Welcome to the Unexpected Encounters – a series of conversations with experts from different professions who’ve taken climate change as a reason to redefine their agency, position and role in the systemic and societal changes we need. We invite various inspiring speakers who share how they work and how they make sense of climate change. During this fifth and final episode, we will invite negotiators, activists, researchers and others to talk about the way we make agreements on climate change. Many of us feel the urgency, we read about it, we see it and we live with it, and yet when it comes to making effective agreements we fail again and again. Short-term gains and well-funded lobbies seem to take hold of this. How can we deal with this?
About the series
The Unexpected Encounters series is part of Collaborations for Future – a design research program enabling and researching the close collaboration between professional designers and climate scientists. The aim of this programme is to create innovative, commissioning models, methodologies, tools and structures that enable creative professionals to collaborate effectively with climate scientists, ultimately addressing the urgent challenges of climate change.
About the speakers
Rob Weterings is programme director of the National Climate Platform, an independent platform that will enrich government climate policy with the daily experience of citizens and entrepreneurs. Most recently Rob headed the Department of Integrated Environmental Policy Analysis of the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
Dieuwertje Wallaart is chair of the ‘Jonge Klimaatbeweging’. This Movement is based on a clear idea: young people deserve a voice to shape their own sustainable future. By joining discussions with politicians, policymakers and businesses on behalf of their supporters, they give young people a voice in their own future.
Yann Robiou du Pont is a research fellow at Utrecht University and works on quantifying what are fair and ambitious emissions reductions and financial contributions from businesses, national and subnational actors to align with the Paris Agreement mitigation goals.
Jantijn Anema studied philosophy and law at the University of Amsterdam with a focus on political theory and rights for nature. He works for Urgenda to think and write about climate solutions. Last year he published the book ‘Je bent jong en je wil wat toekomst’ together with Hannah Prins: A reasonable plea for radical change.
Mert Kumru is Europe front coordinator, The Netherlands for World’s Youth for Climate Justice the former UN Youth Representative on Human Rights and Security for the Netherlands. He combines his Human Rights background with a variety of climate related themes. In his work and activism he focusses especially on Human Rights violations that take place due to the climate crisis. Mert studied International Law LLM at the University of Leiden.
Nine de Pater is a campaigner at Milieudefensie. She was one of the driving forces behind the historic victory in the climate case against Shell.
