Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University

🌍🚀 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS (and 20 funded spots available) for the workshop: "Rethinking Planetary and Sustainability Governance through Cosmological Imaginaries" We invite scholars from across disciplines, space science, planetary sciences, space history, anthropology, philosophy, sociology, STS, and more, to contribute to discussions around the role of cosmological imaginaries in sustainability thinking, (extra-)planetary governance, and the future of Earth-Space systems. 📅 16–17 October 2025 📍 Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University There will be a maximum of 35 participants, with 20 fully funded spots available for selected speakers (travel + per diem). The event is hosted by Copernicus’ ERC PlanetStewards Project, in collaboration with FOGOS Space (COST Action CA23118), the Earth-Space Sustainability Network, and the Space in Time initiative. It's led by Xiao-Shan Yap, jointly with Florian Rabitz, Vladimir Brljak, Stamatina Mastorakou and Adrien De Sutter. Apply before 7 September 2025. More information, including how to apply, can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eZa8dnAG

🌱 New think piece: Circular Agroecology as a guiding concept for EU food and agriculture policy Europe’s food system costs €3 trillion annually, equivalent to France’s entire GDP in healthcare, environmental damage, and climate impacts. Meanwhile, 1 in 10 Europeans can’t afford quality meals. In their new think piece, Copernicus researcher Niko Wojtynia, PhD, with Guus ter Haar and Martin Calisto Friant 🟥 from Circle Economy introduce a solution: Circular Agroecology, combining circular economy principles with agroecological practices to build Europe’s true strategic autonomy. This approach transforms waste into valuable resources, reduces dependence on synthetic inputs, creates meaningful jobs, and builds resilient food systems within planetary boundaries. From Spanish cities turning organic waste into farm compost to agricultural waste becoming biofertilizers, examples are emerging across Europe. But systemic transformation requires collective action from policymakers, businesses, farmers, and citizens. Read the full article in E-International Relations: https://lnkd.in/dAm5VFvs #CircularEconomy #Agroecology #FoodSystems

What if your neighbourhood could power itself using solar panels, batteries, and some smart software? This is already happening in local energy communities across Europe through the RENvolveIT project. From rural villages in the Netherlands to a 92-building hospital complex in Germany, communities are stepping up to take control of their energy future. But managing local renewable energy isn’t easy... and that's where RENvolveIT comes in. “Think of it as LEGO blocks for energy communities,” says Luis Ramirez Camargo from here at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University. RENvolveIT is creating a digital assistant that allows each energy community to choose the tools they need, like for planning solar power plants, managing members, or distributing energy they generate fairly. By co-designing the tools with over 45 communities, researchers, and practitioners from 10+ countries across Europe, the project ensures solutions are grounded in real needs that truly support Europe’s transition to sustainable, community-led energy systems. A recent consortium meeting in Vienna brought 25 researchers and practitioners together to share insights, assess progress, and coordinate the next development phase. Curious to learn more about RENvolveIT and how the project is progressing? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eRTwqi-M #SmartEnergy #Sustainability #CitizenEnergy #ClimateAction #RENvolveIT

Meet our PhD researcher Conor Eastment: “There’s a long history of ecological misunderstanding rooted in colonial thinking, such as the belief that fire is inherently destructive and that forests represent the ideal form of nature. My work challenges these assumptions by highlighting the importance of grounded knowledge and ecological context.”

| Summer reads | Download & read 'The What If Garden (TWIG)', a zine that shares the insights from a five-day workshop at the Lorentz Center organised last January by Lisette van Beek (Lund University), Johannes Stripple (Lund University), Mark Westmoreland (Leiden University), Josie Chambers (Utrecht University) and Ekaterina Volkova (independent). The workshop brought together 20 (artist-)researchers, curators, and independent artists. Together, they explored how initiatives at the art–science interface can flourish and foster radical imagination for transformative change. Find TWIG zine here: https://lnkd.in/ecHrsnaS #Futures #Futuring #Imagination #Zine #Art #Science #ArtScience #Transformation #Research Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW) Pathways to Sustainability (Utrecht University) #Naturescapes ReCNTR Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University

New analysis shows that insulating homes protects household finances far better than focusing solely on grid upgrades In a new article for economist journal ESB, Copernicus' Peter Mulder and colleague Berend Hopman (TNO) analysed how planned electricity grid upgrades will impact future energy bills – and compared this to the costs of poorly insulated homes. Their findings are clear: ⚫ By 2040, grid expansion is expected to increase household energy bills by about 2% of income. ⚫ Poor insulation, on the other hand, already costs low-income households an extra 6% of their income today. "Isolating the worst-performing homes for the lowest-income households remains the best remedy against excessively high energy bills," say the authors. Read the full article (in Dutch): https://lnkd.in/eamdz6pK Read the coverage in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: https://lnkd.in/e27CZdx9

🌍 Discover the 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲 – join our webinar! Join our webinar on 30th September at 19.00 to dive into a cutting-edge interdisciplinary programme designed for future changemakers and bridge builders! Complex problems related to sustainability, such as food security, climate change mitigation and sustainable energy use, require us to look at these problems from different angles and develop multifaceted solutions. What this webinar will cover: • How the curriculum blends natural sciences with social sciences to address complex sustainability challenges • How the 5 tracks under the programme allow for specialisation and options to take electives • Experiences of students currently studying in the programme Career outlook and opportunities for further study Register if you’re interested in making an impact in the field of sustainability: https://lnkd.in/etTfduMk #Webinar #GlobalSustainabilityScience #UtrechtUniversity #SustainabilityScience #GlobalChallenges

How can spirituality be reclaimed as a progressive, transformative force – one that strengthens communities and fuels collective action for a just and sustainable future? In a new piece for De Correspondent, Copernicus' Joost Vervoort 🟥 Associate Professor of Transformative Imagination, explores how spirituality can offer resilience, connection, and meaning in an era marked by ecological collapse, ongoing genocide and mass violence, rising authoritarianism, social fragmentation, and a deepening crisis of meaning. Drawing on his research into how future visions shape the present, Joost calls for new social spaces that allow people to reconnect with the mystery and depth of life – not as isolated individuals, but as part of communities working toward justice, care, and sustainability. Read the full article (in Dutch): https://lnkd.in/e8UFU9w5

Meet our PhD candidate Valerie de Rijk! Valerie’s research focuses on developing sustainable ways to remove PFAS from soil, an urgent task given that these chemicals are found in everything from raincoats to cosmetics, and even popcorn bags!

What if scaling back digital technologies is the real innovation we need? Behind the abstraction of "the cloud" lies a heavy material footprint of servers, cables, rare minerals, and energy-intensive systems, whose ecological and social costs are largely invisible. Hosted by our Special Interest Group on Digitalisation & AI, join us for the 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺, where we'll explore what it means to scale down digital infrastructures in service of climate justice, social equity, and ecological limits. With Mario Pansera, Alex de Vries-Gao & Karen van der Zanden. 📍 VMA Bistro, Utrecht University 📅 8th September 2025 🕒 14.00-17.00 More info, including how to register: https://lnkd.in/eJ9VCZ8H Faculty of Geosciences (Utrecht University) Pathways to Sustainability (Utrecht University) Institutions for Open Societies (Utrecht University) Iryna Susha Laura Piscicelli Christina Bidmon