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Climate Fresk at the VU Amsterdam for International Business Law students

Written by Joy van Breda via LinkedIn
Published on: October 9, 2024

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through my LinkedIn timeline when I came across a post from Tim Bleeker about IPCC WGII Co-Chair Bart van den Hurk‘s lecture for students of the Master’s program in International Business Law: Climate Change & Corporations at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam). I turned to Elise van Breda and said, “I’m jealous; their program sounds interesting!” and “Wouldn’t it be great to do an interactive Climate Fresk workshop with these students (like we just did at Stockholm University) to help them process the science in the IPCC reports?”.

Fast forward three weeks, and we did just that!

Looking at their entire curriculum, these students have been absorbing much crucial information in the last few weeks — from climate science and the drivers of climate change to the impacts on natural and socio-economic systems, the IPCC processes, global governance, and our collective efforts against climate change. They still have to tackle behavioural science and climate ethics! With my knowledge today, I would have loved to take this important course, but I understand how overwhelming it can be for those just beginning their journey into this complex field.

When Elise and I first learned about how human activities effectively destabilise Earth’s systems, we often felt defeated. How do we navigate our emotions after facing such complex realities, and how do we transform those feelings into action when our roles still seem unclear? Over time, we found our place and realised that, while challenging, the systemic changes needed to tackle today’s massive challenges could ultimately make life better for everyone.

Our goal was to empower the students to feel confident about taking meaningful action. After diving into the IPCC materials ourselves, it was incredibly satisfying to bring that knowledge in a format that students could easily understand. The Climate Fresk workshop helps us to do exactly that — offering new perspectives on the state of the planet and the actions we can take to protect it, all within just three hours and in a fun, collaborative way! The workshop simplifies the complexity of climate change, breaking it down into a clear, structured framework that students can understand. This not only helps them process the information but also prepares them to build on it throughout their academic journeys and beyond.

Huge thanks to Tim Bleeker for inviting us and Emmeline Appel and Robin Kautz for helping with the organisation, and for letting Elise and me be part of this amazing program. And, a big thank you to all the amazing students! You’re already part of the change.

Joy van Breda

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