Third annual report. Third time’s the charm? Well, we began 2025 with the realisation that the future was quite clearly no longer what it used to be — a space full of promise and possibility. The further transitions progress, the more uncomfortable and diffuse the picture becomes, writes Derk Loorbach in this report’s preface.
For DRIFT, this was the year we started feeling a sustainability recession and transition backlash. We saw a decline in projects on classic transition themes such as mobility, energy, construction, and circularity. But of course also, on a societal level, a shift towards migration, defence, and geopolitics as the topics of the moment. A political vacuum in the Netherlands was filled in the autumn by a minority government – combined with a rapid right-wing shift.
Against this backdrop, we proved resilient as an organisation: new questions and domains presented themselves, and our transition approach has shown its value time and again. We did much more work on social issues, care, and water management — domains where people are getting stuck and are searching for critical, entrepreneurial, and creative approaches.
In addition to information on our CO2 emissions, our impact as an employer, and our finances, this document offers a solid introduction to DRIFT as an organisation. Using our theory of change, it also shows what we achieved together in 2025 in domains such as healthcare, education, and the energy transition.
We also address why we do things the way we do them; after all, we are not a traditional research institute. Why, for example, we also concern ourselves with fundamental change that is not directly related to the climate or biodiversity crisis. Why we like to carry out transdisciplinary research (that is, in and with practice). And why we also work with established parties.
In broad terms, the summary is this: as a collective, we kept standing firm in 2025, especially in turbulent times. Not only did we manage to remain financially stable, we also grew and once again had societal and scientific impact.
But it also remains difficult. And we are difficult: the urgency we feel, and the drive to work towards a just and sustainable future, means that we are constantly questioning things – in our immediate surroundings, far away, and within our own house. We embrace that this is our role.
Being difficult… is difficult, but also fun, and good! If you would like to know more about how we can work together towards fundamental change, dive into this annual report, or get in touch with us!
