The day begins with an immersive experience that lays the foundation for conversations about justice in transition. We are taken through a theatrical performance that asks the question: ‘What glasses do we wear, with what eyes do we look at the world? Do we see ourselves as part of nature? Or do we place ourselves outside it?’ And when we talk about ‘justice’: justice for whom?

Performance by Marjolijn Zwakman (Artist, including Onzekere Zaken and research group member Lectoraat Change Management, De Haagse Hogeschool) and Jiske van Oeffelt (Researcher Onboarding nature, research group member Lectoraat Change Management, De Haagse Hogeschool).

Collective responsibility

Injustice on Sneakers (NL) @speakers corner

Speakers: Annemarie Bergsma (55 minutes)

In this thought-provoking workshop, you will look at injustice in times of transition from a different perspective. You will explore how injustice is reinforced and how these insights can contribute to a fairer education system and society.

Future awareness and acting in the present (NL) @room OV287

Speakers: Ine Mols & Merlijn Koch (55 minutes)

Thinking about the future is essential in times of transition, but is often forgotten. This session will help you strengthen your future awareness in your teaching practice.

True Pricing (NL) @room OV291

Speakers: Evert Helfferich (25 minutes)

Discover how to reveal the hidden costs of products, such as environmental impact and social inequality. Learn how education can respond to this and contribute to fair and equitable pricing.

Creativity, design and art

Biomimicry Design Jam (ENG) @room Innovation Playground

Speakers: Dr. Laura Lee Stevens (85 minutes)

Be inspired by nature as a teacher. In this hands-on session, you will design solutions based on principles found in nature.

Rights for nature

Rights of the Beach – a roleplay (ENG) @Room: OV215

In this interactive workshop, you will explore the Rights of Nature by imagining Scheveningen Beach as a being now capable of voicing its own needs and ultimatums. Since being granted its rights, the beach has closed itself off from all humans and human activity.

Let’s GO for Rights of Nature – “onboarding” Nature as a next step (ENG)

Speakers: Nienke Blauw & Rolf Pronk (25 minutes)

The Green Office of the Open University is investigating how the rights of nature can be embedded in education and policy. In this interactive session, you will contribute to the idea of giving “nature” an official voice within the board – with a view to a broader movement in higher education.

Building bridges in classrooms

Equity in Action: facilitating Multi-stakeholder Co-creation for inclusive education (NL) @room OV143B Berlin

Speakers: Daphne Kuijlenburg (55 minutes)

Discover how to effectively facilitate co-creation in higher education and learn what role you play as a facilitator in the process. This workshop offers working methods, reflection tools and practical tips for embedding co-creation in the curriculum in a sustainable way.

 

Justice in the institution

Green skills in the digital world (NL) @room OV143A London

Speakers: Jan Schravesande (25 minutes)

Learn about the hidden environmental impact of digitisation and how technology can be used sustainably. You will get to work with practical tools for sustainable ICT in educational institutions.

Imagination as change, engaging theory behind Plant-Based Universities (ENG) @room Beijing

Speakers: David Shaw (85 minutes)

In this workshop, you will discover how imagination can contribute to sustainable change, with inspiring examples such as Plant-Based Universities – a global, student-led environmental campaign. You will explore theory, practice and reflection to shape your own vision of the future.

The lunch is mostly plant-based and has several vegetarian options.

INSPIRATION MARKET OVERVIEW 

Green Office THUAS

At their stand, Green Office THUAS invites you to explore past and ongoing sustainability initiatives through interactive games, eco-friendly giveaways, and stories of collaboration. Their goal is to inspire small lifestyle shifts and spark future partnerships.

Complementing the stand, their upcycled poster – a vibrant collage made from second-hand magazines – offers a creative interpretation of Justice in Transitions, highlighting themes like circularity, community, and greener futures.

Regenerative Books
Explore how education can become a force for regeneration at this stand featuring The Art of Regenerative Educatorship and De Draken in Mij. Meet authors Dr. Mieke Lopes Cardozo and Dr. Koen Wessels to discuss emotional resilience, sustainability, and transforming learning spaces. Through reflection and dialogue, this stand invites visitors to imagine more just and caring transitions in education and beyond.

Be inspired by: Rachel Carson The woman at the cradle of the global environmental movement
Discover the roots of the global environmental movement at VVM’s stand, where the story of Rachel Carson and her groundbreaking book Silent Spring comes to life. Join an interactive quiz for a chance to win a copy of the book and a free VVM membership, and learn how Carson’s legacy continues through the annual Rachel Carson Thesis Award. This stand invites you to reflect on environmental justice through the lens of history, activism, and academic impact.

Kleuranalyse en beelddenken, ken je kleuren en stijl

Wanneer je beter weet wat je topkleuren zijn en welke stijl je hebt, voorkom je miskopen.  Als onderdeel van personal branding presenteren we deze workshop vanuit het lectoraat sustainable business models onderdeel van Mission Zero en we verzorgen deze workshop ook graag bij jouw opleiding! 

Jobmbo

JOBmbo represents the voice of MBO students across the Netherlands, championing their rights and promoting quality education. At their stand, they’ll showcase their sustainability portfolio and share how MBO students are stepping up as changemakers. Join them to learn about student advocacy, future-focused education, and collaborative efforts towards a just and sustainable transition, like their partnership with Students for Tomorrow.

United Rising

Visit United Rising’s stand to explore how youth-led movements are reshaping governance for a more just and sustainable future. Learn about inclusive models that protect both people and planet, and discover how collective and individual action can drive fair resource management and environmental justice. This is a space to connect, be empowered, and rise together for equity and sustainability.

KlimaatGesprekken

Step into a space where climate action starts with dialogue. KlimaatGesprekken’s stand offers interactive games, practical tips, and emotional insight to help you engage in meaningful conversations about sustainability and justice. Experience a preview of their workshops and discover how everyday dialogue can drive real change toward a fairer, more sustainable world.

NEMO Science Museum – Project Planet Change – Young People as Agents of Change

Discover Planet Change, NEMO’s hands-on EU Erasmus+ project empowering young people and educators to tackle climate challenges using space technology. At their stand, explore ready-to-use classroom activities, experience interactive tools, and find inspiration to bring sustainability and Just Transitions into STEM education. Whether you’re a teacher or a student, you’ll leave with fresh ideas, free materials, and renewed energy for change.

Bloeifilm 

Bloeifilm is an activist film collective that uses emotion-driven storytelling to confront climate and social injustices. At their stand, you’ll learn about their evolving journey into education—including the upcoming Bloeifilm Academy—and explore how film, art, and activism can inspire young people and educators alike. Stop by to exchange ideas, explore collaborations, and discover how narrative can become a tool for transformation in education.

Milieudefensie & Fair Future Generators

Learn how you can take real action for climate justice with Milieudefensie’s Fair Future Generators program. This unique traineeship empowers young people (18–30) to work on local climate projects, gain practical experience, and receive training and coaching. Visit their stand to explore how education and activism can come together—through internships, minors, or extracurriculars—to build a fair and sustainable future.

Inner Development in (Sustainability) Transitions

This poster explores the often-overlooked inner journeys students undergo while working on sustainability and inclusion projects. Based on research from the International Communication Management programme, it highlights how reflection and fiction writing can support personal growth during complex transitions. Aimed at educators and staff, it offers insights into guiding students not just through academic goals, but through their emotional and professional development as changemakers.

Expo IDG HUB

The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) Hub presents a traveling exhibition which offers an interactive space for connection, inviting visitors to engage with the hub’s projects and reflect on their own roles in shaping education for sustainable futures. As both a research tool and meeting point, it gathers insights from participants while inspiring intrinsic motivation and local collaboration between education, research, and practice. Read more at  Launch ESC-IDG Hub: place for personal development in relation to societal transitions.

Sustainable City Development

Step into the future of urban design at this stand where you can help reimagine the public space around The Hague’s Hollands Spoor station using Virtual Reality. Their poster highlights how VR can make urban planning more inclusive and transparent, empowering residents to actively participate in shaping greener, safer, and more attractive cities. In collaboration with DataLab The Hague, Dutch VR, and leading research groups, this initiative brings just transitions to life—one city block at a time.

Gezondheid, Voeding & Sport (GVS)

AWAITING RESPONSE

Green Office Leiden University

AWAITING RESPONSE

 

The presentation of the Rachel Carson Thesis Award will take place again during Groene Peper this year! The Rachel Carson Thesis Award is the annual prize for the best HBO and WO thesis on a sustainable theme or environmental subject. This year marks the twentieth time the award is presented. The prize is an initiative of the VVM, the network of environmental professionals, and several environmental study associations. They aim to raise awareness about the environmental and sustainability research conducted by students.

The nominees of the Rachel Carson Thesis Award present their research. The VVM, the network of environmental professionals, aims to increase awareness of the research conducted by students in the field of environment and sustainability through this award.

Format of the Rachel Carson Thesis Award

Students or their thesis supervisors can submit their theses and graduation projects. Subsequently, a pre-selection committee for HBO (universities of applied sciences) and one for WO (academic universities) will review all submissions and determine which works will be nominated. The nominated theses will be evaluated by a panel of judges. The jury members are experienced environmental experts working in government, industry, higher education, and universities. The jury will select two winners: one from the HBO submissions and one from the WO submissions.

The award is named after the writer and ecologist Rachel Carson, who became known for her book ‘Silent Spring’ from 1962, one of the first books to address environmental issues centrally. The title refers to the spring of the apocalyptic year when the birds no longer sing because they have been eradicated due to the use of pesticides.

In addition to providing a platform at Groene Peper, VVM offers the winners the opportunity to publish an article in the professional journal ‘Tijdschrift Milieu’. This brings the student’s work to the attention of a broad network of environmental professionals. The winner will also receive a sculpture and a cash prize of up to € 500.

For more information, visit: https://www.vvm.info/afstudeerprijs

This year, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science organised another challenge for pupils and students to make their school and/or school environment more sustainable. Pupils and students submitted sustainable initiatives, such as organising an activity, project or student platform with sustainability as the central theme. Many great and inspiring ideas were received.

Today, the prizes will be awarded to the winning students of this challenge. In addition, they will tell about their sustainable initiative!

Collective responsibility

In search of a shared dream for a better world (NL) @room New York

Speaker: Niko Roorda (85 minutes)

In this workshop, you will explore shared values and dreams for the future. Through dialogue and imagination, you will discover how we can work together to steer the transition towards sustainability.

Voices of Change in the Climate Crisis (EN) @room Beijing

Speakers: Yasmine Rugarli & Szilvia Csevár (85 minutes)

This English-language workshop explores how intersectional thinking and storytelling can contribute to just climate solutions. You will learn how stories from marginalised groups can help break through dominant narratives and bring about real change.

Creativity, design and art

A CO₂ coupon booklet elaborated in art (ENG) @room OV143B Berlin

Speakers: Maaike de Loor, Marleen van Beek (55 minutes)

How do students react emotionally to a personal CO₂ budget as a climate measure? In this English-language workshop, you will experience through art and video how such a scenario can be discussed in education – and what it triggers.

Stories that Change the World (NL) @room OV289

Speakers: Jara van den Bosch, Finn van den Ijssel (25 minutes)

Discover how art and storytelling can spark social change. We will let you experience how stories can shift the narrative and add a deeper layer to education.

Rights for nature

Nature in Education for a Fair Society (ENG) @room: Outside

**This workshop takes place outside. We gather at the registration desk of Groene Peper. **

This workshop is in English, but participants can respond in Dutch.

Discover how you can learn with, from and through nature in this interactive session. Based on recent research into the principles of nature-inclusive education, we will work together to discover what nature-inclusive education is, explore how it contributes to a fair way of living together with each other and other life forms, and you will walk away with ideas on how to apply nature-inclusive education in your lessons in an accessible way that will energise you and your students.

Building bridges in classrooms

Sustainable Didactics: Eco-justice in the classroom (NL) @room OV215

Speakers: Rosa Groen & Dick van der Wateren, Roaslie van den Berg, Geert Gratama (85 minutes)

The authors of the book “Sustainable Education. Fair, Inclusive, Hopeful” will discuss the concepts of eco-justice and planetary citizenship.

Justice in the institution

Justice in food systems transformations: taking the next step (ENG) @room OV287

Speaker: Bram van Helvoirt (55 minutes)

Our food chains reinforce inequality and climate change. In this English-language session, you will explore how we can shape just food transitions worldwide.

The SustainaBul is the sustainability benchmark for universities of applied sciences and universities in the Netherlands.

Educational institutions are assessed on the basis of 11 questions based on the Whole School Approach, and the Groene Peper (Green Pepper) award is presented to the most sustainable educational institution (HBO/WO). With this benchmark, Studenten voor Morgen (Students for Tomorrow) calls for more sustainable education on behalf of more than 40 student organisations in the Netherlands. As a bonus, there is also a best practice award, this year in the category of pedagogy & didactics.

At the end of the day, we take time to quietly look back at what we have learned today. In this session, we reflect together on how we can understand and use today’s insights – both in our personal lives and in our work. We ask questions like: In our own situations, how do we deal with justice or injustice during change? What does this mean for us as teachers or facilitators?
What habits or ideas can we let go of? And instead, what do we consciously want to bring into our work? This moment is meant for deepening, reflection and exchange with each other. You are more than welcome to think along.