About Us
The UvA Green Office is a student-run sustainability platform striving to make the University of Amsterdam a greener place. Established in 2016, the Green Office has continuously increased its output of policy recommendations and projects to accelerate the sustainable transition at the UvA.
We follow an intersectional approach to sustainability that aims to respect the boundaries of our planet without compromising social needs. The UvA Green Office is a student-run sustainability platform striving to make the University of Amsterdam a greener place. Established in 2016, we are an institutionally-supported entity tasked with advancing UvA’s sustainability ambitions throughout education, research, operations, policy, and community.
Our Vision
Our overall mission is to guide the University of Amsterdam towards social and environmental sustainability.
We aim to guide the University of Amsterdam towards staying sharp on its sustainability targets, while continually supporting activities related to awareness-raising and fostering a community of motivated students from all disciplines with an interest in sustainability.
As the only student-run sustainability initiative at the UvA, the GO must respect the pioneering, curious, and critical spirits of students. We use our core team and dedicated members to channel the efforts of students, staff, and partner organisations to influence policy at the university and wider Amsterdam community.
Our Framework
What is critical sustainability? Essentially, it is a frame of reference to sustainability that presumes the primacy of ecological integrity over capital accumulation. It waves into the concept of sustainability the commitment to tackle structural inequalities, moving away from a capital-wrapped, anthropocentric, and neo-colonial way of pushing for a more sustainable world.
This, as one of our main goals, confronts uncritical understandings of sustainability and delineates the main principles that the GO 2025-2026 will strive to work towards.
How will it do so? By mainly creating spaces where the mechanisms of knowledge production and ecological action can be questioned and by centering the voices, actions, and struggles of those most marginalized by climate destruction.
We align ourselves with two key documents: The UvA Diversity Commission Report and the policy White Paper. Firstly, the Diversity Report addresses our responsibility to the staff and students of our university with regards to equality and social justice. Our minimum mandate to work towards sustainability is addressed in the White Paper, while also striving for a more ambitious agenda than framed in the White Paper through critical approaches, innovation and student engagement in the university.
We support the efforts of Circular Amsterdam, the municipality’s mission to make Amsterdam a circular city. We recognise their 3 value chains of: Built Environment, Food and Organic Waste, and Consumer Goods. As part of Amsterdam’s largest university, we recognise the importance of our commitment to these city goals. However, our action is not limited to these three value chains.
Our Teams
The UvA Green Office consists of four different teams. Each team, which consists of one team leader and 5-10 voluntary members, has its own focus and addresses a different aspect of sustainability within the University of Amsterdam. One general managers oversee the four teams and constitute the link to the central UvA staff and partners. Click on a team to learn more about what they do and what their responsibilities are as part of our office!
Research &
Education
The R&E team works on interdisciplinary collaboration, educational material, and sustainability-related research projects. We are currently working on building a sustainable research community to foster an interconnected approach to Green research at the University of Amsterdam .
Events &
Community
Establishing an interdisciplinary community with a shared passion for sustainability is crucial for the GO. The E&C Team provides opportunities for community building that connects students across faculties, and encourages hands-on engagement with sustainability through diverse events and workshops.
Our Projects
Policy change, critical sustainability lectures or monthly volunteer events: With numerous projects, the UvA Green Office works hard to engage students and make long-lasting change. Read our semi-annual reports to find out more about what we do, or get an overview of our projects and platforms here. Do you want to become actively involved yourself? Have a look at our join us page.
