Within Utrecht University’s strategic theme “Pathways to Sustainability” an interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed the impact-oriented research programme ‘Deep Decarbonization: Towards Industry with Negative Emissions’. In this programme, a broad group of researchers (Renewable Energy Systems, Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Climate Policies, Innovation Studies, Governance, Economics and Law) will be working together with an equally broad group from industry, government and civil society, to generate new concepts to support the radical transformation of industry needed for our society to meet the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.

How to achieve this transformation in the decades to come is the research challenge that this hub takes on. The key research question is: How can industry transform, and how can companies, government and other stakeholders act on their shared responsibility so that The Netherlands meets the Paris climate agreement?

The hub pursues three research lines to answer this overarching question:  

(1) Biofuels with Negative Emissions (BFNE)

(a) What are the current and future prospects for second-generation biofuel and negative emission technologies in the Netherlands? What are the corresponding scientific, technological and economic challenges? How will future technologies improve and maximize the sustainable use of biomass compared to current biofuels production, distribution, and consumption?

(b) What are plausible and sustainable future visions for the introduction, regulation and governance of second-generation biofuels in the Netherlands that may also require biomass in combination with CCS for negative emissions (BECCS)?

(c) What strategies can be implemented for responsible and sustainable innovation in this domain as part of a broad strategy of biomass use in the Netherlands to achieve the sustainable visions in line with the Dutch commitment to the Paris Agreement?

(2) Subsurface Resources for Negative Emissions (SRNE)

(a) What are the current and future capabilities for subsurface carbon trapping, energy storage and subsurface catalytic/chemical processing in the Netherlands, what are the corresponding economic, legal, and governance drivers, and how sustainable are current practices?

(b) What are plausible and sustainable future visions for such subsurface activities and their corresponding economic, legal, and governance drivers in the Netherlands (in line with the Paris climate agreement)?

(c) What strategies can be implemented for responsible and sustainable innovation, i.e., for transformative use of the subsurface for carbon trapping, energy storage and industrial processing to help achieve the Dutch commitment to the Paris Agreement?

(3) Industry in Transition (IiT)

(a) What is the current state of industry in the Netherlands regarding energy use and GHG emissions as well as economic, legal, and governance drivers?

(b) What are plausible and sustainable visions that sets the Dutch industry on a pathway to radically reduced and ultimately negative emissions based on implementation of existing as well as new technologies, including those explored under research lines (1) and (2). 

(c) What are the corresponding economic, legal, and governance drivers?

(d) What are strategies to transition the Dutch industry to achieve the sustainable visions in line with the Dutch commitment to the Paris agreement?

The position is part of research line 3. We invite applications from candidates whose previous research activities and publication record reflect a strong interest and/or proven expertise in conducting transdisciplinary research on investment in sustainability transitions in energy and industry. We look for candidates who are able to not only analyze, but are also able to generate actionable knowledge and inspiring perspectives that practitioners can use and apply in their sustainability transition efforts within industry.

The Postdoctoral Researcher will develop a small set of plausible sustainable and societally-acceptable investment visions for the Industry with Negative Emissions in the Netherlands. These visions specify and envision the investment conditions required to achieve that sustainable future state. These sustainability visions can then be compared and contrasted with non-intervention scenarios generated by established quantitative models, that model the industrial structure and energy system in the Netherlands. The preferred candidate for this position has a PhD in Finance or Economics with proven interest in energy transition and futuring. Knowledge of corporate finance, investment decision making and financial modeling is expected. Knowledge of energy systems modelling and scenario analysis is highly appreciated. The research will be quantitative and qualitative in nature. It is conducted in close collaboration with colleagues from different disciplines and stakeholders from industry, government and civil society to also communicate future scenarios and visions in more appealing, tangible and imaginative ways. Close collaboration with the other IiT Postdoctoral Researchers and hub participants is required in order to integrate the research findings for achieving the overall project objectives outlined above.

We offer a temporary position (0.8 - 1.0 FTE) for two years. We intend to extend the position to a period of 4 years, subject to a positive evaluation and the acquisition of external funding. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience  - ranges between €3,044 and €4,852 (scale 10/11 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 % per year. We offer a pension scheme, (partly paid) parental leave, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at: working at Utrecht University.

Utrecht University has been ranked first nationally in the 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities, and 47th globally. The city of Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a charming old city center and an internationally oriented culture that is strongly influenced by its centuries-old university. Utrecht city has been consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the Netherlands.

The Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance is a Faculty at the heart of our society, with a strong focus on social issues. Our subjects of Law, Economics and Governance give us a strong mix of academic disciplines that complement and enhance each other. This is a unique combination and a mark of our Faculty's strength.

Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) is part of the Law, Economics, and Governance Faculty of Utrecht University. U.S.E. promotes high quality economics research and teaching with a real-world perspective, requiring a multidisciplinary economics approach. In its research and teaching, U.S.E. crosses disciplinary borders by collaborating actively with the faculties of Law, Geography and Social Sciences and by participating in the university’s broad research themes, particularly in ''Institutions'' and ''Sustainability''.