Heleen De Coninck
RESEARCH PROFILE
Heleen de Coninck is a full Professor of Socio-Technical Innovation and Climate Change at Eindhoven University of Technology since 2020, and a Professor in Climate change and system transitions at the Raboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences at Radboud University Nijmegen's Faculty of Science. As a researcher, Heleen’s main research focus is on the role of innovation and technology in the international climate negotiations, on policy for making energy-intensive industry climate-neutral, and on the viability and societal dynamics of new technologies for 1.5C-mitigation pathways.
Heleen was a Coordinating Lead Author in the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C and in the mitigation part of the AR6. She was part of the IPCC Working Group III Technical Support Unit during the AR4 cycle, where she coordinated the IPCC Special Report on CCS. She was also a Lead Author in the climate mitigation part of AR5 (2014). Amongst other ancillary activities, she is currently the vice-chair of the Netherlands Scientific Climate Council.
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Heleen graduated in Chemistry and in Environmental Science at Radboud University in Nijmegen, specialising in climate change and atmospheric chemistry. After her studies, she worked as atmospheric chemistry researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany.
Before joining academia in 2012, Heleen worked at the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), the largest energy research institute in the country, for over 10 years. There, she worked on international climate policy, rural electrification, the Clean Development Mechanism, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), capacity building in developing countries, and policy studies.
In 2009, Heleen finished a PhD, which she conducted alongside her work at ECN, on technology in the international climate regime, at the VU University Amsterdam, in collaboration with Princeton University in the United States.
Key Publications
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Clara Caiafa,Takashi Hattori,Hoseok Nam,Heleen C. de Coninck
International technology innovation to accelerate energy transitions
Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions (2023) -
Heleen C. de Coninck
System change, not climate change
(2022) -
Linda Steg,Janet Veldstra,Kiane de Kleijne,Şiir Kılkış,André F.P. Lucena,Lars J. Nilsson,Masahiro Sugiyama,Pete Smith,Massimo Tavoni,Heleen de Coninck
A method to identify barriers to and enablers of implementing climate change mitigation options
One Earth (2022) -
Kiane de Kleijne,Steef V. Hanssen,Lester van Dinteren,Mark A.J. Huijbregts,Rosalie van Zelm,Heleen de Coninck
Limits to Paris compatibility of CO2 capture and utilization
One Earth (2022) -
Zahra Janipour,Reinier de Nooij,Peter Scholten,Mark A.J. Huijbregts,Heleen de Coninck
What are sources of carbon lock-in in energy-intensive industry? A case study into Dutch chemicals production
Energy Research and Social Science (2020)
Current Educational Activities
Ancillary Activities
- Professor, Radboud University
- Beleggingscommissie duurzaam beleggen ABP, Universiteiten van Nederland
- Member of Board and Fellow, Wiardi Beckman Stichting
- Fellow, Kennisinstituut Mobiliteit, Ministerie I&W
- Member Expertise group, Raad van State
- Advisor to the Board, Stichting Historie der Techniek
- Lid Raad van Toezicht, KNMI
- Vice-voorzitter en lid Wetenschappelijke Klimaatraad, Ministerie van EZK, Wetenschappelijke Klimaatraad