This thesis, "The EV Shock Doctrine: China’s Competitive Leap and the Future of German Automaking," investigates the critical challenge facing Germany’s automotive industry: the consistent undercutting of German-manufactured electric vehicles (EVs) by the Chinese counterparts in European and Chinese markets. This phenomenon is not merely a matter of competitive pricing, but it represent a profound structural shift with far-reaching implications for EV adoption, industry strategy, policy, and for the livelihoods of over 700,000 domestic workers in Germany automotive sector.....

This thesis investigates the interplay between privacy and safety within the context of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) practices in the Dutch banking sector. As financial institutions face increasing pressure to detect and report Financial Economic Crime (FEC), the demand for advanced surveillance techniques such as: Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven monitoring, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and cross-bank data sharing, has grown. However, these innovations face barriers in their implementation due to concerns regarding financial privacy and data protection. By conducting a structural privacy assessment, this research identifies and categorizes the specific privacy harms that emerge from transaction monitoring. It analyses the tensions between key legal frameworks, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Dutch AML/CFT law (Wwft) and the recently introduced EU Anti Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), highlighting the regulatory ambiguities and ethical dilemmas they present. Using expert interviews and a conceptual privacy framework grounded in academic theory, the study evaluates the proportionality of privacy and safety trade-offs. The key message of this thesis is that successful AML/CFT will remain politically and technically fragile until banks, regulators and developers adopt a structured, continuously-revised understanding of privacy harms and use that lens to decide which monitoring practices, data-sharing schemes and analytic tools are ethically and legally proportionate. The thesis therefore supplies both an analytic privacy framework tailored to transaction monitoring and a map of the legal, technical and governance tensions that must be resolved before developments such as AI, data-sharing and PPPs can be deployed responsibly. Keywords: Privacy, Anti-Money Laundering, Counter Terrorism Financing, GDPR, Data-sharing, PublicPrivate Partnership, Artificial Intelligence

The European Union faces a significant challenge: energy use and production are responsible for over 75% of greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, there is a need for a shift towards decarbonising the energy grid, including innovative solutions. This research project focuses on the business park Uitgeest-Noord, located in the Netherlands. Uitgeest-Noord serves as a testing ground for a decentralised energy system that optimises energy components (solar and storage) to mitigate local-scale grid congestion. Therefore, the main research question is: Can the ideal configuration of a decentralised energy system (DES) be effectively designed to avoid local grid congestion and support capacity planning during the electrification of the Business Park Uitgeest-Noord?
To address the main research question, the thesis employs a structured methodology that includes four steps: I) theoretical context analysis, II) data collection, III) linear programming optimisation modelling, and IV) result analysis. The third step includes building a linear programming optimisation modelling setup specific to Uitgeest-Noord, with a primary objective to optimise for monetary and emissions cost classes. By running different scenarios to assess potential configurations, and analysing the results using a cview dashboard.
Key findings indicate, among other things, that integrating PV panels, EV charging infrastructure, and heat pumps without a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) leads to significant PV curtailment and occasional grid congestion. In addition, adding BESS reduces PV curtailment and reliance on external grid supply, optimising renewable energy use. The ability to export stored electricity for revenue shows financial benefits but also highlights potential grid stress. Furthermore, battery size and PV capacity are closely linked, with cost constraints significantly impacting the system's configuration.
BESS plays a critical role in managing grid congestion and optimising renewable energy use. Flexible and scalable energy systems are essential for adapting to varying demand patterns and seasonal changes in energy generation. Therefore, accurate data collection and realistic assumptions are crucial for reliable modelling outcomes. The economic viability of different configurations is a key factor, with the model displaying that strategic use of storage and dynamic pricing can optimise financial performance.
In conclusion, this thesis project has effectively designed the ideal DES configuration for Uitgeest- Noord via a linear programming optimisation model, contributing to preventing grid congestion and supporting capacity planning. This thesis provides valuable insights into the benefits of DES and the importance of storage solutions, flexible system design, accurate data, and economic and emissions considerations. The academic value of this thesis lies in its energy modelling setup, which enables different modelling scenarios and improves performance through iterative analysis, all in a simulated environment. The reproducibility of this modelling approach makes it applicable to other case studies, advancing the understanding and practical implementation of DES in various contexts.

The perspective of politicians and academia on military expenditure and its economic consequences is too often viewed from a short-term perspective and neglect the longer-term. Rising global turmoil has revealed this fragile thinking in many European countries, demonstrating that economic power is insufficient to protect their fundamental values and that it also requires military capacity (which declined significantly after the end of the Cold War). This study examines the economic consequences of military expenditure from the political, economic and military domains, focusing on Germany and the Netherlands. To determine the economic consequences, economists commonly refer to the fiscal multiplier. This study concludes that the fiscal multiplier can be used purely as a theoretical concept. Measurable data are insufficient to capture short- and long-term effects on the economy. The intangible part looks at components of economic consequences in a broader view, covering hybrid warfare, the role of climate, innovation, as well as the role of the free market, cooperation and dependency. This reveals that military expenditure is of greater importance than measurability suggests. A novum modus operandi takes a step towards a new perspective on the economic consequences of military expenditure. Herein, themes on uncertainty, unpredictability, asymmetry, efficiency and non-linearity are explored (such as whether NATO and the EU are too big).

In a biomechanical engineering study, a pressure-activated, colour-changing, and flexible material has been developed, stemming from an initial problem application. However, a technical innovation can transcend its original intent, thereby gaining value for engineers or technical managers. The problem is that there is a lack of guidance in retrieving alternative applications, and research into such problem-finding methods is scarce and dispersed across various groups. Through an innovative approach to the literature review, valuable tools and techniques have been identified within relevant articles, categorisable into qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid approaches. These approaches are delineated across four conceived steps: (1) Define the technological characteristics, (2) Generalise the function of the technology, (3) Link the generalised functions to abstract problem applications, and (4) Choose an application. Furthermore, connections have been established among the different approaches, enabling multiple paths for executing these four steps. This research presents the design of a framework that showcases multiple problem-finding processes suited to different situations. The qualitative component of this framework has been validated by implementing these steps for the pressure-activated, colour-changing and flexible material and retrieving its initial purpose and other feasible and innovative applications.

This research examines the resilience of the water sector after a societal collapse, defined by a significant loss of societal complexity. Through Exploratory Modeling and Analysis, this research evaluates how interconnected infrastructures respond to cascading failures caused by disruptions resulting from a societal collapse. The investigation centers on the interdependencies within the water sector, crucial for its function to abstract, treat, store, and distribute water. The model makes use of disruption curves affecting a network of interdependent components to simulate cascading failures, factoring in variables such as population change and contamination rates.

The research makes use of expert interviews and economic Input-Output tables to devise the dependency matrix, finding that accurate representation of dependencies is critical for meaningful results. The model allows for adaptation strategies, specific to the dependencies of a sector, which demonstrates potential improvements in water sector performance and suggests that adaptive methods may be more effective and less costly than redundancies.

While the model simplifies complex interactions and cannot fully encapsulate the breadth of societal collapse effects, it sheds light on the importance of dynamic dependencies and offers a framework for future studies. These could include integrating more intricate domain-specific models to refine the responses of sectors to disruptions and reduced input. The findings highlight the significance of adaptation as a means to enhance the water sector's resilience.

The irreversible effects of climate change have led to a significant increase in citizen-led and initiated local energy cooperatives. Playing a crucial role in the shift to renewable energy, these cooperatives are evolving from informal community groups to structured organisations. Their success relies on co-creation, a collaborative process in which stakeholders and citizens join forces to improve efficient decision-making, build trust and promote shared responsibility. This leads to creating effective solutions and achieving collective goals across projects and sectors.

This thesis examines the role of co-creation in local energy cooperatives and highlights its importance in promoting sustainable energy practices and empowering citizens. It focuses on investigating co-creation within the energy cooperatives of the Metropolitan Region Rotterdam The Hague (MRDH) and connects theoretical concepts with practical applications in energy transition. The central research question is: ”In what ways does co-creation manifest within local energy cooperatives in the Metropolitan Region Rotterdam The Hague?”

A literature review was conducted using the PRISMA method and snowball technique to understand the academic perspectives of co-creation, especially in energy transition. This helped identify the scope of the thesis and gaps in current academic knowledge. The thesis contains two theoretical frameworks. The first, from Puerari et al. (2018), examines the dynamics of co-creation in local communities and identifies five key elements: intended purpose, process type, ownership, motivations and incentives, and spaces and places. This research applied these elements to understand co-creation in MRDH’s local energy cooperatives through qualitative case study analysis. The analysis reveals the cooperatives’ commitment to fossil-free energy and their encouragement of citizen participation through a mix of formal and informal methods, addressing different motivations and adopting a shared ownership model to promote community involvement.

The second framework consists of six criteria that define co-creation activities. These criteria are developed in this study, and derived from academic literature. These criteria include shared goals, active participation, equality and inclusiveness, iterative processes, value creation and mutual learning. Subsequently, the study used these criteria to evaluate the activities of energy cooperatives and assess their alignment with the concept of co-creation. Through interviews and observations, four key cooperative activities were identified: advisory services, information generation, renewable energy production and stakeholder engagement. While these activities meet the criteria for co-creation, there are opportunities for improvement in almost all areas of co-creation to fully realise the potential of these activities.

The findings suggest that cooperatives should organise regular stakeholder discussions, introduce paid functions, make more effective use of physical spaces, promote diversity and develop digital platforms for knowledge sharing. Policymakers can support these cooperatives by recognising their contributions, encouraging professional development and encouraging flexibility and innovation. Future research recommendations address the limitations of this study such as regional focus, time constraints and possible subjectivity of the qualitative method. Suggestions include expanding the geographical scope, involving a wider range of stakeholders, using mixed methods and testing the recommended strategies in different contexts.

In summary, this research is an important step in understanding co-creation manifestation within local energy cooperatives. It suggests strategies through which these cooperatives, in collaboration with policymakers, can effectively contribute to environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation.

As global temperatures rise, the need for sustainability becomes more urgent. Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and other CO2 emitting energy sources is critical, making a shift to renewable alternatives such as offshore wind power essential. This study examines offshore wind farms in the North Sea, an area that presents both significant opportunities and challenges for a wide range of stakeholders. While the potential benefits are clear, the development of offshore wind farms is a complex undertaking and companies are continuously working on innovative solutions to improve their implementation. In particular, this thesis focuses on curtailment of offshore wind farms in the North Sea.

Curtailment means halting the operation of offshore wind turbines entirely or reducing the speed to a maximum of two rotations per minute. Curtailment is initiated when negative energy prices occur. Initially, it may appear that negative energy prices are not a significant issue. However, they are generally disadvantageous to consumers due to their disruptive effect on market balance. Furthermore, curtailment is initiated for the sake of grid stability. When there is a surplus of energy, grid instability occurs. This should be prevented to prevent power outages. Most importantly, when curtailment is initiated, bird mortalities are prevented. When offshore wind turbines halt their operation entirely or reduce the speed to a maximum of two rotations per minute, birds do not collide with offshore wind turbine blades, therefore preventing bird mortalities.

Curtailment in the Netherlands is initiated during nights of migration periods in Autumn and Spring, when a threshold of 500 birds per kilometre per hour are migrating. The way this works is that virtual kilometres are studied using bird radars, when 500 birds or more cross this virtual line in an hour, this implies mass migration. There is a downside of curtailing for the sake of offshore wind farms for the sake of preventing bird mortalities. If energy demand is not met due to the absence of the wind energy because of curtailment, gas-fired power plants are compensating this loss of energy. The gas-fired power plants use natural gas to produce energy. Gas fired power plants consequently emit CO2. This implies that the Netherlands is willing to prevent bird mortalities while emitting CO2. This raises the following ethical issue and main research question: When, if ever, is curtailment ethically acceptable in offshore wind farms in the North Sea?

To answer this ethical research question, different ethical approached are studied, two in particular, consequentialism and non-consequentialism. Utilitarianism is derived from consequentialism, which is an ethical theory that focuses on the consequences of the actions taken. Non-consequentialism theories, in which the consequences of the actions taken are not all that matters, but places greater emphasis on the actions taken than on the consequences of those actions. In the field of ethics, it is not possible to satisfy both consequentialist and
non-consequentialist perspectives simultaneously. Consequently, a choice must be made between the two. This thesis accepts a consequentialist approach and therefore rejects the non-consequentialist approach. The primary reason for this choice is that, according to consequentialist theories, there is a greater moral obligation to prevent suffering than according to non-consequentialist theories.

The consequences of curtailment for the sake of preventing bird mortalities is emitting CO2. Emitting CO2 affects both the environment and humans. This thesis focuses mainly on the consequences of these additional CO2 emissions for humans. In this thesis the framework of Disability-adjusted Life Years (DALYs) is used. One DALY is the equivalent of one healthy year of a person’s life lost. DALYs consist of Years of Life Lost (YLLs) and Years Lived with a Disability (YLD). Additional CO2 emissions result in DALYs of human beings. In other words, by preventing bird mortalities the Netherlands are willing to emit CO2, which eventually leads to the loss of a human life.

To derive exact amounts, a hypothetical curtailment scenario is assessed. The hypothetical curtailment scenario uses the offshore wind farm ‘Borssele’, real-life data and secondary data to derive exact amounts of the consequences of curtailment. Exact amounts include bird migration fluxes, number of bird mortalities prevented, amount of additional tons of CO2 emissions, the monetary costs of additional tons of CO2, the amount of DALYs per emitted ton of CO2, the cost of one DALY, the amount of DALYs per hypothetical curtailment scenario and
the amount of curtailment scenarios lead to the loss of one entire human life.

The offshore wind farm Borselle, with its 173 offshore wind turbines, are tested using three bird migration fluxes: the current threshold of 500 birds kilometre per hour, twice the threshold namely 1,000 birds kilometre per hour, and real-life data from the night of October 19/20 2022 of 1,386 birds kilometre per hour. The conclusion of these different bird migration fluxes is that for the bird migration flux of 500 birds per kilometre per hour, one human life is lost while 7,110 bird mortalities are prevented. For the bird migration flux of 1,000 birds per kilometre per hour, one human life is lost while 14,220 bird mortalities are prevented. And for the real-life data bird migration flux of 1,386 birds per kilometre per hour, one human life is lost while 19,710 bird mortalities are prevented. One human life is lost due to the fact that additional CO2 emissions result in DALYs.

The question arises why or why not, people ought to be indifferent between a number of bird lives and one human life, thus a trolley problem arises. A trolley problem is an ethical thought experiment in which a decision must be made regarding the trajectory of a trolley on either Track A or Track B. The decision is made by pulling a lever, which determines the path of the trolley. In a trolley problem, individuals, animals, or other entities are situated on both tracks. The individuals, animals, or other entities on the track the trolley is headed to are killed,
whereas those on the other track are spared. This means that in this trolley problem, people ought to choose between a human life, or a number of bird lives, depending on the threshold of the bird migration flux.

If the objective is to preserve human life, the curtailment of offshore wind farms is never justified when additional CO2 is required to meet energy demand. Indeed, this would imply that saving any animal, even if it entails the emission of the slightest amount of CO2 emissions, would be considered ethically unjustifiable. Consequently, animal-friendly facilities such as wildlife crossings, artificial birdhouses, bee hotels or fencing for wildlife protection are deemed unjustifiable as manufacturing facilities, given that such facilities emit CO2 as a by-product of their production process.

Another framework used to determine whether or not to be indifferent between the life of a human being and a number of animals, is welfare ranges. The ‘Moral Weight Project’ obtained welfare ranges for 11 farmed animal species. A welfare range is a spectrum in which a human or an animal can feel pleasures and pains. Assuming that welfare is not exclusively important for humans but rather for all entities, it can be determined how much welfare an exact number of animals could achieve compared to one human being. The framework of the Moral Weight Project ought people to be indifferent between one human being and 19 birds. This would imply that the threshold of the bird migration flux ought to be decreased to 1.4 birds per kilometre per hour. If this is the right course of action, the Netherlands ought to curtail every single night during Autumn and Spring. This view is rejected in this thesis as this implies that offshore wind farms ought to curtail at a very low threshold.

Another way to determine welfare ranges for birds is by looking at the number of neurons in bird’s brains compared to neurons of a human being. A reason to use neurons to derive a welfare range is as more neurons in a brain means greater cognitive capacity, meaning that a certain number of neurons is needed in order to be capable of complex thinking. Comparing the number of neurons of birds to the number of neurons humans have, lowers the welfare range for birds significantly compared to the Moral Weight Project. This changes the indifference ratio of one human being and 19 birds, to one human being and 3,019 birds.

It should be acknowledged that, given the ethical focus of this thesis, some readers may not agree with the theories and assumptions presented. In this study, certain assumptions will be made, although people may have alternative perspectives. This report does not aim to provide a comprehensive response to the assumptions. Although some theories and assumptions will be subjected to criticism, in certain instances, the assumptions made are the most probable estimates, given the inherent uncertainties.

The energy transition is a fundamental shift in the world’s energy landscape, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to a more sustainable, low-carbon energy system. This transition is closely aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the landmark international treaty adopted in 2015, which seeks to limit global warming, with an aspirational target of limiting it to 1.5 degrees celsius. The European Union has been a key player in both the development of the Paris Agreement and its implementation, demonstrating its commitment to combating climate change. To achieve this target, the European Union is pursuing various strategies, including the decarbonization of its energy sector. In order to stay in line with the goals, drastic actions are being carried out without entirely assessing the long term outcomes. Energy transitions are often accompanied by changes in the distribution of benefits and harms, and if these changes are not managed equitably, they may increase existing inequalities and create new forms of injustice.
The government of the Netherlands has taken several measures to achieve climate neutrality, one crucial task being the replacement of natural gas in its heating network. The heating sector so far has been reliant on shale gas for the past few decades, and the government now wants to implement new alternatives that are more sustainable. To anticipate the most favorable options, governmental bodies and local authorities are utilizing tools to assist them in their decision-making processes, especially energy system models.
Energy system modelling is a process of developing and analyzing models that represent the components and processes of energy systems. These models help to simulate the operation and behavior of energy systems under different scenarios and conditions, and to evaluate the impacts of policy decisions and technology choices. However, energy system models often neglect the social dimensions which are essential components of energy justice. This study aims to present a critical analysis of the representation of energy justice in energy system models through a case study and identifies the challenges of integrating energy justice considerations into energy system modelling. Thus the
following main research question was formulated:
To what extent have energy justice principles been represented in Energy modelling employed in the Dutch Heating Transition?
To set up the study, it was essential to establish the concept of energy justice and explore what kind of modelling approaches were being deployed. A literature review on this topic helped to understand the concepts, and select an energy justice framework that would serve as the base for this study (Sovacool & Dworkin, 2015). The framework provided a set of justice principles that were selected to assess the modelling use cases. This thesis explores the integration of energy justice principles within energy system modelling through an analysis of two distinct use case approaches in the municipality level, in the districts of Amersfoort and Drechtsteden in the Netherlands. These two use cases were chosen since they both had a large, diverse population, they had implemented a Heat Transition Vision and they made use of an energy model in their decision making process. The study aims to understand how energy justice considerations are manifested in the models and transition visions that were drafted, the challenges and opportunities they present, and their implications for equitable and sustainable energy transitions.
The study then included a document analysis to collect information, where a total of eleven reports were scrutinized to find how justice principles were defined in the models and heat visions. This was followed by semi structured interviews with eight participants from varied backgrounds, to gather their perspectives on how justice principles were interpreted and the challenges they faced. The data collected was categorically grouped in themes, focusing on affordability, transparency, resistance and sustainability. The results of this study reveal that both use cases incorporate elements of energy justice in an indirect manner. Affordability is addressed through mechanisms like tax credits and
investment allowances. Transparency is facilitated through engagement platforms and collaborative sessions, promoting stakeholder involvement. While resistance in the form of economic barriers is recognized, social aspects of resistance receive less attention. Sustainability is evident through considerations of energy-saving potential and monitoring carbon emissions.
While energy justice principles are not explicitly defined in the models, various attributes and mechanisms correspond to these principles. However, challenges and limitations include diverse interpretations of energy justice, tensions between prioritizing technical and social dimensions, and the quantification of ethical concepts. The difficulty in selecting the right modelling approach and the right source of information also leads to uncertainty and complexity.
This study contributes to the understanding of energy justice by providing empirical insights into its integration within energy system modeling. The findings highlight the complexities and possibilities of this integration, offering lessons for policymakers, researchers, and model developers. Recommendations for future research include exploring the impacts of energy justice measures in other sectors of the transition and also utilizing other frameworks to assess energy justice.

Wealth inequality exists all over the world. This can be seen as a social problem because it violates accepted norms of egalitarian distribution. Moreover, wealth inequality can negatively affect a number of areas, including economic growth. However, wealth inequality also has advantages. For example, it provides incentives to engage in risky ventures that can lead to a more prosperous society. Thus, it would actually promote technological development and economic growth. The problem remains that wealth inequality above a certain point yields more negative than positive effects. Yet the most optimal point of wealth inequality is difficult to determine and depends on the context in which a country finds itself.

Wealth inequality is clearly a socioeconomic issue and has been increasingly studied internationally in recent years. For the Netherlands, however, it has only been examined in a handful of studies and often only one indicator has been used. The first objective of this thesis is therefore to investigate the development of wealth inequality in the Netherlands using various indicators. Moreover, these studies have done little or no research into the causes of the development of wealth inequality. As such, the second and main objective of this thesis is to examine the causes of this development in the Netherlands. During the Management of Technology (MOT) program at TU Delft, several major social issues related to technology or innovation were addressed. At the time of writing, wealth inequality is a contemporary socioeconomic issue in the Netherlands. It also affects technological development and innovation, making it relevant to the MOT program. Based on the main objective, we formulated the following main research question:

Main RQ: What factors have contributed to the development of wealth inequality in the Netherlands?

To answer this research question, we first conducted a literature review. Here, we addressed the definition of wealth, how wealth inequality can be measured, what had already been researched in the Netherlands, and the possible consequences of wealth inequality. But the most important finding from this literature review was a holistic view of the possible causes of wealth inequality. We did this primarily by analyzing studies that examined wealth inequality in countries similar to the Netherlands. We found that at least 10 macroeconomic and 8 household factors can potentially directly influence wealth inequality in a given country. We also identified indirect factors, but did not include them in this thesis.

After presenting a comprehensive overview of possible causes of wealth inequality, we developed hypotheses for these determinants. At the macroeconomic level, no hypotheses were eventually developed for the factors wealth tax, inheritance tax, and political stability. The latter was not considered relevant for the Netherlands. The other two remained constant over the years and were not meaningful to analyze. Ultimately, a total of 7 hypotheses were developed for the macroeconomic level. We omitted examining the effects of wealth inequality in this thesis, with the exception of the effect of wealth inequality on income inequality. These two factors would reinforce each other and this is better known as the snowballing-effect. Therefore, not 8 but 9 hypotheses were developed for the household level. Based on the formulated hypotheses, a conceptual model was created that served as the basis for the empirical analysis.

A descriptive analysis was then conducted. When collecting the data, the CBS database was mainly used. Occasionally, data from DNB and the World Bank were used. First, the development of wealth inequality in the Netherlands was examined. Most of the data found on household wealth covered the period 2006-2021. This period was therefore retained for the entire empirical analysis. Three indicators were used to validate the development of wealth inequality. These indicators were found to be highly correlated with each other, allowing the development of wealth inequality in the Netherlands to be confirmed with certainty. From 2006 to 2008, there was a small decline, after which it rose to record levels in 2013. From then on it fell again, and by 2021 the level was about the same as in 2008. Whether this is a desirable level of wealth inequality, we cannot say and requires further research. Subsequently, we examined the development of the possible determinants for which hypotheses were developed. We have not validated the determinants and associated indicators as in the case of wealth inequality (with the exception of income inequality). As a result, the development of the determinants entails some uncertainty. Moreover, we could not find suitable indicators for all determinants. In the end, 6 macroeconomic and 7 household determinants remained for the regression analysis.

With the remaining macroeconomic and household determinants, we first ran a simple regression to filter out the factors with significant influence on wealth inequality. We found that at the macroeconomic level, 3 factors were significant and consistent with the formulated hypotheses: housing prices, generous welfare state, and globalization. At the household level, these were 2 factors: mortgage debts and financial assets ownership rate inequality. Thus, no evidence was found for the snowballing-effect in the Netherlands. Two multiple regression analyses were then conducted: at the macroeconomic level and at the household level. It was found that all macroeconomic determinants were again significant and explained 93.7% of the variance in wealth inequality. Housing prices contributed the most to this, followed by globalization and generous welfare state, respectively. The two household determinants were also found to be significant and explained 73.8% of the variance in wealth inequality. Financial assets ownership rate inequality contributed the most to this. Based on the descriptive and regression analyses, the final conceptual model was created. Due to the limitations of the study, we could not examine whether the two regression models are correlated. Apart from that, however, we can conclude that they both predict the development of wealth inequality quite well, thus answering the main research question.

This study has filled several knowledge gaps by (1) examining and validating the development of wealth inequality in the Netherlands using various indicators, (2) constructing a comprehensive overview of possible causes of wealth inequality, and (3) empirically identifying the causes of the development of wealth inequality in the Netherlands. Furthermore, we can provide a number of insights to policymakers based on our findings. First, policymakers could compare the development of wealth inequality with the policies they implemented during this period to learn from it. This in turn could also provide new insights into the possible causes of wealth inequality in the Netherlands (at the policy level). Moreover, the significantly identified causes offer direct guidance for policymakers to influence wealth inequality in the Netherlands. This is especially true for the determinants generous welfare state, globalization, and financial assets ownership rate inequality, as they can be directly influenced by public policy. Further research should focus on identifying the consequences of the development of wealth inequality in the Netherlands. This can contribute to a better understanding of the desired level of wealth inequality in the Netherlands so that policymakers can manage it more effectively.

In light of recent failures in policy dossiers with regard to the identification of need claims of citizens, participatory procedures have been made mandatory for municipalities in the constitution of a carbon-neutral energy system. However, the legitimacy of mainstream participatory procedures is limited because guidelines for public deliberation function in practice as barriers to the expression of the desires, need claims, and values of citizens. This research aims to develop a methodology that can detect and translate moral emotions to imbue participatory procedures with responsive and reflexive intent. A mixed-method research strategy is conducted to design a Q methodology that includes a moral foundation framework. The resulting research design is made to be accessible by including a Q set with a limited number of statements and having limited supervision during the sorting while having rigor with the results by using innovative analyzing methods on basis of the categories of the sorting grid. The research design is roughly validated by a participatory procedure in Wijchen, where it has detected moralities that have remained unarticulated during participatory events. In conclusion, the research design has the potential to be applied and iterated at a broad range of participatory procedures. The incorporation of works of art for moral-emotional reflection can further strengthen the research design.

The circular economy is becoming an increasingly popular framework, guiding policymakers and practitioners toward sustainable resource management and economic development. While the concept is promising in providing guidelines toward the efficient use of resources and waste minimalization, circular economy implementation is criticized for its focus on technological implementation and economic prosperity, overlooking the social aspects of sustainable change. This research investigates circular economy imaginaries through the analysis of community repair. The study provides insight in the visions and practices of a bottom-up citizen initiative that go beyond economical and technological prosperity. Through the sociotechnical imaginary concept, this research assesses how citizen initiatives engage with the circular economy at a local level. Through an embedded case study of the repair cafe community in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) the research focuses on answering the following research question :"How does the repair cafe community in Amsterdam imagine and engage with product repair in the circular economy?".
The study combines multiple data collection methods including: interviews, observation, and document analysis. Analysis of the repair cafe community in Amsterdam revealed that the community currently consists of twenty-eight active repair cafes at the local level, plus the Repair Cafe International Foundation, which operates at a national and international level. Eleven repair cafes and the Repair Cafe International Foundation were visited and representative volunteers were interviewed during data collection between April and June 2023. By exploring the sociotechnical imaginaries in the repair cafe community in Amsterdam, this research shows that the community showcases features of alternative circular imaginaries going beyond the techno-economical focus that currently dominates circular economy thinking and implementation. The results reveal a shared vision of a repair society wherein product repair is normalised and involves a diverse and accessible repairing infrastructure. Additionally, the results show alternative circular performances, such as community-based, socially inspired, and neighbourhood-oriented activities. Besides the features of alternative imaginaries, the results also reveal several tensions between the present-day performances and future aspirations: such as disparities between the goal to collect data and an unwillingness to do so at the local level, a vision for collaboration with other parties, and limited networking at the local level in practise. The study proposes that these tensions point towards the fact that repair cafes provide spaces where future visions are confronted with present realities, leading to a plurality of initiatives at the local level. As such, the repair cafe community’s aspirations and performances reveal aspects of both the dominant techno-economic circular economy imaginary and an alternative imaginary centred around social interactions and local engagement. In conclusion, this research highlights the significance of considering social dimensions within the circular economy framework. While technological and economic aspects are pivotal, they must be balanced with a focus on community engagement, inclusivity, and citizen empowerment. The repair cafe community in Amsterdam serves as a noteworthy example of how bottom-up initiatives can contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future. However, the diversity of motivations and goals among local repair cafes, coupled with the varying degrees of alignment with the Repair Cafe International Foundation, may pose a challenge to the realisation of a unified vision. Stakeholders and policymakers therefore must foster collaboration and facilitate a shared understanding of the repair society’s objectives...

This study evaluates the face validity of the Participatory Value Evaluation (PVE) method. The PVE is an online method that enables participation for a large group of participants. This method is designed for citizens to evaluate a complex situation from a policy makers point of view. If a consultation lacks face validity, there is a likelihood that the results obtained from this instrument provide false information and lead to decisions that are misleading. During this research face validity is assessed by a four-step mixed methods approach. First, a framework to assess face validity in the PVE method is drawn up and applied in a case study of the Schiphol Environmental Council. The goal of this case study is to research by means of a PVE consultation how to improve the participation and information facilities for local residents, which are the respondents, around Schiphol Airport. The framework consists out of the categories clarity, unambiguity, relevancy, readability and completeness. Second, the results of this framework are applied in an experiment. From this experiment it becomes clear that there is no difference in the evaluation of face validity by respondents between a ‘sliders’ choice task and a ‘points’ PVE. However, respondents are more indifferent towards the ‘sliders’ PVE. On average, clarity and unambiguity are evaluated the lowest and readability the highest. Third, comparing to other previous PVE case studies that includes elements of face validity, it becomes clear that the four properties impact on personal life, the respondents, the platform and who is in charge influence the differences in the evaluation of face validity between different case studies. With the three face validity categories included in previous case studies, benchmarks are established. If the goal is to score high on the clarity category, the aim should be to achieve an average evaluation score above 3,67 for clarity, above 3,88 for relevancy and around or higher than 4,11 for completeness on a five-point Likert scale. Fourth, the established framework from literature is compared with concerns about face validity in practice. In addition to the five categories, feasibility turns out to be a practical concern. It is remarkable from the results that 18- to 34-year-olds and people with a low level of education generally rate the face validity categories lower. Therefore, a recommendation for further research is to investigate how the face validity of these groups can possibly be increased and what their needs are regarding face validity.

Successful development of the hydrogen economy would mean an effective cure for the world’s energy crisis (Abe, Popoola & Ajenifuja, 2019). Mazzolai (2012) found that one of the most considerable barriers to its deployment is the development of large stationary hydrogen storage systems. Researchers suggest underground storage in depleted gas fields and geological formations to overcome this barrier of stationary storage. As found by Abe et al. (2019), the most promising form of which is salt caverns. The Hyway 27 study, a report that explores the feasibility of a Dutch national hydrogen grid, proposes the installment of 6 PJ of storage capacity in salt caverns (Tezel et al., 2021; Juez-Larré et al., 2019). This research explores the socio-technical possibility of such a system within the Netherlands. When local perception of values is not considered during decision-making, local resistance potentially grows and halts the project and even the entire sector (Dignum et al., 2015; Geukes et al., 2021). Therefore, an aligned perception of values is essential for actors' acceptance of the decision-making process. Consequently, the research goal is to identify relevant value dimensions of actors to facilitate a more inclusive decision-making process for the realization of underground hydrogen storage in salt caverns (UHS-s). This research utilizes a qualitative design approach by combining literature research with interviews and data coding. Through literature, the research is positioned within the technical and institutional setting. The Value Analysis Framework is operationalized to capture arguments from interviews via a coding software scheme...

This thesis sets out to support decision-making processes throughout the Dutch urban heat transition. Over the last few years, calls from both academic literature and practise have emerged stating that participation throughout these processes is of utmost importance. Not only to gain acceptance for implementation plans in the making, but also to create a deeper comprehension of household’s values, stances and their role within their transition. As locals have been deemed key decision-makers, once’s that should be supported by policymakers. Inherently the qualities of participation should thus ensure a more optimal decision-making process towards a smooth roll-out of neighbourhood heat transitions. The problem identified however is that policymakers lack a comprehensive set of tools to engage in participation, better understand their stakeholders and thus better enable their decision-making within the local context of a neighbourhood transition.

To address this problem a novel iteration of the IAD framework is designed, enhanced through value theories and a nested structure. To research whether this toolkit is fit-for-purpose, the design is operationalized on a case study. Namely, the neighbourhood heat transition of the KNSM-eiland in Amsterdam. It was found that the designed framework provides a structured lens through which the complex and dynamic heat transition can be dissected, unfolding insights that lead way towards more optimal processes. The IAD framework, nested and value enhanced, has served this research as a toolkit to guide decision-making across a neighbourhood heat transition. The design allowed the researcher to work beyond pitfalls of traditional participation and alongside novel standards. Leading to a tailor-made approach for engagement and decision-making, uncovering tension fields and misalignment in the process.

The aerospace industry and TU Delft have set stringent climate goals for themselves and with each passing year, these goals seem all the more implausible. While sustainability in the aerospace industry is envisioned as futuristic, circular, net-zero aircraft, the change rarely comes from the grassroots. Although these technological solutions are undoubtedly our liberators from long-term climate change, there is relatively less focus on the education of engineers who grow up to design these machines. This thesis follows a bottom-up approach which can stimulate pro-environmental attitudes among future aerospace engineers to give ourselves a fighting chance to mitigate climate change.

This integrative literature research analyses economic inequality using a system perspective. Topics related to the quantification, causes, and effects revolving around economic inequality are reviewed and presented in an overarching conceptual framework. The functioning of the conceptual framework is tested by performing an application on the Netherlands. Results show that economic inequality is a complex problem with multiple interconnecting parameters that cannot be solved with a single "silver bullet" policy. Economic inequality requires a systematic and integrative approach to enable a positive change. Also, the conceptual framework allowed to indicate numerous issues within the system of economic inequality occurring in the Netherlands that require our attention. Overall, this research offers a new perspective on the issue of economic inequality. The conceptual framework is the first in its kind and is able to inform and educate researchers, policymakers, and others about the system of economic inequality in a manner that has never been done before.