Jan Rotmans is professor of transition science and sustainability at Erasmus University, founder of Urgenda, among others, and he pioneered his early publications on climate change. He lives by the mantra: "We are not living in an era of change, but in a change of era." For companies, he has a clear message: "Make sure you become resilient and agile so you are prepared for the next crisis."

From dirty to clean

Jan Rotmans works with companies like Shell to look at the transition from dirty to clean. Jan describes it clearly: Shell is known as dirty, fifteen years ago I said to them that they have to make a transition or else they won't exist in ten years, they laughed at that. Now it is completely different, they are taking it seriously, they have realized that something has to change. This applies to many companies, by switching to clean you make yourself more resilient and agile as a company, according to Rotmans these are the most important qualities that companies must have now.  

The difficulty of transition

What Arjen Lubach does with his item on natural gas is typical of the skepticism about tests being done around the energy transition. That is very recognizable: that is how it works in a transition, at the beginning it is small and expensive, only then what works well is rolled out large and cheaper, according to Jan Rotmans. It is unfortunate that this item puts the tests that are now being done in a negative light, he indicates.

Own less, use more

Finally, Jan Rotmans cites the example of IKEA, which he works with. IKEA is now doing a trial with a hundred students, who rent the furniture and return it after a few years. IKEA has built a circular model here on a small scale, still too expensive now, but soon applicable worldwide when it is worked out. That's how you build a sustainable economy. Jan Rotmans concludes positively: I am positive about our future, we are stubborn and need a crisis as a mirror, but we will embrace the chaos and come out better.

Links

This is Jan Rotmans

Jan Rotmans on Twitter about the episode of Zondag met Lubach about natural gas

Jan Rotmans wrote thirty books on sustainability, climate and transitions

Contact

Do you have questions or input? Please contact Wendy van Ierschot at wendy@viepeople.com.

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