Overview
- Urgenda announced the death of Marjan Minnesma and opened a public condolence register while saying the organisation will continue the mission she led.
- Minnesma co-founded Urgenda in 2007 and built the small foundation into a campaigner for a circular economy powered by sustainable energy and green raw materials.
- Under Minnesma Urgenda brought the landmark climate case that led the Dutch Supreme Court to require the state to cut emissions by at least 25 percent relative to 1990 for 2020, a ruling that has inspired further lawsuits internationally.
- Minnesma kept a cancer diagnosis private and continued working as long as possible, and she was awarded the 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in the climate case and policy work.
- Hanneke van Ormondt will take over leadership at Urgenda and the organisation says its compact team will sustain Minnesma’s campaigns such as the Day of Sustainability and ongoing legal and policy efforts.