“Do collaborations with the fossil fuel industry contribute to accelerating the energy transition? Should knowledge institutions sever ties with companies that do not credibly contribute to climate action?” These are important questions. For individual researchers and students of TU Delft, for potential collaboration partners, but also for the planet, citizens worldwide, and future generations. Therefore, careful considerations must be made when addressing them.
To allow students and staff to contribute their thoughts on this matter, three different initiatives were conducted between November 2023 and May 2024: an online consultation, open dialogue sessions, and a moral deliberation chamber. The initiatives have now been concluded, and the results have led to four recommendations for the TU Delft Executive Board. On June 25, the Executive Board decided positively on the recommendations and the actions that accompany them.
The recommendations are briefly summarised below. The advisory report with the recommendations can be read here. Through the descriptions of the three initiatives below, the reports of each initiative can also be found.
Recommendations for collaboration
- Be transparent about collaboration
All three initiatives revealed a strong desire within TU Delft for openness about collaborations. This includes transparency about the collaborations themselves and the motivations behind them.
- Foster and strengthen an open dialogue culture
The dialogues and meetings of the moral deliberation chamber took place in an open atmosphere and demonstrated that it is possible to have a constructive, substantive conversation in such a setting. Participants expressed a need for more dialogue on this subject. The three initiatives, or variations thereof, can serve as useful tools in this regard.
- Set conditions for collaboration with the fossil fuel industry
The three initiatives revealed differing opinions on whether collaboration with the fossil fuel industry can help accelerate the energy transition. 76% of the participants in the consultation opted for a measure to set conditions for collaboration. There was no strong signal to immediately halt new collaborations or stop current ones.
- Define TU Delft's role in the energy transition
94% of participants believe that TU Delft has an important role to play in the energy transition. However, what exactly that role entails and how we should fulfil it is unclear. What is TU Delft's ambition, and what is its responsibility?
What next?
A core team comprising diverse roles and expertise will prioritise and coordinate concrete actions resulting from the four recommendations.
The recommendations should not be taken as a conclusive answer to the question if it is desirable to continue collaborating with the fossil fuel industry (and if so, under what conditions?). Instead, they outline a process in which the university and its community can form an opinion on such partnerships. We start from the current situation and find the best solution for the here and now. Change can be rapid. The proposed measures will therefore have to be evaluated and, if necessary, adjusted.