Sustainability on a Budget

Date: 5th April 2023 Time: 15:45 Location: Blackbox, Esplanade building (Tilburg University)

Now that life is getting more expensive, it may seem as if you can only be sustainable when you have the money for it. How do you stay away from the idea that you’re never doing enough as an individual? Find out during this symposium. (English / SG-Certificate*)

Time: 15:45-17:45 hrs. Doors open at 15:30 hrs.
Admission is free.

Sustainability vs. personal limitations

When people think of sustainability, they often see it as an overarching societal challenge that requires big changes. When it comes to sustainable consumption, big steps have been made in the last decade. Sustainable clothing- and shoe brands are becoming more popular, buying second hand items (thrift shopping) has become a fun activity for many, and there are more sustainable household items on offer. All meant to motivate people to switch to sustainable lifestyle options. But one issue remains: switching to a more sustainable life still costs a lot more than the regular less sustainable alternative...

Sustainable behavior from different perspectives

Can we solve this issue? Are there ways in which we can stimulate people to be more sustainable, while still leaving room for their personal situation and limitations? During this symposium dr. Ellen Dreezens and dr. Etienne Lorang will reflect on these questions from different academic perspectives (Psychology & Economics). Climate mayor and psychologist Elisah Pals will explain how to conquer your doubts of not doing enough, by sharing her experiences in the Zero Waste Netherlands initiative that she founded. The symposium will be moderated by behavioral scientist Frans Folkvord.

Speakers

Etienne Lorang
Post-doctoral research fellow at Tilburg School of Economics and Management

Etienne Lorang holds a PhD in Environmental Economics from BETA (INRAE) and the Climate Economics Chair. His research focuses on the evaluation of interactions between human activity and natural environment when recycling is considered. He currently teaches the interdisciplinary course ‘Sustainable Consumption’ at Tilburg University. During his talk, Etienne will focus on why making sustainable choices in terms of consumption or investment is difficult, as we are faced with social preferences that can lead us to make wrong decisions and a short-term horizon.
Ellen Dreezens
Psychology Lecturer at University College Tilburg

Ellen Dreezens is a social psychologist and teaches at Tilburg University, where she uses her expertise in the field of psychology in different courses, such as entrepreneurship, and social innovation. Together with Ettienne, she currently teaches the interdisciplinary course ‘Sustainable Consumption’. She is an avid environmentalist herself. The topic of her talk is carnism; the idea that eating meat is part of a belief system. She will explain how belief systems affect the people who have them, how some belief systems are violent, and how they can be changed.
Elisah Pals
Founder Zero Waste Netherlands

Elisah Pals is a climate psychologist with a fascination for human behavior and how one can positively influence this. In 2018 she founded the citizens’ initiative Zero Waste Nederland, after living waste free for 2,5 years herself. Sharing tips and insights, using positive psychology, she inspires others to decrease their waste and non-sustainable consumption.
Frank Volkvord
Associate Professor at Tilburg School of Communication and Cognition

Frans Folkvord is a behavioral scientist and conducts research into human behavior in health, climate change and nutritional intake. He currently works at Tilburg University as an assistant professor and senior policy researcher for Open Evidence. He obtained his PhD (cum laude) in behavioral sciences at Radboud University Nijmegen in 2016. Frans has also been active as a sports psychologist since 2008.