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Mikael Kristenson

Dutch Climate Research Initiative launched to focus on climate neutrality

The recently launched Dutch Climate Research Initiative (KIN) is a platform for multilateral collaboration to contribute to the achievement of a climate-neutral and climate-robust society in the Netherlands by 2050. It was created by the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The goal of the initiative and its taskforce comprising 23 scientists is to establish a framework for the joint efforts of scientific communities, administrators, and representatives of societal organizations. The taskforce includes two University of Twente professors, Gerard van der Steenhoven, who is taskforce vicechair (and managing director of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) and Maarten van Aalst, both of ITC.

By bringing together researchers and industry with the support of governmental bodies in preparing and expediting the necessary changes, it is hoped that the solutions developed can be more easily implemented. Swift action is crucial in light of a rapidly changing climate. The pilot project bringing all relevant stakeholders together for the first time will be launched in early 2023. The initiative has established three pathways to reach its goal of bringing changes in in research, society and government in the Netherlands:

  1. Connect and integrate research and emphasize the role of society in the solution building by collaborating with “living labs”, embracing both top-down and bottom-up research calls, and recognizing the power of international partnership for sharing the experience and capacity building.
  2. Creation of the National Pact for Climate Research (the KIN Pact). The Pact emphasizes the role of societal partners in posing relevant questions and defining challenges to be taken on by the research institutions. Consequently, by making sure the research has a direct relation to pressing climate issues, the pact will facilitate system transitions across society.
  3. Establishing a National Center to manage the KIN program and KIN Pact. The Center will become a space for collaboration and ideas exchange by means of organizing events and drawing awareness to the initiative. 

KIN has issued a call in January for ideas for the first KIN projects that fall under the following themes: Cities & Infrastructure; Energy, Industry & Economy; Nature, Agriculture, Food & Water; Healthcare & Planetary Health. More information on this call can be found here.  

Read more about the initiative on the official website.