Fireplace Talk on Environmental Policy and Regulation
This was the third Fireplace Talks on the 30th Anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty, organised by UM Campus Brussels. The talks zoomed in on the policy fields laid out by the Maastricht Treaty specifically on Environmental Policy and Regulation.
Our guest speakers for the talk were Maastricht University Professor and Dean of the University College Venlo, Dr. Pim Martens, and the Executive Director of the Greenpeace European Unit, Jorgo Riss.
The event was moderated by the Director of UM Campus Brussels, Prof. Mariolina Eliantonio and the Associate Director, Assistant Prof. Paul Stephenson.
Guest Speakers
Prof. Dr. Pim Martens
Pim Martens has a PhD in applied mathematics and biological sciences. He is professor of Sustainable Development and dean of Maastricht University College, Campus Venlo.
Prof. Martens is the project leader and principal investigator of several projects related to sustainability science and education, in the context of human-animal-nature relationships, and environmental (climate) change and health.
Pim Martens is a scientivist and founder of AnimalWise, a “think and do tank” integrating scientific knowledge and animal advocacy to bring about sustainable change in our relationship with animals.
Furthermore, he serves as a member of the The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) Planetary Health committee, as a member of the Advisory Board of the Life Science Zürich Graduate School (ETH Zürich ), the Advisory Board of the Natural Resources Institute in Finland, and the Executive Board House of Animals. For 9 years, he has been the director of the International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable development (ICIS), Maastricht University, and was member of the Dutch Health Council. He was the founding Director of the Maastricht University Graduate School of Sustainability Science (MUST), and initiated the M.Sc. program Sustainability Science and Policy.
Jorgo Riss
Jorgo Riss has been the Director of Greenpeace European Unit since 2003. Jorgo and his team analyse the work of the EU institutions, expose deficient policies and laws, and challenge decision-makers to implement progressive solutions in such areas as climate change, energy, forests, trade, chemicals and sustainable agriculture. The European Unit works closely with the Greenpeace Research Laboratories, based at the University of Exeter (UK), which provide scientific advice and analytical support.
Jorgo is a co-founder and a member of the steering committee of the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation in the EU (ALTER-EU), a coalition of over 200 public interest groups and trade unions concerned with the overwhelming influence of corporate lobbyists on the political agenda in Europe, the resulting loss of democracy in EU decision-making, and the weakening or obstruction of social, environmental and consumer-protection reforms.
Jorgo represents Greenpeace in the Green 10, a coalition of ten of the largest environmental organisations and networks active at the European level, which works to ensure that the European Union protects the climate, the local environment, biodiversity and human health within and beyond its borders.
Jorgo has a master’s degree in political science, and worked as a journalist and academic before joining Greenpeace. Greenpeace is present in 55 countries worldwide and is funded by about 3 million individual supporters.