The 21st century brings a cascade of societal challenges, from populism and autocracy to cultural polarization and mass migration. Adding to this are fake news, social media rabbit holes, climate emergencies, denialism, global pandemics, and even the specter of war in Europe.

At the forefront of these issues is the “GOAT”—Greatest of All Time—challenge: climate change. It profoundly impacts humanity’s wealth, potential, evolution, and survival.

This exploration navigates key themes like anthropocentrism, market efficiency, effective policy criteria, carbon trading, and the valuation of non-market goods—all framed within environmental economics. Why do consultants from firms like McKinsey play a role? Does the CSRD hold significance? And critically, the question lingers: are we prepared to act, or is it merely business as usual?

About Steve Clemens

Steve brings a diverse professional background to his role as a lecturer, with experience in advertising, the automotive sector, and the semiconductor industry across Brussels, Luxembourg, Vietnam, and now the Netherlands.

At Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Steve teaches Economics and Finance to marketing students and conducts research for the Cross-Border Business Development (CBBD) research group. His academic and professional expertise centers on environmental economics, with a particular focus on climate change and energy transition, especially in the Dutch-German border region.

Steve’s accomplishments include:
– Developing a “green” MBA at UBI in Brussels, featuring courses like CSR, Environmental Economics, and Green Business Opportunities.
– Providing eco-consulting services to Taiwanese and Korean manufacturers for brands such as Adidas and Timberland in Vietnam.
– Designing environmental economics courses for Windesheim Honours College in the Netherlands.

Today, Steve’s research is dedicated to addressing energy transition challenges, bridging academic insights with practical solutions for cross-border sustainability initiatives.

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: ESC Inspiration session ‘Wealth, Climate, Energy, Life. Lessons from Environmental Economics’