Interview
Humans of WUR: Joes Bos
Who actually works or studies at Wageningen University & Research (WUR)? Read all about it in the series Humans of WUR.
This time we speak to Joes Bos, MSc Communication, Health and Life Sciences and employee at twenty-fifty.
“As a MSc student Communication, Health and Life Sciences, I’m interested in sustainable innovations. My BSc Environmental Sciences has provided me with a basis in technological knowledge about the environment. However, I realised that the societal debate around sustainability is at least as important as technological innovations. I think it’s crucial to start an open conversation in order to create new possibilities and move forward together.”
“My job at the organisation twenty-fifty gives me the opportunity to inspire organisations to address sustainability issues. Twenty-fifty is an organisation that employs young, motivated people to participate in the sustainability debate. It organises strategy sessions for organisations that want to break through unsustainable lock-ins by inviting new perspectives."
"Twenty-fifty members address a specific sustainability issue in a video, which is then viewed by representatives of an organisation. This is followed by a discussion about specific changes the viewer can make in their work life to address the issue. In this way, organisations may become more sustainable through open conversations with young twenty-fifty members.”
“In one video, we discussed questions on ensuring that future generations can keep enjoying the planet. At the end, we prompted the viewer by asking: what can you do to be a great ancestor?"
"Our video was then viewed by the municipality of Amsterdam. During the discussion, we identified a few important points regarding sustainability. Firstly, most individuals want to be a good ancestor. However, it’s difficult to make sustainability a collective activity because there’s no clear accountability structure. We then realised that a collective feeling can be created through traditions."
"Consequently, one of the goals that came out of our discussion was to set up a tradition or regional day focused on long-term thinking in Amsterdam. Hopefully this will ensure that future generations can still enjoy the beautiful city of Amsterdam for 500 years to come.”