After a day with temperatures reaching 39°C, one thing is clear: the transition can’t wait any longer.

Inspiration

Lotte Kortbeek

Consultant

Lotte specializes in business development, strategic planning, and building impactful partnerships within the energy transition. She helps organizations turn complex challenges into practical solutions that create lasting value.

July 16, 2026

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A must-read for anyone who, after temperatures soared to 39°C in the Netherlands last week, found themselves wondering: Is this really the right direction?

During Transition2026 More than 300 executives, entrepreneurs, scientists, and change agents gathered. Not to convince each other once again that the world is changing, but to discuss how we can accelerate that change.

Yes, it was about climate. But just as often, it was about security, natural resources, affordability, leadership, trust, and the question of how to get people moving in a world that’s becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Perhaps that was the most important conclusion of the day: the sustainable transition has long since ceased to be a niche concern for people who “believe in sustainability.” It now touches on everything: our economy, our strategic autonomy, our leadership style, and ultimately, ourselves.

Different Language, Same Goals

Tom Middendorp set that tone from the outset. The former Commander of the Armed Forces did not view sustainability as an isolated issue, but as part of a much broader shift. His message was as clear as it was unsettling: the past eighty years of stability, peace, and prosperity were the exception rather than the rule. “We are moving from an era of abundance to one of scarcity, from cooperation to division, and from predictability to disruption.”

According to Middendorp, this demands a different approach. It is no longer enough to optimize for efficiency and cost. We must build resilience. “Because,” he warned, “systems designed solely for efficiency become vulnerable as soon as the world turns turbulent. The cost of failing to build resilience is many times greater than the cost of investing in it.”

In doing so, he offered a new perspective on the transition. Investing in renewable energy is not only good for the climate, but also strengthens energy independence, geopolitical stability, and economic opportunity. Or, as he put it: “The mission of this generation is not only to preserve prosperity, but also to build resilience for the generations that follow.”

Circularity as a Strategic Necessity

That same shift was evident in the discussion on circularity with Klaske Kruk (Director, NVCE) and Harald Tepper (Director of Sustainable Business, Philips). Here too, the message was clear: circularity is no longer a nice to have, but a strategic necessity. Raw materials have become instruments of power. China recognized this early, the United States is moving quickly, and Europe can no longer afford to take a wait and see approach. “Perhaps we should talk less about a sustainability manager and more about a materials and energy strategist.”

That remark from Tepper stayed with me because it perfectly captured a recurring theme throughout Transition2026: the language of the transition is changing. Anyone seeking to accelerate circularity must talk not only about moral responsibility, but also about risk, margins, supply security, and business continuity. Not because climate has become less important, but because arguments resonate only when they connect with the realities faced by executives, procurement professionals, CFOs, and entrepreneurs.

The Economics Behind the Transition

Sandra Phlippen, Chief Sustainability Officer at ABN AMRO, made the economic case even more tangible. She explored why the ESG momentum of recent years has cooled. Her answer was surprisingly pragmatic: it was not only politics or policy that slowed progress, but primarily interest rates. “Sustainable investments are highly sensitive to interest rates. They require significant upfront capital, while fossil fuel systems are already deeply embedded in the market.”

Yet her message was far from gloomy. On the contrary. She illustrated how oil price shocks are accelerating the shift to electric transportation, how China is scaling clean technologies at an unprecedented pace, and how countries with a higher share of renewable energy are less vulnerable to fluctuations in gas prices. Spain and Italy offered a clear example: the smaller the role of natural gas in the electricity mix, the less exposed electricity prices are to geopolitical shocks. “A bank won’t save the planet, but a bank can help finance the transition.”

Leadership in a Challenging Work Environment

Cindy Kroon, CEO of Vattenfall Netherlands, also resisted offering simple answers. “Wind, solar, heat, storage, carbon capture and storage, we’ll probably need all of it,” she said. That is precisely why, in her view, it is so important to tell a better story about the transition. Not just the how, but especially the why. “What I focus on most is telling the story: where we need to go, why it is necessary, and what it will bring us.”

Kroon also highlighted the tension many organizations are facing today. The ambition is there, but reality remains challenging. “Customers are willing, companies are willing, and the technology is often already available, but affordability, infrastructure, policy, and trust will determine whether this acceleration actually succeeds.”

While Sandra Phlippen had shown how heavily the transition depends on capital, interest rates, and affordability, Quirine de Weerd, former CSO at Lidl and now Director of Sustainable Agriculture and Nature at RVO, brought that economic reality back to the practical challenges of implementation.

At Lidl, she began without a clearly defined sustainability strategy. Rather than starting with the largest or most controversial issues, she focused on food waste: a concrete, relatable challenge that was difficult to oppose internally. “Everything was sustainability, and nothing was sustainability. So we had to make choices: what are we going to focus on, and what are we not?”

Her lesson was as practical as it was powerful: “Make sure the basics are in order, then create room for strategy, and always work within your sphere of influence. Change requires vision, but also legitimacy, small wins, and people who are simply willing to take action.”

And perhaps most importantly: “Don’t let anything or anyone stop you.”

Hope Lies Beneath the Surface

At the end of the day, Jan Rotmans brought everything together. His message was hopeful, personal, and urgent all at once. He spoke about geopolitical shifts, economic tipping points, democratic pressures, and ecological limits. Yet his greatest source of hope did not lie in policy or technology. It lay in the undercurrent. “Everything we want to see at scale already exists on a small scale. And everything that is big today once started small.”

That undercurrent was palpable throughout the day. It emerged in stories about local energy solutions, circular supply chains, electric aviation, innovative plastics, cultivated meat, reusable packaging, and energy storage in hospitals. Many of these initiatives are still small in scale, but that is precisely where the future takes shape: a future that may one day become the norm.

Rotmans also brought the discussion back to a personal level. After all, the transition is not only about systems, markets, and technology. It is also about fear, courage, purpose, and whether we ourselves are willing to change. “Knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient. People only take action when they are moved.”

Taking Action Without Complete Certainty

That made Transition2026 more than just a conference about sustainability. It was a day about coming of age in a time of disruption. About the need to connect sustainability with the economy, security, and everyday life. And about a style of leadership that does not try to control everything, but instead offers direction, creates space, and invites others to join the journey.

If you had to capture the day in a single feeling, it might be this: the transition is complex, sometimes frustrating, and far from guaranteed. But it is also very much alive. In boardrooms, at banks, in supermarkets, at energy companies, in startups, within government agencies, and among all those people who refuse to wait for someone else to take the first step.

Perhaps that was the most important message of Transition2026: you do not need complete certainty to get started. The transition does not require a perfect roadmap. It requires people and organizations willing to build, experiment, learn, and persevere. And anyone who stepped out of Felix Meritis after this warm and eventful day knew one thing for sure: this conversation is far from over. On to Transition2027, where the question will no longer be whether we keep building, but how quickly we can move forward.