Skip to content

Universities & fossil fuel industry

The Dutch university: protector of academic freedom or the fossil lobby?

Unique interactive report reveals nature and extent of fossil fuel industry influence in Dutch higher education Ties between the fossil fuel industry and Dutch universities threaten academic freedom and support the fossil lobby, according to a three-year investigation of the Dutch Mapping Fossil Ties Coalition based on FOI documents and decentralised research. The Mapping Fossil Ties Coalition presents the 68… Read More »The Dutch university: protector of academic freedom or the fossil lobby?

UK workshops: Let’s investigate your university’s fossil ties together!

How deep are the fossil fuel industryā€™s roots in UK universities? Amid a growing movement for academic transparency and accountability, Solid Sustainability Research is inviting students and staff across the UK to find out and take part in an international research effort. ~~~ UPDATE: due to popular demand we will run an online session, 6pm until 8pm on Thursday 27th… Read More »UK workshops: Let’s investigate your university’s fossil ties together!

Webinar: What is the fossil fuel industry doing at my university?

šŸŽ“ Learn how academia is used to delay and distort climate action and policy šŸ” Get involved with mapping fossil ties of your university with Solid Sustainability Research & Climate Accountability Lab (University of Miami) āœŠšŸ½ Get active in the campaigns and actions of People and Planet and the Education Climate Coalition to counter the industryā€™s influence Pick the day… Read More »Webinar: What is the fossil fuel industry doing at my university?

Academic Complicity web portals expands to Germany and France

After a Dutch and a Belgian version, a German and French database were added, showing academic ties to Israeli occupation and human rights violations. The platform was created with support from Solid Sustainability Research and Stop Wapenhandel, and reveals numerous European academic relationships with Israeli companies, universities and government agencies, a significant number of which are connected to the Israeli… Read More »Academic Complicity web portals expands to Germany and France

Academic Collaborations and Public Health: Lessons from Dutch Universities’ Tobacco Industry Partnerships for Fossil Fuel Ties

Weā€™re excited to share our new publication with researchers from Universiteit Leiden, which explores the shifting attitude towards academic collaborations between universities and the tobacco industry in the Netherlandsā€”and the lessons it offers for current discussions about fossil fuel ties. Our study reveals that despite the widespread view that collaborations with the tobacco industry are ā€˜not doneā€™, there is still… Read More »Academic Collaborations and Public Health: Lessons from Dutch Universities’ Tobacco Industry Partnerships for Fossil Fuel Ties

Evaluating academic collaborations with fossil fuel industry: criteria & risk assessment

Building on our research and insights from ongoing discussions about university partnerships with the fossil fuel industry, we, alongside Guus Dix (University of Twente) and Gerrit Schaafsma (Leiden University), have developed a document (see also below) designed for university commissions tasked with evaluating potential collaborations with the fossil fuel sector. This document (first version: September 2024, latest version: April 2025)… Read More »Evaluating academic collaborations with fossil fuel industry: criteria & risk assessment

Webportal of ties between Belgian universities and IsraelĀ 

The book “Towers of Ivory and Steel” by Dr. Maya Wind, detailing Israeli universities’ complicity in human rights violations against Palestinians & occupation of Palestinian land, has led to increasing scrutiny of European universities’ ties with Israeli universities. https://www.mayaywind.com/book The Universiteit Gent has taken the decision to discontinue partnerships with Israeli universities, and certain companies, given their involvement in human… Read More »Webportal of ties between Belgian universities and IsraelĀ 

Utrecht University: collaboration with BP does not conflict with our climate goals

September 2, 2024 – Higher Education Press Agency (Olmo Linthorst) Utrecht University had pledged not to collaborate with the fossil fuel industry. However, a Utrecht professor is doing so again, raising eyebrows: Is the university ignoring its own rules? This article appeared in several university magazines, we contributed content to it based on our research. “It seems that the university… Read More »Utrecht University: collaboration with BP does not conflict with our climate goals

New website with overview of ties between Dutch universities and IsraelĀ 

Joint press release by European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Stop Arms Trade, Solid Sustainability Research and The Rights Forum ā€“ Amsterdam, 7 June 2024 Relations with Israelā€™s military-industrial complex and Israeli human rights violations underline demands from actions at universities Today, civil society organisations Stop Arms Trade, European Legal Support Center (ELSC) and Solid Sustainability Research published the new website www.academiccomplicity.nl,… Read More »New website with overview of ties between Dutch universities and IsraelĀ 

How do cooperations with fossil fuel companies influence the direction of research at universities?

In a freedom of information request to Maastricht University, we received an exchange of letters between the university and aramco. We wrote about it here in ScienceGuide. A representative of the university offers Aramco the choice of 4 proposals to fund (of which 3 were proposals for externally funded professorships). One of them was about urban de-growth (specifically relevant to… Read More »How do cooperations with fossil fuel companies influence the direction of research at universities?