Season 2 Trailer

How does our engagement with climate change across generations? Are we relying on the same methods or has the growing urgency caused a shift in attitudes of youth involved in climate these days? In this episode, our Climate Breakdown hosts, Mathieu Blondeel and Paulina Raniecka, are joined by Djoeke Siebesma from Jonge Klimaatbeweging and Ellen Murray from Energy for Refugees to reflect on the reality of youth engagement in the climate transition. What are the challenges and what are the opportunities? And to what extent can we call their engagement ‘activism’? Learning from representatives of two youth climate organisations with very different approaches, we trace similarities and lessons to be exchanged by them. Join us for this honest reflection on what it means to be climate-involved youth in 2026.Learn more about Jonge Klimaatbeweging. Click here for their latest Youth Climate Agenda. Learn more about Energy for Refugees.This episode is part of Season 3 of the Climate Breakdown podcast, offered to you by the Climate Expertise Centre - an initiative of the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute. Stay tuned for more deep dives into the critical issues shaping our climate future. Subscribe, listen, and engage with 'Climate Breakdown’ on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/4FB2Y8c... ) and Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast... ).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.

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!