TU Delft Professor Wins Second Golden Heron Award for Climate Change Film

2026-03-18 green

Delft, Wednesday, 18 March 2026.
Andy van den Dobbelsteen, TU Delft’s Sustainability Coordinator, achieved the rare feat of winning his second Golden Heron award for ‘The Climate Fighters,’ a short film exploring carbon offsetting consequences through humor and striking visuals.

Award Recognition at Prestigious Ceremony

The Golden Heron award ceremony took place at the newly revamped Beeld & Geluid facility in Hilversum on March 11, 2026, where van den Dobbelsteen’s production triumphed over notable entries featuring NAC Breda and the Dutch National Ballet [1]. This marks the second Golden Heron victory for van den Dobbelsteen, who previously won the prestigious award in 2020 for ‘Energy Slaves,’ collaborating with director Hans de Jonge of Oculus Film [1]. The film’s executive producer, Charissa Dezentjé, highlighted key elements from the jury report, noting ‘the film’s humour, its striking visuals and performances, the clear storytelling, and the bold approach that makes you laugh, think, and maybe even take action’ [1].

Climate Communication Through Creative Storytelling

‘The Climate Fighters’ debuted at Delft’s art-house cinema Lumen in late 2025, presenting a narrative that illustrates how carbon offsetting can lead to unexpected consequences through the story of a young protagonist [1]. The film tells the story of a girl who wants to prevent a climate disaster and convinces her parents to offset their CO2 emissions with trees, but discovers they need far more than they can grow in their own garden [4]. The production involved transforming a concrete-clad garden into a forest and creating war scenes, with extensive use of CGI to plant trees throughout various locations [4]. Van den Dobbelsteen wrote the screenplay alongside Hans de Jonge, who co-directed the project with Kuba Szutkowski [4][6].

Sustainability Leadership at TU Delft

Van den Dobbelsteen was appointed as TU Delft’s Sustainability Coordinator in January 2021, following his 2009 appointment as Professor of Climate Design & Sustainability at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment [1]. His role involves embedding sustainability thinking deep into the university’s operations, a transformation he reflects upon with satisfaction: ‘Looking at what we’ve achieved on campus, from geothermal energy to vegetarian catering, I think: that’s no small feat. Today, students don’t even need convincing about why sustainability matters’ [1]. The film serves as a teaser for TU Delft’s free online MOOC series called ‘The Sustainable Organisation,’ with the first course titled ‘Sustainability in Practice’ [6][7].

Broader Climate Research Initiative

The award recognition comes as TU Delft prepares to host the Best Climate Action & Energy Paper Award ceremony on March 24, 2026, at 15:00 at the Co-Creation Centre at The Green Village, where nine young researchers will present their findings [2]. Herman Russchenberg, Professor of Atmospheric Research and Pro Vice Rector Magnificus for Climate Action, emphasizes the urgency of current global challenges: ‘The world has changed rapidly and profoundly in recent years. Consider the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the increasingly sharp rivalry between the United States, China, and the West, as well as the many natural disasters hitting harder than ever’ [2]. The research presentations will showcase innovations ranging from AI algorithms for electric vehicle charging optimization to studies on Antarctic ice sheet melting that could contribute up to 8 meters of sea-level rise by 2300 [2].

Bronnen

sustainability leadership climate communication