Wim C. Turkenburg (1947) is emeritus professor 'Science, Technology and Society' (STS). He is one of the founders and first director of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development (2001-2011) and the Utrecht Centre for Energy Research (2001-2005), and former head of the Department of STS (1988-2011) of Utrecht University, NL. Also he has been part-time professor Environmental Sciences at the Free University of Brussels (1992-1993).
Started in 2012, he owns a consultancy (Wim Turkenburg Energy and Environmental Consultancy, Amsterdam).
In addition he is, amongst others, member of the Supervisory Board of the Foundation Preparation Pallas reactor, member of the Program Committe TKI-BBE (Biobased Economy), and board member of the International Energy Initiative responsible for the scientific journal 'Energy for Sustainable Development'.
He studied physics, mathematics, and astronomy at Leiden University (NL) and the University of Amsterdam (NL), and received his Ph.D. degree in 1976, based on surface science research executed at the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF) in Amsterdam.
His research, education and consultancy activities are presently mainly in the field of Energy and Climate Change.
He has been promotor of nearly fourty PhD students. Also he is author or co-author of several hundreds of publications (H-factor = 59) on energy systems analysis, energy policy, energy and sustainable development, climate change and CO2-emission reduction, energy efficiency improvement, renewable energy technologies (solar-PV, wind and biomass energy), CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS), nuclear energy, storage of energy, energy technology assessment, and environmental risk management.
He was member of the Executive Committee of the Global Energy Assessment (GEA), as well as Convening Lead Author 'Renewable Energy' of GEA (Cambridge University Press & IIASA, Laxenburg, 2012).
Also he was chair of the Subcommittee on Energy of the UN-CENRD (UN Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for Development, 1999-2002) and member and vice-chair of the UN-CNRSEED (United Nations Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development, 1994-1998).
He served on numerous boards and committees. In the Netherlands a.o.: the Energy Council (AER), the VROM-raad, the board of ECN/NRG, SENSE, CATO, PCCC, NOP-MLK, WBS, BG Energie, ISES-NL, Natuur & Milieu and NNV, and bodies of (or functions at) Utrecht University, the Ministries of VROM, I&M, EZ and OCW, and organisaties and companies like SER, NWO, FOM, VSNU, Committee m.e.r., ECN/NRG, OVV, ANVS, Essent/RWE, EPZ, Eiffel, NAM, TNO, and NOS. And internationally: WEA, GHGT conferences, IPCC, WEC, UN-CSD, EC, EPS, BELSPO, ETH-Zürich, IIIEE (Lund University), Technopolis Group and Helmholtz Foundation.
He received from the Queen of the Netherlands the award 'Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion' (2013). In addition he is co-recipient of the 'Nobel Price for Peace', awarded to the IPCC (2007). Earlier he received the 'Greenman Award' from the IEA GHG R&D Programme (MIT, USA, 1996).
(Sept. 2019)