Detlef van Vuuren (1970) is Professor of Integrated Assessment of Global Environmental Change at the Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, and a senior researcher at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), where he leads the IMAGE Integrated Assessment Modelling team. Detlef van Vuuren focuses on global sustainability issues. He develops models that allow future climate and environmental changes to be explored through scenarios. In this work, he and his team aim to look at interactions and goals related to climate, environment, living environment, and economy. Detlef van Vuuren played a role in many assessments – including IPCC, UNEP’s Global Environmental Outlook and assessments related to biodiversity. An important part of his work are the coordination of the climate scenarios for IPCC assessments. He has published more than 460 articles in papers and journals, including high-profile ones such as Nature and Science. In 2024, Detlef van Vuuren received the Spinoza Prize, the highest distinction in Dutch science. Read more about this in this interview.