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Moratorium on research with Shell

Published on 09-02-2023 10:55
The UvA will not enter into research collaborations with Shell or similar companies for the time being. A discussion with students and staff needs to be concluded first, according to the Executive Board. In recent weeks, demonstrations against links between universities and the fossil fuel industry have been held at various universities.
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Moratorium 

The UvA is part of four projects in which Shell is also one of the parties involved. These are research studies aimed at clean energy, better analysis methods or a better environment. Critics regard Shell's input as greenwashing and believe that all ties with polluting companies should be severed, including when it comes to 'green' research. Others believe that this research is a valuable contribution to the energy transition.

The question is how and with whom to collaborate. A UvA-wide discussion on this will be organised in the coming period, and as many students and staff as possible will be involved. The Executive Board has now decided that no more research will be started with the support of fossil fuel companies until this discussion has been completed and agreements have been made within the UvA.

What does the UvA not do?

The UvA does not work on research that contributes to the exploration or production of fossil fuel energy. We do not receive money from the fossil fuel industry for scientific conferences, for travel by scientists or for grants. We do not have chairs that are paid for by the fossil fuel industry. The UvA's research agenda focuses on the transition to sustainable energy.

What does the UvA do?

The UvA contributes to the energy transition through its research, education and business operations. Visit uva.nl for information about our objectives in terms of sustainable operationsExternal link and to find out more about our research on sustainabilityExternal link. The UvA conducts a lot of research in this area: from sustainable chemistryExternal link to green life sciencesExternal link, and from the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem DynamicsExternal link to energy transitions through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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