Statement on collaboration with the fossil fuel industry: businesses must demonstrably commit to ‘Paris’
Leiden University will not enter into any new research partnerships with companies in the fossil fuel industry that are not intensively and demonstrably committed to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Current projects can, however, be completed.
An exception will only be made if projects clearly contribute to the energy transition. In this case, too, the necessity of collaborating with such a company will be assessed. Projects that do not contribute to the energy transition but are carried out with companies that do commit to the Paris climate goals will also be assessed.
This position, which has provisionally been elaborated on in a statement (see below), will be translated into new policy during this year. Only after the Executive Board has decided on this will the new rules enter into effect.
Making choices
‘We are pleased to be able to take this step’, says Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl. ‘This is a topic that many people within and outside the university care about deeply. We too realise that the climate and biodiversity crises are among the greatest challenges of our time. Something needs to happen to prevent the serious consequences of climate change and limit global warming. As a first step, we have made provided transparency on our website about our collaborations with the fossil fuel industry. We now want to take a second step. This statement will help us make choices: who do we want to collaborate with, and who do we not?’
The statement was drawn up by the Executive Board, following consultation with and input from the University Council, the student and staff participation body. It will be developed into an assessment or decision-making framework. The statement reads as follows:
- Leiden University will not enter into any new research partnerships with companies in the fossil fuel industry that are not intensively and demonstrably committed to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- Exceptions will be made only if a project clearly contributes to the energy transition. In this case, too, the necessity of collaborating with such a company will be assessed: a possible reason for cooperation could be, for example, because the company holds data that is essential for the research or knowledge that contributes in some other way to the energy transition.
- Projects that do not contribute to the energy transition but are carried out with companies that do commit to the Paris climate goals will also be assessed.
- Current projects that do not meet these conditions will be completed.
This statement may be made more stringent or be supplemented or amended in some other way if it becomes apparent that a contribution to the Paris Climate goals or the energy transition cannot adequately be demonstrated and/or if societal developments or cases encountered necessitate this.
Strong message
In doing so, the university wants to send a strong message to fossil fuel companies that are not meeting the Paris Climate goals. Exceptions can be made: for example, a project that is to be carried out with a company that does not align with the Paris climate goals may nonetheless be judged important for speeding up the energy transition. It must then be demonstrated that a more sustainable partner is not available.
‘By looking critically at companies’ performances, we want to avoid the possibility of research findings, besides their original goal, being used for greenwashing’, says Bijl. ‘We will also look critically at whether research projects carried out in collaboration with the fossil fuel industry will contribute to the envisaged goal. These could, for example, be projects of a much more fundamental nature where it is often unclear whether they really will contribute to the intended future transitions.’