The university has chosen accelerating the energy transition as the theme of the 180th Dies Natalis, or birthday, which will take place on Friday. On this occasion, several honorary doctorates were awarded, including those to Timmermans. He will be rewarded “for his tireless efforts to put the fight against climate change on the European agenda”.
There has been a petition circulating for some time from people who do not agree with the honorary doctorate. “Frans Timmermans proves time and again that he makes the energy transition more difficult instead of promoting it. As an opponent of nuclear energy, he claims that nuclear power is too expensive and that the construction of a nuclear power plant takes 20 years. As a proponent of biomass plants, he promotes large-scale logging”, is in it. The epistle has been signed thousands of times, but also often anonymously. There were also graduate engineers from TU Delft who wanted to hand in their diplomas in protest.
Timmermans was very honored and genuinely pleased with the TU’s tribute. He remembered his grandfather, a miner. His grandson would have loved to see the man experience Friday’s event and pointed out that education can take people far.