Pact

In the KIN Pact, you will collaborate with other researchers and climate professionals from the field on your climate or transition challenges.

KIN Pact: moving forward together

Are you a researcher, policy officer or climate professional at a social organisation, and do your best plans remain on the shelf? Or do you work on sustainability within the government or the business community, but often lack the right knowledge? The Netherlands is bursting with accelerators like you. People who want to move forward with the transition, but encounter barriers. The KIN Pact is there to help you do your job better, so that you can really make a difference.

How does the KIN Pact work?

The Pact operates from the undercurrent. Our ambition is to work with you to identify the urgent and relevant issues in society so that you can achieve your climate goals. We see better sharing and applying knowledge from research and practice as an important part of this. As well as collaborating and taking action together!

What does the Pact offer?

The Pact supports you as a (practical) researcher or climate professional in your work on (climate) and system transitions. By facilitating cooperation and providing practical support. Whether you are affiliated with a (knowledge) institution or organisation or participate in a personal capacity. Because together, and by doing, we can make faster progress. Within the Pact, members work in working groups on various climate and transition issues.

  • You will gain access to a relevant and extensive network of go-getters and accelerators from science and society, in your working group and through the broad KIN network.
  • You can use our physical and online platforms and communication channels to share and exchange knowledge.
  • You can make use of the help and support that Pact members offer each other, such as brainpower and manpower, networks, and research or practical programmes, as well as practical matters such as meeting rooms.
  • You will have the opportunity to establish a substantive link between your own research, programme or project and that of KIN.
  • You can establish your own working group around a specific (climate) transition issue or theme.
  • You will receive practical support from KIN in organising activities for your working group.
  • Visibility for your research and/or organisation within the broad KIN network.

What does membership mean?

  • Take action in your research or work on (climate) transitions. Pact members support each other and their mission.
  • Members of the Pact actively contribute to the community by, for example, offering each other their time, resources, network or facilities for the community to use.
  • Pact members can join a working group or start one themselves.
  • Membership of Pact is free of charge; all we ask for is active involvement.

Your Pact pledge
The KIN Pact is a mission-driven community with shared values. To reinforce this, we ask all members of the Pact to draw up a personal pledge and sign the core values of the Pact. In the pledge, you can briefly explain why you or your organisation wants to join the Pact. As a member, you can also view the pledges of other members.

Become a member

How can you become a Pact member?

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Register using the form by pressing the button below. You can register as an individual or as a team, department or organisation.

You will receive immediate confirmation by email. Welcome to the Pact aspirant!

We will contact you within five working days for a brief introduction and to confirm your membership. During this conversation, we will tell you more about the Pact core values and the pledge.

After the introduction, it is time to draw up your personal pledge and sign the core values of the Pact, possibly together with your team. We will send you a template for this. Ready? Then send the document back to us.

Welcome to the Pact!

You now have access to our members’ area with an overview of the Pact network and will receive the Pact newsletter with events.

Become a member

Do you have any questions?

Benieuwd of lidmaatschap van het Pact iets voor jou is of voor je organisatie? Rosa van den Berg, Pact Community Manager, praat hier graag met je over door.

Mail Pact@hetkin.nl

How do the working groups operate?

As a member of the KIN Pact, you will work in working groups with the shared knowledge and experience of people from research and practice to take concrete steps towards your climate goals and challenges. You can become a member as an individual, as a team or with your entire department, faculty, research group or organisation.

Demand-driven themes
Working groups within the KIN Pact are formed around an issue or demand-driven theme. If you identify a need within your working group or within the Pact, you can organise activities or a working group as a member. At the KIN Pact, we look for things that are not yet happening. Working groups consist of active members. This means that all members are members of the Pact.

As a working group, you will meet at least once for a kick-off meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to determine the theme and objective of the working group. This could be setting up meetings or producing knowledge products or communication tools. The KIN will then support your working group, for example with practical help, a network, useful tools and resources, and a small support budget.

Joining a working group
Are you interested in joining an existing working group? This may be possible, depending on the phase a particular working group is in. Please contact the contact person listed on the working group page.

View all working groups

How do you start a working group?

Pact members can also start their own working group if it fits with the KIN’s mission and goals. We do think it’s important that your working group follows some of the KIN Pact’s principles, like being demand-driven, transdisciplinary, and, would it even happen without the KIN Pact? Want to start your own working group? We’d love to explore the possibilities with you. To do so, please contact one of the KIN Pact team members using the contact details below.

How does the KIN support?

KIN thinks along with you and provides practical assistance to you and your working group. We can help with organising meetings and providing various facilities. We also help you find new ways of financing to promote new collaborations. We can also help you find suitable subsidies or refer you to other networks or parties that are involved in this.

Meeting & events by the Pact

    Become a member

    Are you a researcher or do you work as a policy officer or climate professional for the government or a social organisation, and would you like to accelerate the (climate) transition? The Pact is here to help you do your job better, so that you can make a real difference.

    Sign up

    How is the Pact organized?

    Curious about how the Pact is organised, how governance is arranged, and who is involved behind the scenes? We would be happy to tell you more about it.

    Read more

    Frequently Asked Questions

    The Pact is there to contribute to your climate mission or that of your organisation. Pact is for anyone who believes that cooperation can make this happen faster, better and in a more enriching way. Do you have a plan? Then you can always contact one of the Pact representatives from KIN.

    Cooperation within the Pact mainly takes place in working groups. Members of a working group tackle an issue themselves, often related to their own field of work or background. With KIN, you can also collaborate for the Pact, for example by organising events with us. If you are already working on an issue, we at KIN can give it visibility or connect you with a working group from the Pact community.

    No, that is not necessary. Pact membership is free of charge and we do not ask you to contribute your own budget. We do ask Pact members to be committed and to have an open, proactive attitude. We would like Pact members to be open to collaboration and to regularly attend each other’s events. We are developing various new financing instruments for existing and new working groups to finance their initiatives.

    The pledge is there to challenge new members to think carefully about what membership can mean for you. Within the Pact, we are driven to make progress together. It must really be able to offer you something, but you must also be able to offer something in return. Every member has a different motivation for joining, and that is fine. However, we do think it is important that members are transparent about this. Therefore, be specific and realistic in your pledge.

    The KIN Pact comprises two work programmes: ‘ACT – Accelerating Just Climate Transitions in Urban Regions’, which aims to accelerate climate transitions in various neighbourhoods in the Netherlands in a fair manner. The THRIVE x KIN Purpose Accelerator programme will be completed at the end of 2024. In this programme, PhD candidates conducted research into good examples of pilots and interventions in the field of climate neutrality and resilience.

    The KIN Pact approaches issues from a systemic perspective. This means that different themes are often linked.

    The themes are determined by demand and therefore arise from identified urgent social issues or research tasks. The Strategic Advisory Council (SAR) of the KIN prioritises themes based on tasks where we, as the KIN Pact, can make a difference. The KIN focuses on themes related to the system transitions to a climate-proof and climate-neutral society, such as cities and infrastructure, energy, industry and economy, nature, agriculture, food and water, planetary health and sustainable care. Cross-cutting themes offer a special lens on a larger theme, for example: Climate Justice and Connectedness, Imagination, Institutional and Human Capacity, Innovation and Technology, and Planetary Boundaries.

    Not sure whether your (research) topic fits in with the Pact? Send an email to pact@hetkin.nl, and we will work with you to see how you can get involved. 

    The Pact was established as a place where members can meet during online and live events and chance encounters. Are you looking for research partners and curious about who within the KIN Pact might be eligible? You will find a comprehensive overview in the members’ area. You will gain access to the members’ area as soon as you have registered for the Pact. The list is also available on request. To request a copy, please email pact@hetkin.nl.

    There are already many good initiatives in the Netherlands that are committed to making the country climate-proof and climate-neutral. The Pact aims to create more cohesion in these existing networks and to help ensure that the right knowledge reaches the right parties by promoting mutual knowledge exchange.

    Organisations and individuals (in a personal capacity) can become members of the KIN Pact. The names of all members can be found in an overview in the Pact member area. You will have access to this as soon as you become a member. The list is also available on request. To request a copy, please email pact@hetkin.nl.

    KIN supports the Pact with time, money and practical matters. Members of the permanent KIN team (community managers and programme coordinators) facilitate meetings and help find relevant networks. There is a budget to pay for Pact activities. In addition, KIN offers communication support via a website, mailing list, newsletter and social media channels, which we use to promote cooperation and visibility.

    In addition to the Pact, KIN also focuses on the development of projects and programmes. The ACT programme is an example of a (relatively) long-term work programme (three years, €1.5 million), as are Just Water Transition Mozambique and The Cost of Doing Nothing (in progress). In addition, we facilitate shorter projects that can be implemented quickly and in response to demand, using new financing instruments such as the Network Grant and the Knowledge to Action Grant.

    Yes, where we see gaps in the current funding system, we develop new funding instruments such as the Network Grant and the Knowledge to Action Grant.

    The Pact Calendar, which provides an overview of all upcoming events organised by Pact, can be found in the events overview. Pact members also receive regular mailings announcing upcoming events and meetings. If you would like your colleagues to receive these mailings as well, please ask them to register or send an email to pact@hetkin.nl.

    Would you like to stay informed about all activities and news concerning the KIN? Then sign up here for the (monthly) newsletter. 

    That is certainly possible. Please send an email to the Pact via pact@hetkin.nl, and we will ensure that your request is forwarded to the appropriate parties. We also organise a quarterly Online Soapbox where you can ask questions or briefly pitch an idea to the other community members.

    Frequently Asked Questions – working groups

    A working group consists of a group of people with a common goal who organise activities to achieve this goal. The working group determines its own activities. These vary from meetings, projects (such as a roadmap, white paper or guide), Make-atons, theatre shows, skill labs, living labs or other forms. The KIN is there to provide support.

    There are currently 20 working groups active. Click here for an up-to-date overview.

    Working groups consist of Pact members and are transdisciplinary. This means that they represent various (scientific) disciplines and different sectors of society, ranging from business, civil society organisations and government to knowledge institutions.

    Working groups make agreements among themselves about their working methods. When sessions or meetings are organised, the KIN communicates this via the various communication channels of the Pact and in the Events Calendar. We also share public meetings via the KIN newsletter and social media channels.

    That depends on the phase a particular working group is in. In principle, all Pact members can start a working group if it is in line with the mission and objectives of the KIN. Some of the things we look at are whether the working group meets the following criteria: demand-driven, transdisciplinary, falls within the KIN focus areas, and would not get off the ground without the KIN Pact.

    Working groups can be organised in various ways, such as a Community of Practice (CoP), project group or consortium.

    The KIN focuses on system transitions towards a climate-proof and climate-neutral society. Thematic areas include: cities and infrastructure, energy, industry and economy, nature, agriculture, food and water, planetary health and sustainable care. Cross-cutting themes include: climate justice and solidarity, imagination, institutional and human capacity, innovation and technology, and planetary boundaries.

    Still unsure? Send an e-mail to pact@hetkin.nl, and we will see if it fits within the mission and goals of KIN.