Louise Vet in top ten of Sustainable 100 list

In the annual list of the 100 most influential people in the field of sustainability in the Netherlands, as published by the newspaper Trouw, NIOO director Louise Vet has skyrocketed to number eight. There's special praise for Vet's "signature" slogan 'Poop is Gold' and the popular project it stands for.

The eighth edition of the 'Sustainable 100' list was launched in Amsterdam on Monday, with the independent, twelve-member jury focusing in particular this time on people with a long record when it comes to making the world "a greener place".

As a result, the number of ecologists in the upper regions of the list has gone up compared to last year. NIOO-director Louise Vet has leapt from number 33 all the way to number 8.

Driving force

Vet, writes Trouw, is one of the "driving forces" behind the circular economy in the Netherlands. She's known for her belief that "ecology and economics are compatible" and that biodiversity is the cornerstone of sustainability. But she also likes to stress that a circular economy must be "socially decent".

'Poop is Gold', Vet's signature NIOO-project to extract valuable substances from feces, is a perfect example of the kind of 'circular' production the jury would like the Netherlands to aim for: using few resources and 'closing the cycle' by turning waste into something valuable.

Trouw cites the project's recent nomination for National Icon status, in particular, as evidence of its growing popularity in the Netherlands.

Restoration ecology

The number one of the list is an ecologist as well this year, which is something of a first according to Trouw. Willem Ferwerda is known in the Netherlands as an advocate of nature restoration: bringing damaged ecosystems back to life.

According to the jury, Ferwerda's "holistic" take on nature restoration involves "much more than just planting trees. It means bringing back nature as well as agriculture and economic functions, together with all parties involved."

Restoration ecology is currently one of NIOO's seven official research themes. An interview with Willem Ferwerda about his NIOO-seminar on ecosystem restoration and the work of his Commonland Foundation (formerly known as the Ecosystem Return Foundation) can be found here.

• Trouw's Sustainable 100 (website in Dutch)