Wageningen University & Research: Students invite Frans Timmermans to Wageningen Campus
European Commissioner Frans Timmermans will attend the Lets Talk Climate Policy symposium in Forum on Wednesday 7 December. The politician will be there at the invitation of three WUR students, who are organising the symposium for the Honnours programme.
During the event, Frans Timmermans will give feedback on students’ climate policy plans and answer questions from the audience. Lets Talk Climate Policy will be an interactive symposium with a ‘College Tour-like setting’, according to Gerline van Beusekom. She is organising the evening together with fellow students Eva van der Wolf and Floris Helmendach.
Bringing students together
The aim of the symposium is to discuss climate policy challenges but, according to Van Beusekom, the aim is also to bring students, who she says are often far removed from politics, closer together. “It is so easy to criticise policies, but we want to make people realize that it is not all that simple.” Not only students are welcome, WUR staff and others can also attend the evening. Van Beusekom: “We hope to engage with a wide audience.”
Energy, activism and nutrition
During the evening, three other Honnours students will hold pitches for policy plans on three themes: energy, activism and nutrition. The pros and cons and impact will be discussed. Van Beusekom: “In terms of food, for example, the Netherlands is a great export country. There are many family businesses, you want to keep them but we also have to make cuts. What is fair, what is just? That’s what we want to talk about in an open conversation.”
Frans Timmermans will give feedback on the plans after each pitch. In between, he answers questions from the audience. People can send in their question in advance when they register, according to Van Beusekom, to make sure people think about what they want to ask. During the evening itself, attendees can then stand up and ask their question to Timmermans. Furthermore, during the event, PhD student Max van Deursen will present how to actually make climate policy.
Pleasantly surprised
According to Van Beusekom, the students were pleasantly surprised that Timmermans accepted their invitation. “He is incredibly busy. He is only there for an hour and also has to leave immediately after the event.” The students had a list of alternative guests for if the Eurocommissioner had declined. “Then we would have asked Marjan Minnesma from Urgenda or Diederik Samsom, or perhaps someone with a totally different perspective, such as a top executive from Shell or Unilever.”
As euro commissioner, Timmermans’ responsibilities include activities around the European Green Deal and developing a biodiversity strategy.