Energy Transition through the Lens of Sustainable Development Goals
Fringe event organised by RPA ENLENS, as part of the IAS Festival
- Date
- 21 May 2026
- Time
- 14:00 -17:00
- Location
- Allard Pierson
This interactive session celebrates the results of the Energy Transition through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals (ENLENS), together with the success of the Future of Energy seminar. Bringing together expertise from six faculties, we highlight key findings across projects that address green finance, justice, energy policy, and global impacts, while reflecting on how this work contributes to progress across the 17 SDGs. Participants from the 24 projects will share main outcomes, challenges, and emerging insights, building a collective understanding of how ENLENS has contributed to a more sustainable energy future.
Speakers
Bob van der Zwaan
Bob van der Zwaan is Principal Scientist at TNO and Professor of Sustainable Energy Technology at the University of Amsterdam. He studies pathways to carbon neutrality and beyond, using interdisciplinary methods that span energy-systems modelling, low-carbon technology assessment, and policy analysis. His work integrates natural and social sciences to explore affordable, safe and secure energy futures.
About the organiser: ENLENS
ENLENS is a Research Priority Area (RPA) at the University of Amsterdam that connects researchers from six faculties to address the social, economic, technological, legal, and environmental dimensions of sustainable energy transitions. Together with the Future of Energy seminar, it promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, supports research-driven pathways toward the 17 SDGs, and contributes to advancing fair and effective energy futures.
Registration
Registration for this session will be available from February 1, 2026.
From 18 to 21 May 2026, the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Advanced Study celebrates its 10th anniversary with the IAS Festival: a week-long programme dedicated to reflection, exchange and forward-looking dialogue. The festival marks a decade of boundary-crossing interdisciplinary research while exploring the complex questions that will shape the years to come.
The programme includes the launch of a special anniversary publication "The Edge of Knowing", alongside a series of Future Challenges sessions that bring together leading thinkers from science, society, policy and the arts. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with urgent themes, transcending disciplinary boundaries and exploring new perspectives in lectures, discussions and interactive sessions.