When we talk about sustainability, we also need to think what every person in the society can do for achieving the sustainable future for our planet. Changing our daily behaviour towards promoting sustainability may be one of the key solutions. In this session, the insights from behavioural science and psychology will be shared on how behaviour plays a critical role in achieving sustainability, and then the floor will be opened for an interactive open discussion with the speakers and audience.
Dr. Gill ten Hoor is currently assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) and adjunct instructor at the University of Texas at Houston, Health Science Center. In his training and research, Gill combines biological and psychological insights to develop behavior change interventions. During his talk, Gill will share some important elements of behavioural change principles, including examples and anecdotes.

Dr. Sanae Okamoto is a researcher at United Nations University - MERIT (Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology). She is a co-lead of the United Nations University - Climate Resilience Initiative, and has been working on several multinational projects on climate resilience, circular economy, water securities from the behavioural and psychological perspectives. She will discuss about how climate change impacts our psychological well-being and how we can engage population into a collective action to achieve a sustainable future for all.

What is Planetary health? “Planetary health is a holistic systems view of the world, recognizing the interconnectedness of the health and well-being of all life on Earth, and the need to regenerate natural systems, rather than simply minimizing harm” (Martens, 2023). Prof. Pim Martens will give an insight into Planetary Health, and he will explain the concept more in depth especially to students at Maastricht University studying at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences. There will be room for questions to have an interactive session. Pim Martens is professor of Planetary Health. He has a PhD in applied mathematics and biological sciences. As a scientivist, and integrates scientific knowledge with his passion for animals and nature.