Lisanne Groen studied European studies and political science at the University of Amsterdam with a focus on the European Union and international relations, resulting in an MSc on ‘The European Union in a Global Order’. After a traineeship at DG AGRI of the European Commission in the international unit that maintained relations with Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Japan she completed an award-winning a PhD thesis at the VUB in Brussels. Her PhD is on ‘The Importance of Fitting Activities to Context: The EU in Multilateral Climate and Biodiversity Negotiations’. As a member of the Belgian government delegation she attended various multilateral climate change (UNFCCC) and biodiversity (CBD) negotiations. She moved to Tokyo, Japan, to become a postdoctoral researcher at the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) on the transfer of low-carbon technologies from developed to developing countries, with field work in Bangkok, New Delhi, Brussels and Bonn. This made her understand and respect the Japanese culture and see things from a non-European perspective.
Lisanne is currently assistant professor in international environmental governance at the Open Universiteit in Heerlen, the Netherlands, where she, among others, researches lock-ins in climate change adaptation policy: what gets stuck, leading to an adaptation gap, and why, and what could be done to move beyond a status quo that is not satisfactory?
Her international research career does not stop her from running and cycling, with a preference for long and difficult trajectories: Lisanne doesn’t know the concept of ‘giving up’. She ran a marathon in 2022 and in 2025 she cycled both the Ronde van Vlaanderen (16 8 km with quite some cobblestone sections and steep hills) and the Belgian ‘climate classic’ of 150km to raise money for Belgian NGOs Natuurpunt and Natagora.
Why are you active as a CoR-EU Board member?
My work for the CoR-EU is a way for me to act for sustainability beyond simply doing my research. I want to help inform and engage decision-makers and stakeholders (including youngsters) in Brussels, bringing them together, by co-organising stimulating debates on the topic that present new narratives and perspectives and potentially shift mindsets.
What is the relation between sustainability and running & cycling?
Running and cycling are ways to transport yourself in a sustainable manner, using your own strength. Running and cycling also contribute to me being physically and mentally healthy, especially when I run or cycle in nature. This creates a great basis for me for being effective at work and at CoR-EU tasks, so I can contribute to promoting sustainability long-term!
