Mix one enthusiastic student with the cosmopolitan capital of the Netherlands and its rich culture for an unforgettable experience.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
– 1 student
– 1 or more work placements
– Sustainability Apps (Vinted, Ebay, Ecosia, TooGoodToGo, Olio)
– 1 Travel Plan
– 1 Bike
– Local News and Websites (NOS, NRC, Jeugdjournaal, Gemeente Amsterdam, IAMsterdam)
For the Icing
– Supporting family and friends
– Spontaneity
1. Preparation
Prepare the base of the cake by finding an internship. Amsterdam is a hub for sustainable innovation and climate tech. Many banks have also expanded their European headquarters here, including their ESG and Climate teams. For example, NatWest Markets is looking for bilingual interns for its Sustainable Finance Internship!
2. Travelling and getting around
In a bowl, mix up your travel plans by taking the train. Both the UK and the Netherlands have excellent public transport connections for long or short journeys. Next, add a bicycle. Cycling has helped Dutch citizens work towards UN SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) [1]. This means that cycling is not only fun, but has a great impact. Second-hand bikes range between 50 to 250€ on Vinted, Ebay or the Waterlooplein weekly market. If in doubt, buy one from Vinted for 75€ and another from the Waterlooplein for 120€.
3. Reusing and Recycling
Sprinkle in technological support. By downloading apps like TooGoodToGo and Olio, you can pick up unsold food or unwanted items for less or free! Vinted and Ebay allow you to sell what you don’t need anymore, instead of throwing it away. If you happen to find a cute shirt or cheaper book on there, consider it SDG 12 win for sustainable consumption. Amsterdam is also massive in the sustainable fashion scene [2], so slice in shopping trips to your mix. Replace Google with Ecosia to plant trees whilst browsing the internet.
4. Cultural Integration
Next cut local websites and news into little chunks. Keeping up to date with NOS (the BBC equivalent), the NRC (the Economist equivalent), and the NOS Jeugdjournaal (NOS for young people).Take up further research on IAMsterdam, this year is the Amsterdam 750 celebration [3]! This means there are lots of free activities and events. Support the local culture by visiting Sunday and flea markets. These are fun and you get to use the Dutch you learned before. Don’t forget to apply for a Stadpas [4] which will give you free or discounted access to countless museums, theatre performances and cinemas. Finally, get into sports by checking out the long interactive list on Gemeente Amsterdam [5]. These all build the community (SDG 16 & 17) as well as your mental health (SDG 3).
After thoroughly mixing, bake in the oven until golden, enjoy and share!
References:
1 – https://english.rvo.nl/sites/default/files/2024-07/Cycling%20Guide%202024.pdf / https://english.rvo.nl/topics/sustainable-mobility/cycling
3 – https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/whats-on/calendar?with-kids=kids
2 – https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do/shopping-and-markets/amsterdam-based-sustainable-stores-you-need-to-check-out
4 – https://www.amsterdam.nl/contact/amsterdam-app/
5 – https://www.amsterdam.nl/sport/
