Danny Frietman

🚨@here iwell has been selected for The Benelux Climate Tech100 Change.inc and Climate Tech Summit have selected 100 leading companies for the Benelux Climate Tech100. The Benelux Climate Tech100 showcases the most innovative and impactful companies in the Benelux, driving technological solutions for today’s major climate challenges. These businesses have progressed beyond the early startup phase, are scaling rapidly, and have secured significant growth capital. Recognized for their achievements, they lead the way in six categories: Energy, Mobility & Transportation, Food & Agri, Climate Fintech & Reporting, Carbon Solutions, and Industry & Circular Economy — with Energy being the largest. Vote now for iwell: https://lnkd.in/e_trFqVn

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Earthship Village Aardehuis – A Sustainable Living Model Earthship Village Aardehuis is an eco-community model located in the #Netherlands, built over 100,000 hours with the support of the Aardehuis community and over 2,000 volunteers. This 23-home village is constructed from #sustainable and #recycledmaterials such as #earth, #straw, #wood, #car tires, and #glassbottles, demonstrating a commitment to #sustainablearchitecture and low-impact living. Designed with passive solar principles, these homes stay warm in winter without traditional #heatingsystems. #solarpanels provide electricity, rainwater collection systems #supplywater, and composting toilets manage #waste, making each #household largely self-sustaining. The village also includes fruit trees throughout and a central community #garden, where residents grow most of their produce, supporting both the #residents and the #localecosystem. Building this #village required navigating complex building codes and permit requirements, but the community’s resilience made it possible. Earthship Village Aardehuis serves as an inspiring example of how communities can come together to create #ecofriendlyhousing that reduces environmental impact, fosters self-reliance, and enhances biodiversity. This model highlights a viable path toward sustainable living and community-based environmental stewardship.

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Why does the global distribution of solar panels not overlap with the global distribution of sunshine? This, and many more intriguing questions, are explored by Sustainable Finance Lab that was - until yesterday - led by the "researcher with a mission" Rens Van Tilburg (and now by Brenda Kramer). The logic of #finance is an extremely important factor to explain how the world is organized as it is today. Hanging around with members and followers of this group is a true revelation to me. What are the mechanisms that can be used by the European Central Bank to promote green incentives? What is the net transfer of resources between Global North and Global South? How credible is the current sustainability reporting by private companies? In a refreshingly clear essay Dirk Schoenmaker and co-authors estimate the fraction of net profit for shareholders that is in fact an extraction of social value (unfair labor rewards) or environmental quality (non-paid pollution transferred to future generations). They estimate it at #twothird. Correcting for this would reduce global average investment revenue from 4.5 to 1.5%. And instruments to realize this correction do exist, particularly in Europe, where sustainability reporting increases in scope and influence. https://lnkd.in/e96umw7b In the current scoping phase of the IPCC Working Group Assessment Reports we're eager to document the evidence of financial control on climate action and sustainable development. It's reassuring to realize the experts are there! Alexander Barkawi | Wouter Botzen | Karen Maas | Detmer Koekoek | Sandra Phlippen | Paul Polman

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☀️ Will paying people to turn off their solar panels help fix grid congestion? ☀️ For the next month, households in the coastal Dutch province of #Zeeland are being paid to turn off their solar panels. Participating households will be asks to disable their solar panels at designated times over the course of a month in order to relieve the burden on the electrical #grid in the #Netherlands As reported by NU.nl (https://lnkd.in/eNqFzzwY), the energy companies behind it, Eneco and Stedin, intend to carry out this same experiment on a wider scale in 2025. This highlights an important problem that comes with some #sustainable #energy sources, like solar panels: 💡During a sunny day, solar panels generate a lot of energy that the household members cannot use themselves, even if they turn on every appliance in the house! 🥵 The excess energy then goes back to the grid, overloading it and causing technical problems. Our colleague Lisa Novoradovskaya explains that we often assume that money motivates people, but in psychological research, it has been demonstrated again and again that offering people financial incentives only works short term: 💶 As long as people are paid for performing the behaviour, they do it. 📉 But the moment the financial incentive stops, we see the #behaviour slowing down and eventually dropping off, most often to the level that we saw before there was compensation. Could this experiment possibly become effective policy? Read our blog post to find out the questions that need to be answered to figure it out: https://lnkd.in/eZ3fS3CQ #environmentalpsychology #climatechange #behaviorchange University of Groningen Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences - University of Groningen

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"Our research shows that climate finance for emerging and developing economies is not charity, but hard-nosed economic self-interest. " 🌎 Alissa M. Kleinnijenhuis spoke to the Financial Times about how climate finance at scale is needed to tackle global emissions. Read the full article 🔗 https://imprl.biz/3SEVvwa Alissa recently published a paper with Prof Patrick Bolton and Jeromin Zettelmeyer, examining the economic case for advanced-country financial support for replacing coal with renewable energy sources in EMDEs. Read the brief 👉 https://lnkd.in/eUVBGrth #ClimateFinance #ClimateChange #BlendedFinance #JustTransition

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🌍🌱 Driving Resilience: Dutch Companies Tackling Climate Change Adaptation 🌱🌍 The climate crisis is at the forefront of many Dutch companies' agendas, as they actively work to reduce emissions. Yet, for many, adapting to climate change remains "uncharted territory," even though it plays a critical role in ensuring future business resilience. The new report by the Netherlands Red Cross, titled "Adapting to the Consequences of Climate Change: Touchpoints, Practical Tools, and Recommendations for Your Company," underscores this challenge. It provides invaluable insights and practical tools to help companies navigate this essential aspect of sustainability. A key takeaway? Embracing climate adaptation not only strengthens our businesses but also offers a pathway to support resilience efforts in the Global South. Let's lead the way in climate action and adaptation! 🌍💪 #ClimateAction #Sustainability #BusinessResilience #GlobalImpact #NetherlandsRedCross #ClimateAdaptation

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💡 Two reports about climate change in the Netherlands came out last week. One focused on behaviour change, the other on technological change - but if tech doesn't appeal to people, they probably won’t adopt it and may actually end up protesting, which will ultimately inhibit implementation. The report from the PBL (PBL Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving), or Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency as it’s known in English, carefully mapped out 30 different scenarios for how the Netherlands can become climate neutral by the year 2050 through scaling up technological solutions. The PBL report, “Pathway exploration climate neutral 2050: Pathways to a climate neutral society for the Netherlands in 2050”, focused on achieving #climateneutral status for the Netherlands through technological changes to the electricity and heat supply, as well as the production and use of fuel and raw materials. The technological changes which the PBL investigated often treat it as a given that technological advances will be used on a wide scale. But if new or developing tech fails to appeal to people, they probably won’t adopt it and may actually end up protesting, which will ultimately inhibit implementation. Assuming that population and economic growth remain moderate and that consumer behaviour remains roughly the same, “it is still very uncertain whether climate neutrality can be achieved in 2050 [through technology alone].” The report summary acknowledges that “the behavior of consumers, businesses and governments”, among others, also “play an important role” in a “transition to climate neutrality.” However, the report states that behaviour change is not addressed in detail in the study, saying that their findings “can provide a starting point for follow-up studies that address these issues.”  Even though it is only mentioned in passing, the necessity of behaviour change is still evident in the report: “Lifestyle changes that reduce energy and resource consumption to levels lower than those assumed in this study could significantly contribute to a successful transition.” In an interview about the report with Dutch newspaper NRC, PBL director Marko Hekkert also spoke about the importance of behaviour change. “It is a political choice [to ask Dutch people to change their behavior], but it would make the transition a lot cheaper.” Another report which came out in late April, by comparison, focused directly on the role of pro-environmental behaviour change. The SCP (The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP), explored Dutch people’s current pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours, and why they matter so much to a climate neutrality strategy. Want to read what Environmental Psychology has to say about it? Read full the blog post on our site! https://lnkd.in/djgeCpBP #environmentalpsychology University of Groningen Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences - University of Groningen

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If you start a journey at the peak of a mountain your story will tell about how you descended to the valley. Same vice versa. This counts as well for measuring temperature over time. Start at the lowest point in 10.000 years and temperature will go up, slowly or quickly. Remember in Greenland even petrified rain forest leaves were found. So how man-made is the increase or is it just another tax collecting make you feel guilty story alike the church used to let you pay indulgences for the bad things you did. Or a story to distract our attention from what we really should look at: pollution, deforestation and stupid destructive wars. Or a story to reduce your Freedom and independence? Or all of the above?

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Because the environmental impact of artificial intelligence is not limited to energy and water consumption but may also increase significantly the production of electronic waste. 🗑 And unlike an old MP3 player or an old computer tower, you don't get rid of hundreds or even thousands of server racks as easily. ♻️ Thank you Dr. Sasha Luccioni for this reminder! #AI #AIimpacts #environment #ewaste #EthicalAI #IA #SDGgoals

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Triodos Bank and Triodos Investment Management - together with 160 other financial institutions representing 15.5 USD trillion combined assets- are calling for an ambitious international treaty to end plastic pollution by backing the Finance Statement on Plastic Pollution. #PlasticPollution exacerbates the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, with plastic projected to double and account for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. By signing the Finance Statement on Plastic Pollution, we are calling on governments for an ambitious international treaty to end plastic pollution ahead of the fourth round of international negotiations (#INC4) taking place next week in Canada. A reduction in our economy’s reliance on single-use plastics translates into a reduction of the environmental and public health toll of plastic production, waste management, and pollution throughout plastic supply chains. #BeatPlasticPollution https://lnkd.in/eFCC98rF

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🚨 Shell’s Landmark Emissions Case: Implications for Climate Strategy 🚨 A major legal development today; #Shell has won their appeal in reversing the 2021 ruling in which they were ordered to cut their carbon emissions by 45% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, in order to protect Dutch citizens. This comes just months after Shell weakened a 2030 carbon reduction target and scrapped a 2035 objective, citing expectations for strong gas demand and uncertainty in the #energy transition.   This highlights the ongoing debate between corporate climate commitments and legal mandates and raises some critical questions: ➡ What does this mean for future emissions legislation? ➡ How will energy companies balance their legal obligations with global sustainability goals? ➡ How do businesses and policymakers build sustainable pathways amid regulatory challenges. ➡ Should courts have the power to mandate emissions reductions on global companies? ➡ Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eybcXRek. Love to hear your views below #ClimateCrisis  #SustainabilityRegulation  #COP29  

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What a saga... The EU #Deforestation Regulation application will be delayed by 1️⃣ year, well, if the European Parliament plenary endorses the deal (and you never know...)🤔. 💡 To me, this shows how fragile the legislative process can be, when reviewing a legislation, even with good intentions. Here, it seemed initially like everyone share the goal to "only" postpone the application of #EUDR but it ended up with the Parliament pushing for more cuts ✂️ . At the end, it seems like everyone could focus on the initial goal... ❓ Question is: EUDR was supposed to be a very targeted revision but showed big risks of deregulation, despite the positive outcome. How will authorities secure that the announced revision of just approved pieces of legislation like #CSRD or #CSRD will focus on simplification, without cutting well needed requirements, knowing that they will use the omnibus legislative tool? ❓ How is your company preparing for all these changes, while ensuring compliance at the end? To be continued...

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Amsterdam's circular potential is huge! ...and within reach: multiple research projects and pilots in the City, led by AMS Institute, can deliver massive material and emissions savings, as well as benefits for the citizens themselves. In fact, according to the latest research from AMS Institute, scaling four circular economy strategies in Amsterdam would lead to emissions savings equal to 30,000 homes adopting 100% green energy, equivalent to the entire Oud-Zuid neighbourhood! The four circular strategies are: 💥 Extend product life of solar panels: Using solar panels for their entire 25-year lifespan, 💥 Reduce excess material and energy use in data centers: Using data centers more efficiently and reducing the number of servers needed for digitalization, 💥 Use circular materials in roads: Paving roads with circular asphalt and concrete and, 💥 Use biobased materials in buildings: Constructing new builds with timber and biobased insulation. 👉🏼 The carbon savings reported are not only hypothetical. The circular approaches are already happening in the City—now they need to be scaled. Pilots are conducted in public space, in close collaboration with the City of Amsterdam, partner universities such as Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as businesses and local stakeholders. 👉🏼 In calculating this overall figure of emissions reduction, we have combined the potential savings from different projects and hashtag #pilots that are active or have been conducted in the city with a range of partners. 👉🏼 Read more in our article here: https://lnkd.in/eHT8Y_FP 👏🏼 With special shout out to the researchers: Sietse de Vilder, Felix Fröhling, Elizabeth Migoni Alejandre, Jonas van der Ham and the Circularity in Urban Regions Program Developers, Joke Dufourmont and Joppe van Driel. Want to know more? Drop me a message. #presstip #circularamsterdam #circularpilots

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Recent publication by Daily Data Bytes. (sorry Dutch only) highlights the potential role of framing in shaping public opinion. By comparing responses to the terms 'activists' and 'farmers' in climate demonstrations, it was found that terminology can drive public sentiment. A comparative analysis showed that neutral wording yielded similar support levels for both groups (18% and 21%), whereas framing the groups as 'farmers' versus 'climate activists' influenced support to 26% and 17%, respectively. This demonstrates the choice of words can not only reflect but also influence perception and support for different causes. This cautions against unintentional bias in framing, urging researchers and media to weigh their words carefully to reflect reality more accurately. Nice article by Cecilia Keuchenius on the Daily Data Bytes. #PublicOpinion #ResearchInsights #FramingEffects #Motivaction

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"We value nature because it is important, yet we lose nature because it is free. The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of nature, not the other way around. Nature is our biggest shareholder. Yet nature does not have a seat at the table in boardrooms across the globe. Recent research by S&P Global Sustainable (2023) finds that 85% of the world’s largest companies have a significant dependency on nature across theirdirect operations. However, according to the World Benchmarking Alliance (2024), only 2% of companies have boards that can demonstrate they have relevant expertise on topics like biodiversity or climate. How can protecting nature protect your business? How might it also open new investable opportunities? What would nature tell us if a seat were be made available for her?" Deloitte Financial Services Perspectives: Nature in the Boardroom: Key questions for FSI Leaders.

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''Three out of four Dutch people are concerned about the climate. But the majority do not know how they can best contribute, say behavioral scientists. Together we have more power than we think, is their conclusion.'' Behavioural scientists from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences; Nico Benoist & Reint Jan Renes investigated what motivates or prevents people from climate-conscious behaviour. A striking conclusion is that the Dutch mainly look at their own role as consumers. This research shows that society needs more awareness about the behaviors that contribute to climate change. https://lnkd.in/ennupVNy https://lnkd.in/epmsKi9v #ClimateChange #ClimateCommunication #Research #ClimateAction #NetZero #Psychology

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In the UK, the changing climate intensifies various weather-related risks, posing significant challenges for SMEs. #Heatwaves are growing more frequent and severe, with 2022 marking the warmest year on record and temperatures soaring past 40°C for the first time. #Floods are also becoming a greater threat, with potential annual damages expected to exceed £1 billion by 2050 due to increased rainfall and sea levels. Similarly, #droughts are affecting the UK with more severity, driven by shifting rainfall patterns and increased evaporation, compelling the government to set a target to reduce water usage by 20% per person by 2038.

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