Professor Huntjes was named Lecturer of the Year in 2021 and is believed to be the first Dutchman ever to win the Nautilus Book Gold Award in the 23-year existence of this prize.  The message of his book 'Towards a Natural Social Contract', published in 2021, is that sustainability transitions cannot succeed without a different economy and a new social contract, with associated rights and obligations of care for the environment and the well-being of others, including future generations.

A different social contract is not only desirable from the point of view of sustainability, justice and equality, but it is also necessary to restore citizens' trust in politics, government, businesses and each other. Patrick's work shows that this is not only a desirable, but also an achievable and beckoning perspective.

Glowing reviews

Towards a Natural Social Contract has received very favourable reviews on international platforms such as Springerlink.  In the Netherlands,  economist Kees Klomp (Hogeschool van Rotterdam and THRIVE Institute) commented: "I read a lot - and many good books too - but I seldom read anything that I can identify with as much as Patrick's writing. Patrick never uses the term meaningful economy, but the whole book breathes meaningful economy."