Committee on the fossil industry begins work

A committee of experts is now starting work to develop guidelines for engagement with the fossil industry. Dean of Impact & Engagement Arwin van Buuren and Bas Karreman (Erasmus School of Economics) will chair the committee.

The committee is one of the tangible results stemming from the sustainability dialogues, organised in all faculties about six months ago. These dialogues were a response to the OccupyEUR occupations, which compelled the university to declare a climate emergency.

Divesting in fossil

In a press release about the new committee, the Executive Board (CvB) described a sustainable future as an important aspect of the positive societal impact the university aims to have. Therefore, the CvB believes it is important ‘that a collaborating partner has a credible and achievable divesting in fossil policy’.

The committee will examine the best guidelines to achieve this. While not all ties with the fossil industry will be severed, the aim is to focus collaborations on climate transition.

Autumn 2024

The other members of the committee are Margo Strijbosch from Research Services, Professor Liesbeth Enneking (ESL), Professor Dirk Schoenmaker (RSM), Constanze Binder (ESPhil), and Max Wagenaar (member of the University Council). They are expected to deliver their results by the autumn of 2024.