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Sustainable cities for a positive future
“Cities are increasingly the home of humanity. They are central to climate action, global prosperity, peace and human rights.” — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon October 31 is World Cities Day. Do we actually need such a day? I think we do need one, as today over half of the world’s population lives in…
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Normal is Over: movement from a movie
Nyenrode’s Alumni Circle for Sustainability proudly presented its first movie night on September 20, 2016, featuring the award-winning documentary film: Normal is Over. A diverse crowd of students, alumni as well as other sustainability enthusiasts and professionals came to Nyenrode to watch the film together. Having the filmmaker – Renée Scheltema – present at the screening made…
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Cli-fi book review: Solar leadership
Most of my book reviews are non-fiction, but my favorite summer fiction – Solar by Ian McEwan – fits right in. It’s actually a perfect follow up to the earlier post on leadership for sustainable change. This review focuses on analysis of the leadership displayed in this “cli-fi” book. Don’t worry if you’re planning to…
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Climate change: it’s not too late if we act now
Meet Marjan Minnesma, founder and director of Urgenda, an organization aiming for a fast transition towards a sustainable society with a circular economy using only renewable energy. On the day of the interview, the Dutch government announced it would consider closing two additional coal-fired power plants to meet its climate commitments. In between telephone quotes…
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Driving positive change for a better retirement future
Meet Jacqueline van Koert, who used to be the Change and Corporate Responsibility Manager at Zwitserleven. This Dutch pension insurance company is part of VIVAT, one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands. I met Jacqueline at the Dutch Investment Fair. Shortly after, Zwitserleven was recognized as the pension insurer with most responsible investment policy…
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The new space race for a better world
April 12 is the International Day of Human Space Flight. It marks the anniversary the first human space flight by Yuri Gargarin in 1961. What if we could repeat such a – previously deemed – incredible feat to apply our minds to help humanity thrive within the limits of our planet? We often hear astronauts talk…
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Be the change you want to see
On April 6, 2016, BCorp Europe gathered hundreds of inspiring and inspired entrepreneurs in Amsterdam to Celebrate the Changemakers. I was a bit ambivalent about an earlier BCorp event, but this event showed what the power of purpose and change is all about. Facing the future of sustainability The opening keynote was by Rob Boogaard, the CEO…
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Dare to care about what you wear
Meet Anita de Wit and Joanneke Lootsma, the executive board driving ReBlend, a Dutch upcycling startup that turns non-wearable clothes into new textiles and fashion. I recently met them at a B Corp event and was so inspired by their fabrics and story that I planned this interview with them. Here’s what they had to…
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A great journey starts with a single step
Many of us are inspired by this beautiful quote by Lao Tse. Sometimes great journeys may be scary at the start, but reminding ourselves that great things do start small helps us get started in the first place. In the past years, we’ve all seen (or even experienced) drastic natural disasters, caused by climate change. Initially,…
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Inspiring change in the investment world
Meet Els Ankum-Griffioen, Senior Manager Business Development & Investor Relations at Triodos Investment Management, the investment arm of Triodos Bank, one of the front-runners in sustainable finance. I visited Els at Triodos to hear her thoughts on the vital roles of education, investors and good governance to create a more sustainable future. A state of mind…
