledge on the climate crisis and the fascinating world of the IPCC. If you have questions or want to learn more, visit our Climate Expertise Centre website or e-mail us at [email protected].